Elephant Adventures repays a percentage of its turnover to the “Sayaboury Elephant Care Unit” (elephant mobile clinic) run by ElefantAsia and the National Animal Health Centre (Department of Livestock, Ministry of Agriculture). Funds are used to purchase medicine for sick elephants and to promote breeding of elephants. ElefantAsia non-profit organisation supports local mahouts and runs the “Lao Domesticated Elephant Care and Management Programme” and “Sayaboury Elephant Mobile Clinic”. ElefantAsia supports the reconversion of logging elephants into quality and humane ecotourism activities. During the tour, Elephant Adventures pays local hosts for homestay according to a standard defined with the villagers.
Groups do not exceed 6 persons, leaving only a small “footprint” on the environment. Our guides pay a special attention at not spoiling the environment and leave no wastes behind the group.
Our mahouts are experienced and can share their knowledge to our guests. They perfectly know the forest we are travelling in and are expert elephant handlers. The experience we propose with elephants is authentic and fully outdoors. Guests actually ride the elephants and learn driving commands.
Option: It is possible to ask for a special guide, who is an elephant specialist from ElefantAsia NGO and who speaks Lao.
We use only the best elephants and the best mahouts. Elephants are carefully selected for their docility and respect of their masters’ commands. Mahouts entering the trek have no negative backgrounds with their elephants and are chosen by a chief mahout. Security rules are taught to mahouts and guests at the beginning of each trek. Our elephant chairs are specially designed to offer maximum confort and security. They have side handles and are covered with a bamboo roof that prevent organic matter from falling on guests while in the forest. They also provide shelter in case of heavy sun or rain. Another important point lies in the possibility of extracting sick or wounded guests via the Hongsa/Tha Souang road (see map). From this road, there is a trail leading to Ban Nam Tap (Houeylap) that allows a car to reach Hongsa and Tha Souang within 45 mn. The guide travels with a fully equipped medical box.
The Elephant Caravan documentary film (by ElefantAsia) was broadcast in France (France 5) and a book was published; Animal Planet will broadcast a film by the end of 2007 on Hongsa mahouts and the Elephant Festival. TV5 Monde (francophone countries), TSR (Switzerland) and ARTE (German-French) TV channels will broadcast a film featuring Elephant Adventures treks in December 2007. This media coverage will promote this outstanding tourist product. Elephant Adventures has also developped a website at
www.elephantadventures.com and promotional material available on request.
