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VIEW PHOTOS
VIEW PHOTOS

Host: Si

Luang Prabang, Laos

USD
$18-$100 per person

Traditional Laotian food and culture in a rural farmhouse

Host offerings
  • Rural farmhouse
  • Home cook
  • Pets
  • Vegetarian
  • Alcohol
  • Transportation
  • Cooking class
  • Market visit
  • Food tour

Meet Si

Si received his education and learned English as a monk. His parents, who were unable to read and write, wanted their son to be educated and sent Si to a temple far from their countryside home to study. Si was determined to use that opportunity and learned to read and write, taking extra English classes as a monk, and then starting work directly after high school. He now works in operations for a travel company in Luang Prabang. He is a friendly young man who warmly welcomes you into the house that he built for his family. Si is a member of the Tai Lue tribe, a people of the lowlands and one of three tribes in Luang Prabang. He lives in a modest, rural home along with his mother, Tailu, who was orphaned during the war, and his wife, Nee, who is from the Sang Hai village, along with their young children.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Learn about food, culture and everyday Laotian living as you share a meal with this welcoming and relaxed family in their home. At the entrance to the home is Si's mother's loom, upon which she weaves traditional cloth that she sells in the local market. After a tour of their home, sit down together to enjoy a traditional home-cooked Laotian meal prepared by Nee.

Cooking experience: (1-10 guests) Learn to cook traditional Laotian cuisine from Nee, Si's wife who learned to cook watching her grandmother cook traditional Laotian family favorites. Nee learned to cook as a way to integrate into her in-laws' family. You will learn to cook a simple everyday meal that includes dishes such as peeng pa (charcoal-grilled fish) or jao nam poo (green chili sauce with crab), bamboo shoot soup (a rainy season favorite cooked with pumpkin and green leafy vegetables) or ort lam (pork soup with vegetables), and khua mak fak (stir-fried pumpkin with pork) eaten with sticky rice. You will chop, stir and cook on wood fire as you learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Some dishes may also be prepared using electric heat. Your cooking class portion of the experience will last 2.5 hours. After cooking, enjoy the Laotian meal you helped prepare at the family's indoor or outdoor dining table (weather dependent). Please note that this cooking experience takes place outdoors in the family's traditional outdoor kitchen, and it may be hot and sunny; we encourage you to dress appropriately in warm-weather clothing.

Market visit: (1-10 guests) Meet Nee at the Phosy Market, Luang Prabang's largest fresh market, and discover local fruits and vegetables that you might not have seen before. If you have selected a meal or cooking lesson with your experience, pick up a few ingredients for your lunch before returning to Si and Nee's home to learn to cook an everyday Laotian meal in their home.

Notes: Please note that this is a modest, rural experience which gives you a wonderful glimpse of rural Laotian everyday life. The bathroom in Si's home does not have a western style toilet but an eastern one. Also, please note that this experience is only available on the weekends on Saturdays and Sundays.

