This morning you will be met at your hotel for the private road transfer from Luang Prabang to Sayaboury, taking approximately 3 hours.

Please note that road transfers are by private Exotissimo minivan. Your private guide from Exotissimo will accompany you throughout and you will also be joined by staff from the ECC for excursions.

 Located Southwest of Luang Prabang, Sayaboury is a mountainous province with peaks of more than 1.000 meters. Travel to this remote province will reveal many beautiful mountains and flower gardens. The local people earn their living via agricultural products such as growing rice, cucumbers, cotton, cabbage, beans and sugarcane. It is also home to the largest population of elephants in Laos.

Arrive at the Nam Tien Lake pier. This is a majestic lake with many islands surrounded by untouched tropical forest.

Take a Short boat trip on the Nam Tien lake to the Elephant Conservation Center (ECC). Welcome to your idyllic holiday destination - the world of the Asian Elephant! Local staff will welcome you before checking into your simple bungalow.

After lunch enjoy a guided tour of the Center and meet the resident veterinarian, who will talk to you about their work and will show you around. You will then have further opportunity to observe and learn about the fascinating pachyderm at the museum and at the mahout school.

Next it’s time to get to know the elephants. The Mahouts will show you the three different ways to get up and down from an elephant in the traditional way (bareback). If you are interested, you may give it a try.

After this it’s bath time for the elephants. Elephants are surprisingly good swimmers and love water. You will witness the unique bond between the mahout and his elephant.

Then follow the elephants to their night resting place. You will be welcomed to join the mahouts for a walk in the forest to take the elephants back to their nightly resting place.

Before dinner, you will have some time to relax on the lake shore, visit the elephant museum, swim or simply enjoy a fresh drink.

Enjoy a variety of Lao foods for lunches and dinners during your stay, served at the restaurant where you can enjoy lake and mountain views.

Overnight at the Elephant Conservation Center

Luang Prabang – Sayaboury (119 km): 2,5 hours

After breakfast you will have a safety briefing before joining the elephants for their daily exercise, an hour walk in the surrounding tropical forest. Stay close to the elephant and she will show you the way. Your guide will teach you how Lao people use plants and trees collected from the jungle.

After your walk you will spend some intimate time at the yard with Mae Khamon, Mae Bounnam, Mae Dok and Phu Thongkhoon, our four resident elephants. Elephants have a delicate diet, and under professional guidance, you will feed them. You may also learn how to ride bareback, the traditional way, sitting on the neck with the help of mahouts and guides.

For lunch you will enjoy a variety of Lao foods served at the centers restaurant.

After lunch, you will visit the elephant nursery. It is located deep inside the forest where the baby elephants are learning how to sustain themselves, closely watched by their mother.

You will receive information about the reproduction program set up by the NGO, ElefantAsia, while watching them play.

Then it’s time to bath your elephant again. After that you will be welcomed to join the mahouts for a walk in the forest to take the elephants back to their nightly resting place.

Using your knowledge recently acquired about commanding an elephant, it should not be a problem for you to take part in the action.

In the afternoon it’s time to take a relaxing boat trip on the lake to watch the sunset over the islands while enjoying a fresh drink and snacks.

Before dinner, you will have some time to visit the elephant museum, swim or simply relax on the lake shore.

Overnight at the Elephant Conservation Center

This morning enjoy a western-style breakfast served at the restaurant overlooking the lake.

After breakfast your guide will lead you for a half day trek through the forest to discover a hidden sacred Buddha footprint. You will learn about the local customs and be amazed about the beauty of the forest and landscapes.

After a last lunch, it will be time to say goodbye and to leave the Elephant Conservation Center. You will be transferred out by boat and then return to Luang Prabang by road.

Sayaboury – Luang Prabang (119 km): 2,5 hours