Joyful Portraits of Khmu Villagers // Northern Laos

I rarely do organized tours when I’m traveling, mostly because I don’t like visiting communities with an entire group of outsiders/tourists. However, Tiger Trails is a fair trade company that works closely with villages, and I had some time on my hands, so I signed up for one of their 2 day cultural treks.

On the first day, we trekked 2 hours through rice paddies and and steep slopes to a Khmu Village where we spent the afternoon goofing off with many playful children.

The Khmu people are believed to be the original inhabitants of Laos, and now, they are the largest ethnic minority group in the country. Their villages are primarily located in the isolated region of northern Laos, on mountain slides and slopes conducive to growing sticky rice and crops.

The Khmu people are especially known for basket-weaving, a task primarily carried out by women. However, in general, most work is done communally, including fishing and hunting. They live in close proximity to other ethnic groups and villages, and they often barter and trade goods with them. Animism is the belief system that most Khmu subscribe to, and their ancient beliefs relied heavily on sun worship.

Though their income is not much, this village works together to carry on a sustainable community and the way in which they run their village is truly inspiring.