Ban Noun Savath, Luang Prabang, Laos
The most adventurous day in Luang Prabang, Laos began with a rather mundane van ride to a sanctuary that's All Lao Elephant Camp. For more than ten years at the point of writing, it has been rescuing elephants from the logging industry, giving them a new lease of life.
The sanctuary is approximately 7 km away from central Luang Prabang. My BFF and I were the first two passengers picked up by the our guide, followed by a Japanese couple with whom we had the chance to practice our Japanese conversational skills.
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| Can you see "Taxi Pizza"? |
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| As Laos was annexed by France in the past, it didn't come as a surprise to see French words there. |
Soon enough, we reached the peaceful sanctuary where the sound of chirping birds seemed amplified.
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| My BFF and I booked a separate package that included a quick tour to Kuang Si Falls. |
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| Anyone knows what do we call that? |
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| Ahhh, I'd certainly love to take a dip at the swimming pool~ |
The programme began with the guide telling us some of the 'elephant words' written on a blackboard. Following which, he took us to meet the elephants we were going to attempt to hop on.
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| An elephant eats more than 150 kg of stuff everyday! |
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| What a heart-warming view of a mahout taking its elephant for a walk~ |
Below are some pictures of the breathtaking landscape.
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| The sky appeared dark at first, but thankfully it didn't rain at all that day. |
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| Lovely, right? <3 |
That was my virgin experience riding on an elephant, which wasn't the most comfortable thing on Earth. I took the chance to caress the head of that lovely mammal.
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| The guide was in front of me to ensure that the elephant didn't go astray as far as possible. |
It was then time to feed the elephants. Every single one ate with such a hearty appetite.
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| That's the Japanese guy who used to be a pilot for ANA! |
The fun continued as we brought the elephants to the river to bathe. That was when we got wet as the elephants sprayed water on us.
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| Does this make a good profile picture? :P |
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| The water was refreshingly cold! |
After washing up, we were treated to instant beverages. I had the ginger drink, while my BFF had the dried bael fruit drink.
We didn't want to say goodbye to the elephants, but we had to. Live well, gentle giants!
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| I just noticed the elephant carvings on the pillars of the building before we left. |
Given the opportunity to go back there, I shall try staying at the resort to be able to spend more time with the elephants.
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