Luang Prabang - Elephant Village

View from Elephant Village

One of the popular tourist attractions in Luang Prabang is an encounter with retired or rescued logging elephants.  With the rapid decline in the need for them in the logging industry some are being given a new role in the tourist industry where their work is less arduous.  While some of the operations are exploitative others aim to really care for the animals while enabling them to earn their living.  The most recommended elephant encounter business near LP is Elephant Village.  The village is some 15km from LP on the NamKhan river, with an excellent view across the river to fields and the mountains.  Options range from a half-day tour with elephant riding through one to six day "mahout training" packages. We opted for the half-day tour.

Mahout Richard & passenger

This involved an introduction to the work of the village, a 40-minute ride (two customers per elephant rather than the 6-8 we have experienced in India) which took us down a steep slope to the Nam Khan River, about a 200 m  walk in the river to an island, where the mahout got off to take photos and there was an opportunity to take his place.

Feeding time

On return to the village the elephants are fed.  "Ours" clearly did not like the bananas that were on offer as a addition to the grass that was the bulk of the feed.  Apparently the dung is collected and made into paper, the elephants having commenced the pulping process.  And we had thought the hand-made paper on offer as notebooks, cards and bags were made from mulberry bark!

A boat trip to a nearby waterfall,.lunch and a short swim in the pool completed the trip.