| Living like a Mahout -2 Days / 1 Night
Luang Prabang – Elephant Park Project – Luang Prabang
Detailed Tour Itinerary | Elephant Park Profile | Rate & Conditions
Through this initiative and family- friendly trip in Luang Prabang, you have a unique opportunity to live and learn about elephants, with the experienced mahouts in the Elephant Park Project of Laos, on the banks of Khan River, 15 kilometers from Luang Prabang. Come to learn how to live a life as a mahout in the camp, get close to the elephants, see how people and animals work together in the jungle, experience traditional living of Lao people, and explore the park area blessed with the blissful surrounding mountains. Also add the trip with optional activity either one- day trekking along the trails in the park or doing an exciting kayak.
Tour Highlights
- Experiencing a stay amidst nature with millions stars and jungle sounds at night
- Staying close to experienced mahout team
- Learning with the mahouts how to work with the elephants
- Feeding and washing the elephants
- Following the elephants trails
- Guiding the elephants out in the jungle
- Enjoying the waterfall and relaxing
Detailed Tour Itinerary
 Day 1 – Luang Prabang – Elephant Park Project (L, D)
Drive out to the resort and meet the elephants after a small introduction. Enjoy normal elephants riding tour with an explanation about elephant information by mahouts.
Then, take another elephant riding tour with a training how to sit in the neck of an elephant. After that, learn how to walk with the elephants, and how to communicate with them to tell them to turn left, turn right and stop and so on.
In the afternoon, bring the elephants back from the camp to the forest to feed them. Then, chain the elephants in the forest, so that they can find enough food. Also you might have sometimes spending with the new elephant baby!, who has just arrived in the camp on March 24, 2007.
The afternoon (after 16.00 hr) is your free time to spend at leisure in the beautiful natural lodge. Have dinner in local Lao style at the veranda with the mountain views.
Day 2 – Elephant Park Project – Luang Prabang (B, L)
Wake up at early morning and walk to get the elephants. Optionally for those of you who feel too sleepy, you can meet the elephants at the river for some bathing and swimming with the animals (if water is too high and too dangerous, this activity might not be possible all year round). After washing, bring the elephants to the camp. Then, have breakfast at the camp.
Elephant Park Profile
The Elephant Park Project is located on the banks of the Khan River, 15km from Luang Phabang in Laos. The areas within the park are accessible by elephant rides managed by experienced mahouts. Travelers visiting and staying here will have an opportunity to learn about and get close to elephants, take hiking, biking through jungles or take boat journey, rafting or kayaking, and explore exotic and traditional living of local people in the villages through homestay.
Historically, despite having been known as the ‘land of a million elephants’, Laos is gradually losing its biggest and most regal animals to human development. The Elephant Park Project is therefore established to conserve the elephant population in Laos and this project is investing in community-based eco-programmes in Luang Prabang to give Lao Elephants a new home. And as the result of losing more forests, the elephants which used to work there, logging trees, can become neglected.
The experienced mahouts in the project give hands to help the elephants adapt to their new environment. Sick or older elephants are given special attention. The Elephant Park Project plans to expand its refuge to more elephants. Younger animals will learn their eco-tourism skills at an Elephant Training Centre, and an Elephant Information House will explain to visitors how traditional technology can transform dung into bio-gas, fertilizer and natural hand-made paper.
The project does protect not only the Asian elephants but also support the communities around the park, through the eco- tour activities. Guides, cooks, mahouts, and maintenance staff from the surrounding villages work at the Elephant Park, which also funded construction of the local water supply.
Rate & Conditions
Accommodation
-
Elephant Lodge
• 2 persons (DBL) – USD 109 per person
• 3 persons – USD 98 per person
• 4 persons – USD 93 per person
• Single Room – USD 20 per room
or
- Lao Spirit Resort
• 2 persons (DBL) – USD 131 per person
• 3 persons – USD 120 per person
• 4 persons – USD 112 per person
• Single Room – USD 29 per room
Note
• Accommodation rates are valid from May 01, 2007 until January 31, 2008
• Children under 14 years old get 20 % discount for both accommodations
Price includes:
• Private transfers from Luang Prabang to the Camp and return
• Boat transfers
• Entrance fees
• All meals and drinking water
• Overnight in nature
• English- speaking guide
• Interaction with our Lao mahouts
• Waterfall visit
• Elephant riding
• Basic instructions about the elephant and the work as a mahout
• Overnight in new lodge house rooms
• Elephant Park Project contribution
• The choice of guided tours, either Trekking or Kayaking on Day 2
Important Notes
• The package is possible with 2 - 4 persons and GREAT with kids as well.
• Optional activities:
(1)
One - day trekking tour (2 loops are possible: 5 hours or 6 – 7 hours). Both loops are in the fair trek area and your payment and entrance fee will support seven villages.
(2) One- day kayaking tour on Nam Kha River (approximately 3-4 hours). The tour needs only a soft river experience on single or double kayak.
• The accommodation is in the newly restored 100 year -old Elephant Lodge building, with nicely furnished apartment rooms with bathroom and veranda with view overlooking the Nam Khan River.
• You can upgrade the overnight sleep in the bungalows for USD 20 per person
Note: We can arrange additional customized trips for you if the above itineray does not match your expectations.
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