Languages spoken: English

Traveler reviews

4.93 (15)
We also had a fantastic experience with Traveling Spoon and our wonderful host Alex in Luang Prabang. This was much more than just enjoying delicious Laotian food—we learned how to cook traditional dishes ourselves during a hands-on cooking class paired with a guided market tour. Exploring the local market with Alex helped us discover exotic ingredients we never would have found on our own. Because this was a private experience, we received Alex’s full attention, along with detailed explanations and tips that made the class both fun and informative. The food was excellent, the experience was authentic, and it gave us a deeper appreciation for Lao cuisine and culture. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Luang Prabang who wants a truly local, immersive food experience.
- donna January 03, 2026
I had a fantastic time this cooking experience. The market tour, the cooking session, and sharing a meal were all amazing. Alex was very kind and friendly, and his warm hospitality made the experience special. The home was cozy and beautiful, and the hotel pick-up was very helpful. I highly recommend it!
- Pam November 26, 2025
Amazing experience! We often book cooking lessons when we travel as it's the best way to experience local culture.; especially the experience of going to a local's home. Husband and wife, Si and Nee, were so authentic, welcoming and informative. We cooked, chopped, boiled, and grilled in their wonderful, functional and clean outdoor home kitchen with mountains in the background. All was explained to us, including first walking through the market to buy our vegetables. Si speaks English very well, Nee is still learning, but she's a trained chef and had no problem helping and guiding us. We learned so much about food and culture and enjoyed many laughs. Our reward was to sit down, family style, in their outdoor dining area and eat our delicious meal. Their daughter and son joined us for awhile and it helped complete the picture of a Lao family cooking and eating together. Tuk-tuk transportation, included in the price, made getting back and forth very easy. We lived in other parts of Asia for several years and have always felt a true travel experience is something like what Si and Nee gave us. We highly recommend this.
- Barbara February 07, 2024
Our hosts for the day were Si's wife and brother-in-law, as Si was called away for a family emergency, but his family proved to be very friendly, patient and welcoming. We started the day with a market tour, which was very interesting and where our dietary preferences were taken into account, before making our way to the family's well-kept home, where we then prepared food and cooked in their fantastic outdoor kitchen for a couple of hours before sharing lunch with our hosts and two delightful kids from the family. The whole experience was great. The only thing I would note is that in the blurb it said hotel pick-up and return was part of the price, but we had to pay for it separately. Only a minor gripe though, as the class on the whole was fantastic.
- phutty January 13, 2023
Cooking and eating together with the family! We had such a lovely time with Si and his family, cooking 5 delicious dishes. It was fun to go with the family to the local market to pick out all of the ingredients, while they educated us on local produce and meats. Back at their lovely home, cooking in the outdoor patio kitchen over wood fires was a real authentic experience
- cappy66 March 09, 2020
Read More

Si

$18-$100 USD

per person
100% VETTED
Learn more
  • 100% satisfaction guarantee or your money back
  • Credit card is not charged until the host confirms your booking
  • Private experience
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $66 $38 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $84 $56 $54
Market Tour
 $26 $18 $18
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $100 $68 $66
Alcohol
 $4 per person
Transportation
 $16 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $66 $38 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $84 $56 $54
Market Tour
 $26 $18 $18
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $100 $68 $66
Alcohol
 $4 per person
Transportation
 $16 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour
 4:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm 4:30pm-9:30pm

Meet Si

Si received his education and learned English as a monk. His parents, who were unable to read and write, wanted their son to be educated and sent Si to a temple far from their countryside home to study. Si was determined to use that opportunity and learned to read and write, taking extra English classes as a monk, and then starting work directly after high school. He now works in operations for a travel company in Luang Prabang. He is a friendly young man who warmly welcomes you into the house that he built for his family. Si is a member of the Tai Lue tribe, a people of the lowlands and one of three tribes in Luang Prabang. He lives in a modest, rural home along with his mother, Tailu, who was orphaned during the war, and his wife, Nee, who is from the Sang Hai village, along with their young children.

What to expect

Please note menu might vary. If there are particular dishes you are interested in trying, please include your request in the booking form.

In-home meal: (1-10 guests) Learn about food, culture and everyday Laotian living as you share a meal with this welcoming and relaxed family in their home. At the entrance to the home is Si's mother's loom, upon which she weaves traditional cloth that she sells in the local market. After a tour of their home, sit down together to enjoy a traditional home-cooked Laotian meal prepared by Nee.

Cooking experience: (1-10 guests) Learn to cook traditional Laotian cuisine from Nee, Si's wife who learned to cook watching her grandmother cook traditional Laotian family favorites. Nee learned to cook as a way to integrate into her in-laws' family. You will learn to cook a simple everyday meal that includes dishes such as peeng pa (charcoal-grilled fish) or jao nam poo (green chili sauce with crab), bamboo shoot soup (a rainy season favorite cooked with pumpkin and green leafy vegetables) or ort lam (pork soup with vegetables), and khua mak fak (stir-fried pumpkin with pork) eaten with sticky rice. You will chop, stir and cook on wood fire as you learn to cook three dishes from scratch. Some dishes may also be prepared using electric heat. Your cooking class portion of the experience will last 2.5 hours. After cooking, enjoy the Laotian meal you helped prepare at the family's indoor or outdoor dining table (weather dependent). Please note that this cooking experience takes place outdoors in the family's traditional outdoor kitchen, and it may be hot and sunny; we encourage you to dress appropriately in warm-weather clothing.

