Learning to be a Mahout at the Elephant Village

Laos, a tiny landlocked country, was once known as ‘the Land of a Million Elephants’, but the elephant in Laos is now an endangered species. Some 1,000 remain, of which many still work in the forest harvesting timber. The aim of the Elephant Village is to save elephants by providing a safe alternative environment to the dangerous logging industry. It provides a sustainable, peaceful and permanent home to their elephants. Tourists are able to ride, bath and view these magnificent animals in a beautiful natural setting.

We booked a two day mahout experience with an overnight in the jungle at the Elephant Village. It took about thirty minutes to get from Luang Prabang to the elephant park. Eight elephants all munching on banana leaves was our first vision of the Elephant Village. These were to be the elephants we would get to know over the next two days. The Elephant Village occupies a beautiful spot, set on the banks of the Nam Khan River, in the middle of the jungle.

Our elephant instruction began with us learning the mahout elephant language – ‘pie pie’ forwards, ‘doun, doun’ backwards, ‘kwa kwa’ right, ‘sai sai’ left, , ‘kop chai lye lye’ thank you.

It was then time to mount our elephants. To get on an elephant from ground level, you have to ask it to raise its foot ‘seung, seung’, put your foot on its foot whilst grabbing the top of its ear and heaving yourself up! It takes some effort and practice. You sit on the neck of the elephant with your hands placed on its head, your knees are wedged behind the elephant’s ears. It feels very precarious being on the top of such a huge animal. As the elephant moves you have to keep your balance as they lumber from side to side.

After learning the basics of being a mahout it was time to visit the two baby elephants of the herd. We crossed the river in a small boat. The male and female are 3 and 4 years respectively. We fed the juvenile elephants with banana leaves, banana stem and bananas. The young male tried to grab Logan’s flip flop as he was in a playful mood! The boys loved feeding the elephants.

Next, it was time for a proper elephant ride. We rode the elephants from the jungle, across the river and back to the Elephant Village. A mahout rides on each elephant behind you – these men have a tremendous bond with their elephant. We all loved our first proper elephant ride.

A delicious lunch followed, after which we were taken to the Lao Spirt Resort to check in. A beautiful bungalow style resort set amongst the jungle with stunning views over the river.

It was then time to return to the Elephant Village for us to ride our elephants back to the jungle. The elephants only work during the morning and until 2pm. The afternoon is their play and rest time. Again we rode these huge animals, across the river and into the jungle. Elephant riding was getting easier.

Once the elephants were back in the jungle we went on a boat ride down the Nam Khan River to the Tat Sae Waterfalls. These falls are a series of beautiful cascades and pools down to the main river. We swam at the falls in crystal clear water and sat on the large deck enjoying the view. There is a restaurant serving food and drinks at the falls, as well as elephant riding and a small zip-line course.

The highlight of our trip came the next morning. We were up early to collect our elephants from the jungle at 7.30am. It was time for elephant bathing in the river. We rode our elephants into the water, whereupon they went down on their back legs so they were almost entirely in the water! We clung on as best we could. A scrubbing brush and bucket was given to us all and we were instructed to throw water over our elephants and give them a good scrub. We were all soaked but it was tremendous fun. Dave’s elephant (the largest of the five) constantly whacked its trunk on the water soaking us all over and over again.

It was time to say goodbye to our elephants – we had all loved our elephant training in the jungle of Laos.

See Also: Fun and Adventure in Chiang Mai

WHERE WE STAYED

We stayed at the Lao Spirit Resort alongside the Elephant Village. As a family we had two beautiful bungalows built on stilts overlooking the river. Each was constructed of teak wood and had a huge deck. We spent the night under mosquito nets and a swirling fan. Showers were outdoor with a view of the sky! Breakfast consisted of eggs (any way you wanted), warm baguette, jam, fresh fruit and tea or coffee, all served with a view of the jungle and river – wonderful.

In conclusion, we all really enjoyed our time at the Elephant Village. It along with the slow boat down the Mekong River will provide unforgettable memories of our time in Laos.