Wanting to get out of town and into nature for the weekend, and loving elephants, I spent two days at the Elephant Conservation Center. It is about a 2.5 hour drive south from Luang Prabang, in Sayaboury Province. I had a great time viewing and learning about the Asian elephants, and really enjoyed the other people who were participating. The setting was spectacular, on a lake, out in the jungle. The ECC is dedicated to the preservation of the Lao elephant population, both wild and those under human care. Their goal is to release a new herd into the wild every few years. This is a place where elephants can be elephants - guests may not touch or ride them. I highly recommend a visit, if you are ever in Laos!
PS - did you know only male Asian elephants have tusks? Both male and female African elephants do.