Market visit: (1-10 guests) Meet Nee at the Phosy Market, Luang Prabang's largest fresh market, and discover local fruits and vegetables that you might not have seen before. If you have selected a meal or cooking lesson with your experience, pick up a few ingredients for your lunch before returning to Si and Nee's home to learn to cook an everyday Laotian meal in their home.

Notes: Please note that this is a modest, rural experience which gives you a wonderful glimpse of rural Laotian everyday life. The bathroom in Si's home does not have a western style toilet but an eastern one. Also, please note that this experience is only available on the weekends on Saturdays and Sundays.

Languages spoken: English

Traveler reviews

4.93 (15)
We also had a fantastic experience with Traveling Spoon and our wonderful host Alex in Luang Prabang. This was much more than just enjoying delicious Laotian food—we learned how to cook traditional dishes ourselves during a hands-on cooking class paired with a guided market tour. Exploring the local market with Alex helped us discover exotic ingredients we never would have found on our own. Because this was a private experience, we received Alex’s full attention, along with detailed explanations and tips that made the class both fun and informative. The food was excellent, the experience was authentic, and it gave us a deeper appreciation for Lao cuisine and culture. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Luang Prabang who wants a truly local, immersive food experience.
- donna January 03, 2026
I had a fantastic time this cooking experience. The market tour, the cooking session, and sharing a meal were all amazing. Alex was very kind and friendly, and his warm hospitality made the experience special. The home was cozy and beautiful, and the hotel pick-up was very helpful. I highly recommend it!
- Pam November 26, 2025
Amazing experience! We often book cooking lessons when we travel as it's the best way to experience local culture.; especially the experience of going to a local's home. Husband and wife, Si and Nee, were so authentic, welcoming and informative. We cooked, chopped, boiled, and grilled in their wonderful, functional and clean outdoor home kitchen with mountains in the background. All was explained to us, including first walking through the market to buy our vegetables. Si speaks English very well, Nee is still learning, but she's a trained chef and had no problem helping and guiding us. We learned so much about food and culture and enjoyed many laughs. Our reward was to sit down, family style, in their outdoor dining area and eat our delicious meal. Their daughter and son joined us for awhile and it helped complete the picture of a Lao family cooking and eating together. Tuk-tuk transportation, included in the price, made getting back and forth very easy. We lived in other parts of Asia for several years and have always felt a true travel experience is something like what Si and Nee gave us. We highly recommend this.
- Barbara February 07, 2024
Our hosts for the day were Si's wife and brother-in-law, as Si was called away for a family emergency, but his family proved to be very friendly, patient and welcoming. We started the day with a market tour, which was very interesting and where our dietary preferences were taken into account, before making our way to the family's well-kept home, where we then prepared food and cooked in their fantastic outdoor kitchen for a couple of hours before sharing lunch with our hosts and two delightful kids from the family. The whole experience was great. The only thing I would note is that in the blurb it said hotel pick-up and return was part of the price, but we had to pay for it separately. Only a minor gripe though, as the class on the whole was fantastic.
- phutty January 13, 2023
Cooking and eating together with the family! We had such a lovely time with Si and his family, cooking 5 delicious dishes. It was fun to go with the family to the local market to pick out all of the ingredients, while they educated us on local produce and meats. Back at their lovely home, cooking in the outdoor patio kitchen over wood fires was a real authentic experience
- cappy66 March 09, 2020
Read More
Pricing (per person)*
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $66 $38 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $84 $56 $54
Market Tour
 $26 $18 $18
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $100 $68 $66
Alcohol
 $4 per person
Transportation
 $16 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
1 person 2-4 ppl 5+ people
In-Home Meal
 $66 $38 $36
Cooking Experience + Meal
 $84 $56 $54
Market Tour
 $26 $18 $18
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 $100 $68 $66
Alcohol
 $4 per person
Transportation
 $16 per car
*Does not include 4% payment processing fee applied at checkout.
Experience Timings
 Lunch Dinner
In-Home Meal
 12:00pm-2:00pm
Cooking Experience+ Meal
 10:00am-2:00pm 4:30pm-8:30pm
Market Tour
 4:00pm-9:00pm
Market Tour+ Cooking Experience + Meal
 9:00am-2:00pm 4:30pm-9:30pm
ABOUT TRAVELING SPOON

