Visiting The Elephant Village, Luang Prabang
After a lot of consideration, we decided to go to The Elephant Village just outside of Luang Prabang. Riding elephants is controversial, and for good reason: the vast majority of elephants are mistreated in order to perform for humans. The Elephant Village, however, has created a sanctuary for previously abused elephants. It was a pleasure to learn about their operation and how they’ve been able to use tourism to further their mission of providing good lives for these elephants.
We chose to do the “One Day Mahout” experience which started by being picked up in a van around 9am. We stayed at My Dream Boutique Resort which turned out really nicely- since we were closest to the Elephant Village, we were last picked up in the morning and first dropped off in the evening.
When we arrived at the Village, we immediately saw an elephant roaming around a grassy lawn (my excitement level jumped to a 10/10 quickly). We were greeted and started our “Mahout training” where we learned Laotian words the mahouts use to speak with the elephants. (See left)
After our “training” we were introduced to our first elephant. We got to pat her trunk and feed her bananas. Then, one by one, we got to ride her around the grass with her mahout and practice the various commands we had learned. I was very stressed about this because 1) I didn’t want to get hurt and 2) I desperately wanted the elephants to like me. (Also, my excitement level at this point was probably a 12/10).
After this orientation, we were taken by boat down the river to a muddy bank. This is where they spoke to us a bit more about the elephants at the village. We learned that several of the elephants had been rescued from the logging industry. We also learned that domesticated elephants and boys are paired together when they are young (maybe 6 or 7 years old), and the boy becomes her “mahout”. They go through life together and see each other everyday. Asian Elephants have a life expectancy of nearly 50 years, so the two truly become family.
The elephants at the village only “work” for a few hours a day, spending each night roaming the jungle, as well as two days “off” each week. On their days off, the mahouts will still go into the jungle to visit them.
I can’t speak to whether domestication of elephants is right or wrong, but from what I could see, these elephants are treated with the utmost respect. The mahouts are essentially their very protective fathers who care about their well-being, and watch over their interactions with tourists very closely.
After our discussion, we were paired up with a mahout and got to meet “our” elephant for the day (at this point I think my heart was exploding, I was already in love with Mae San).
After getting on the elephants with the mahout, we crossed the river to an island that runs parallel to the shore. The mahouts hopped off the elephant and walked along the side (they explained the elephant feels safe with strangers as long as their mahout is nearby). We headed back towards the main lodge, which is about a kilometer.
After arriving back at the lodge, it was time to disembark and enjoy a buffet lunch in cabanas that over look the river. I finished lunch early and went to find Mae San in the eating area to give her more treats.
When everyone was ready, we changed into swimsuits for bathing with the elephants in the river. I got absolutely drenched by Mae San spraying me with water from her trunk. The bathing experience lasts about 15- 20 minutes which was plenty for me.
After the bathing, we walked to a separate area where they keep the “baby” elephants during the day while their moms are at “work”. I believe they were 3 and 5 years old, and they were massive! We only got to spend a short time with them because their moms were heading back into the jungle. Soon we could hear the mahouts calling out from the trees, and the kids were running off towards their moms to retire for the day.
At this point, it was time to load onto a boat and head to Tad Sae waterfall. I wasn’t terribly excited about this part since I mostly had just wanted to see the elephants and was ready to head home. To my surprise, Tad Sae was extremely beautiful! It was an unexpected, yet welcome addition.
After spending about an hour playing in the falls, we grabbed a few plastic chairs and a beer to relax by the water. The day was wrapping up and the six hours of fun were starting to hit me. Soon, one of the guides was ushering us back to the boats to head to the camp, where we would pile into vans for the return to our hotels.
If you choose to visit The Elephant Village, the “One Day Mahout Experience” will cost $99/per person, which includes transportation and lunch. The Village is located about 20 minutes from town (which is really nice proximity compared to places like Chiang Mai where they are >1hr from the city). Expect to be in a group of about 8-10 people.
Have you visited Luang Prabang or the Elephant Village? Please tell me about your experiences. Dialogue welcome about domesticated elephants.
