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By Mich Caluza November 6, 2026 Share:

Southeast Asia’s leading social hostel brand adds Laos to its ALL IN Trips — a 10-day route from Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng, with a Mad Monkey bed every night and a new crew waiting at every stop.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

LUANG PRABANG, LAOS — NOVEMBER 026 — Mad Monkey Hostels launched its Laos ALL IN Trip, a 10-day social group journey through the country’s two most-loved backpacker towns. The route starts in the UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang and finishes among the karst mountains and river valleys of Vang Vieng.

Laos joins Mad Monkey’s ALL IN routes in Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Like those trips, it is built for travellers who want to go solo without being alone. Most guests arrive knowing nobody and leave with a group chat that keeps going long after the flight home.

Dive into the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls, photo courtesy of Mad Monkey

Built around the new Laos

Laos has changed fast. The Laos–China Railway has cut the Luang Prabang to Vang Vieng leg to under an hour by train, replacing a long, winding road trip. That has opened up a country many travellers used to skip for lack of time.

The Laos ALL IN Trip is built around that new rhythm:

  • Luang Prabang: dawn alms giving, gilded temples, the turquoise pools of Kuang Si Falls and the night market on Sisavangvong Road.
  • The rail leg: a group train ride south through the mountains.
  • Vang Vieng: tubing, blue lagoons, caves and sunset over the karsts.

Every night is spent in a Mad Monkey hostel, never a third-party dorm. Evenings run on Mad Monkey’s social calendar: games nights, pool hangs and the sunset pool at Mad Monkey Luang Prabang. Free time is built into every day, so travellers join what they want and skip what they don’t.

Pool volleyball against the karst mountains at Mad Monkey Vang Vieng, photo courtesy of Mad Monkey

What’s included

  • A Mad Monkey bed every night, plus a free night before departure
  • Daily breakfast
  • Domestic transport, including the train between Luang Prabang and Vang Vieng
  • Nightly social events and selected activities
  • 24/7 local crew support

Prices start from $400 USD per person. A USD $99 USD deposit holds a spot. The first departure leaves on 22 November 2026.

Optional add-ons

  • Hot air balloon ride, Vang Vieng (+USD 110): a flight over the valley with views of the karst mountains and the Nam Song river.
  • Ethical elephant experience at MandaLao (+USD 99): time with elephants at an ethical sanctuary near Luang Prabang, watching and walking alongside them rather than riding.

“Laos is the country travellers tell us they wish they’d given more time,” said Lexie Hadley, Head of Marketing at Mad Monkey. “It’s slow, beautiful and a little intimidating to plan alone. ALL IN takes the planning off the table, so the only thing left to figure out is who you’re sitting next to on the train.”

Bring your own crew

Travellers can also join Mad Monkey’s Squad Leader scheme. Squad Leaders get a personal referral code and earn rewards that grow with every friend they bring along.

Strangers on day one, crew by day ten: ALL IN travellers at a Mad Monkey pool in Laos, photo courtesy of Mad Monkey

For bookings: madmonkeyhostels.com/all-in-trips/laos

About Mad Monkey Hostels

Mad Monkey is a leading hostel operator in Southeast Asia, known for experience-driven stays that blend affordable accommodation with community, adventure, and unforgettable social energy. With locations across Cambodia, Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia, Laos, and Australia, Mad Monkey is more than a place to stay – it’s a place to belong.

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