Traveling Spoon connects you with meaningful culinary experiences, from private cooking lessons to homecooked meals in people's homes. Enjoy an immersive cultural experience that gives you a glimpse into the local way of life.

FAQ

    You can cancel your reservation up until 48 hours before your experience for a full refund minus a 4% processing fee. Experiences within 48 hours are not refundable.

    If you have a question for your host, you can include a note in the field "Write a note to your host" during the booking process. Once your booking is confirmed, you will be emailed your host's direct contact information and you will also be able to message the host through your profile. You can always cancel your booking and receive a full refund 48 hours or more before your experience. If you have other questions you can also email us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Most of our hosts are able to accommodate dietary restrictions and allergies, including vegetarian and gluten free options. For vegetarian travelers, we have an icon on each host profile to indicate whether that host can also offer a fully vegetarian menu. There is a section in the booking form to note any allergies or dietary restrictions which will be sent directly to your host.

    Some hosts offer alcohol as an optional add-on for travelers who are of legal drinking age. Pricing for alcohol is visible on the host profile page and includes one to two glasses of wine, beer or local alcohol.

    Have a flight or other tour planned and can't make the timing provided? If the timing listed on the host's profile doesn't work for you, our hosts can often accommodate timing changes. Because all of our experiences are private our hosts are happy to tailor experiences to meet your travel needs. Simply note your request in the booking process.

    Your card will not be charged until your host accepts your booking. Typically hosts respond to bookings within 72 hours. In the event your host is unavailable on your selected date and your host rejects your booking your credit card will not be charged.

    Your host's detailed contact information, including their phone number, address, and direction notes, will all be provided immediately upon successful confirmation of your experience (after your hosts accepts your booking and your credit card is successfully processed). This information will be emailed to you to the email address you used to sign up, and will also be visible on your Traveling Spoon profile.

    All prices are noted per person prices unless otherwise specified. Transportation is typically charged on a per car basis. Children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free. Hosts set their own prices and Traveling Spoon marks up the experiences; on average hosts receive over 70% of the price paid by the traveler.

    100% of Traveling Spoon experiences are private! Just you and your host and host's family.

    Hosts typically respond to booking inquiries within 72 hours. If for some reason you have not heard from your host or if you have any questions you can always contact us at reservations@travelingspoon.com.

    Your safety and security are our top priority. To ensure this, Traveling Spoon personally vets 100% of all hosts, including an in-person host visit, to ensure each host and experience meets our strict quality requirements.

    Some hosts offer transportation as an optional add-on for travelers. Typically this is round trip transportation with pick up and drop off at your hotel. Pricing is quoted per car. Specific instructions for transportation will be provided in your confirmation details when your booking is confirmed.

    Many of our hosts accommodate solo travelers. You can see if a host accepts solo travelers by looking at the traveler range found next to the experience descriptions on the host profile (indicated by the numbers in parentheses next to "In-home meal", "Cooking experience" and "Market visit").

    Most of our Traveling Spoon experiences are incredibly family friendly and can accommodate infants and children. If a host is unable to accommodate children that will be noted in the "Notes" section of their profile. Our child pricing policy is children aged 5-11 are 50% off, and infants aged 0-4 are free.