Big Brother Mouse schools make education fun and exciting for children in Laos. Eight schools are in our network. Some are run by Big Brother Mouse; others are independent, but we work closely together to find better and better ways to help children in many dimensions, at a low cost.
In 2023 we ran our first trip for donors, who had made these schools possible. They were popular so we're continuing to run them and improve them. They are now open to anyone with an interest in education, development and Laos. You do not need to have donated previously, although after seeing what a difference our schools make, we hope you'll consider supporting us to do more.
Information below reflects the situation at this writing. Laos is a developing country, generally conditions are improving, but – as with any travel – nothing can be guaranteed 100%.
The trips are described on other pages. Here are answers to some questions people have asked.
What are guesthouse rooms like?
We stay in guesthouses that are comfortable but not fancy. Each room has a bathroom with western-style toilet and hot-water shower. Mattresses are consistently good quality. Lighting is sometimes not strong, so if you like to read in bed you may want to bring a small portable light for that.
Can you provide vegetarian meals?
We can always be sure you get dishes with no meat or fish on request, we have done so often. Some flexibility will help. For example, is it a problem the soup was cooked with a bone in the broth? We can pass your requirements on to the kitchen, but it may limit the choices of what they can provide. For vegans, we can order dishes with no animal products, but you may wish to bring some protein supplements.
I have a medical condition that might flare up, and require quick treatment at a good hospital. Should I consider these trips?
Honestly and reluctantly, we have to suggest you should not. Hospital quality in Laos varies, but the standard advice to anyone who needs good care is to get to Thailand. Furthermore, sometimes you'll be many hours or a day's travel even from the nearest Lao hospital.
What style of toilets will we encounter?
Most people in Laos use Asian-style toilets at home, aka squat toilets. You don't sit, you squat. People who didn't grow up with this usually find it difficult. Guesthouses always have western-style toilets. We look for restaurants that have these, and generally succeed. Rest stations on the road often have only squat toilets, and we will sometimes be on the road for about three hours without other options. (Very possibly, within a few years, this may change, but as of 2024 it was the case.)
Can you reserve a room for me in Luang Prabang?
We arrange rooms for the time on the road, but not in Luang Prabang. The town has accommodations with a wide range of styles, prices and locations available; and reservations are easy to make online.
How will I get from the Luang Prabang airport into town?
It's easy and inexpensive. There's a counter just before you go outside. Tell them where you're going, and they'll put you in a van, usually shared with 2 other parties going in the same direction. The cost in 2024 was about U.S $5.
How can I enjoy activities with students if I don't speak Lao, and many of them speak little or no English?
Right from our first year (2016) we've considered visitors to be a special element of the school experience. We've got quite an assortment of activities that work for just this situation. Some involve helping students learn or practice English. Others are fun without requiring a shared language. To make an equation in one popular math game, for example, you can demonstrate what you have in mind by moving cards around.
What time do I need to show up for the Sunday hike?
This is on the first day, it's entirely optional, and typically only about half the group comes; some haven't arrived yet, or need a day to recover from travel. We meet at 9:00 at our shop in central Luang Prabang. We typically get back mid-afternoon, but may adjust that if everyone wants a longer or shorter day. It's a simple matter to return on your own if you wish.
Why isn't breakfast included?
In Luang Prabang and Nong Khiao, there are many breakfast options and we've found most travelers prefer to chose their own time and place and cuisine. Our first night on the road is in a smaller town, and we'll provide breakfast at Ton Kit school, although early risers can find coffee and local foods a short walk away.
How strenuous is this trip?
The most active option is hiking halfway up a mountain, to a scenic overview. This takes about a half hour for an average adult, but abilities vary. We depart and return from a spot close to our guesthouse, so you can have a leisurely coffee, or explore town, if you prefer. Nothing else is even that strenuous, and these activities are optional.
Our first non-fiction book was Animals of Africa which tried for broad appeal by combining pictures, a general description of each animal, and an interesting fact about it.
But we faced a dilemma. The Lao language did have a word for giraffe; if you're that tall, people will talk. But it had no words for aardvark, baboon, gazelle, or several other animals. What should we call them?
For aardvark, we coined a term that means "anteater." For many others, we followed a Lao pattern of taking a more general term, then adding a modifier. Many rodentish animals have names of this sort. A mouse is a "little rodent" while a kangaroo is a "pocketed rodent."
So baboon became "monkey-baboon"; gazelle was "deer-gazeo". (Lao words cannot end with an L, nor with many other consonants.)
Repeatedly, we found ourselves searching to see what terminology already existed, and coining something when needed. There was a word for penguin. If you're that funny, people will talk. (It may be called bird short-wing, or just penguin.) There was no word for walrus or moose, until Big Brother Mouse came along.
And surprisingly, Lao does have a word for the orange-and-white clownfish which starred in the animation film Finding Nemo. In Lao it's called the nemo-fish. And everybody knows it.