Located in beautiful Luang Prabang, Laos, Shangri-Lao Classic Explorer Camp & Expedition, invites you to re-live the adventures of Dr. P. Neis, an historic French explorer from the 19th century. Re-trace his footsteps along the very same tranquil streams and dense jungle in his original and authentic style whilst staying in luxury tents with breathtaking views just as he did in 1883.
“By night the sounds of the Lao jungle are not like those of other places. A whole range of sounds fills the night here and adds to it’s mystery. A spell in a Laotian jungle camp, with the sounds of the nature around you and with canvass walls, has an effect on all our senses. Free from the clutter of our normal life, our hearing goes on alert. We are not used to the trumpeting of the elephant, nor the deep silence that can fall here in such dark nights.”
– Dr. Neis
History
The end of the 19th century was a time when the region of Indochina was explored by several expeditions for different reasons. In September of 1882 a French explorer, Dr. P. Neis, was requested by the Minister of Public Education of France to embark on a scientific mission to survey the ‘Moi Tribes’ who lived in one of France’s first colonies of Laos named ‘Cochinchina’.
Philosophy
Legends say that Shangri-La is the first place that receives the sunshine of the day and is the most awe inspiring place on earth. The term ‘Shangri-La’ comes from Xiangbala and originates in Tibetan Buddhism’s tripitaka. This translates to the supreme gambit of ‘Buddhism Pure Land’ and is equivalent to phrases such as ‘The Garden of Eden’, ‘Ideal Kingdom’, ‘Xanadu’, or a ‘Utopia’ in modern glossaries.
Memories
Experience the thoughts and emotions through Dr. Neis’ actual words. Get a feel for what he experienced with these quotes taken directly from his Laos expedition journal from 1882.