Elephant Conservation Center Exploration

When you arrive at Nam Tien Lake, we will transfer you to the Center by boat. You will have time to settle into your private bungalow before your guide takes you to the forest. Along the way, you walk past the different enclosures where our main activities take place. After enjoying a Laotian style picnic on a lakeside platform, you observe the bath time at the nursery, an area in the forest reserved for our youngest elephants and their mothers.

When the elephants have drunk enough and returned to the forest, you will take the boat back to the Center for the hospital visit.  Our Laotian vet assistant or our biologist will introduce you to their world and tell you more about common and uncommon injuries and their respective treatments.  It is also the perfect time to ask any questions you may have about the biology of the elephants.

You will then   observe   one of the elephants’ daily baths and learn more about our giant guests’ playful characters.  Elephants love water. They also use the bath time to socialize and strengthen ties in the herd.

After the elephants have washed themselves, you will have the opportunity to see them up close. Their ears flapping, tails swatting while they use the trunk and the trees for a good scratching. Meanwhile, the guide will tell you a little about the background of each elephant. They have all been worked hard before they came here. See if you are already able to recognize the elephants while observing them.

Now it’s time for them to walk back to the forest. After a short trek the mahouts will decide on a place where the elephants can graze for the night.

Before dinner, take a moment to take in the surroundings from one of our viewpoints. You can also go for a swim in the lake, take out a canoe, or visit the museum. At 6 pm one of the staffs will give a presentation on our conservation efforts, feel free to ask your unresolved questions. After dinner you can relax at the bar with the staff and share one of our delicious Lao style cocktails!

On the second day, you will meet up with the elephants in the forest. After spending the night in the jungle, it is time for another bath. Enjoy strolling together with these magnificent animals in their natural habitat.

When they have had their fill of water they are brought to the Socialization Area. This is an area where the elephants can freely interact during a big part of the day,  recreating a  semi-natural  living  environment. Here the elephants can enjoy being elephants. Follow the guide around the perimeter to learn more about the group and its dynamics. Take your time on the different platforms to see how a new herd is being formed. This rare opportunity will bring you closer to their natural life, something which is very special about our program and difficult to find anywhere else.

Lunch is served at the Center. Lunch is served at the Center. You will visit our medicinal garden dedicated to elephant care. You can then join our workshop and learn how to create some local handicraft products using bamboo or rattan. While at the workshop, you can observe the elephants having their afternoon hath.

You will meet   our mahouts or our vet technician again as they will conduct a Target Training Session. All our elephants are being trained using ‘positive reinforcement’ techniques to facilitate any necessary treatments and to reduce the stress that these treatments or routine checks can give to them. We offer you the chance to follow their work from a safe distance

On the third day, your guide will explain the ECC’s Sensorial Enrichment Activities. Enrichment is a dynamic process for enhancing animal environments within the context of the animal’s behavioral biology.

We are providing cognitive enrichment in the form of hidden food, toys, a mud bath etc. to give elephants mental stimulation and help them avoid boredom. They love it! We invite you to take part in this amazing experience by helping our team prepare the enclosure, cutting and hiding food, creating new games for them… to give elephants some challenging exercises to solve. Once they arrive, you will have the opportunity to observe how elephants find ways to discover what you have hidden! This is a novel and unique way to interact with our elephants, contributing directly to their well• being.

Lunch is served at the restaurant. You have some time to relax before we bring you back to Luang Prabang by minivan. You can say your goodbyes to the staff or walk around the Center one last time.