Elephant Village - Laos

Part of my research in Luang Prabang included my looking for volunteer opportunities at elephant camps.  In the literature I found about the Elephant Village, I noticed they had volunteers assisting this project.

So I hired a driver, and off I went in search of the Elephant Village.  The scenery was spectacular as we drove over dustry dirt roads for about 40 minutes to get to the Elephant Village.



As I walked through the main door to the Elephant Village, I was amazed by the village! 

A few thatched roofed buildings, on a carpet of well trimmed grass. The main building in the center was a meeting point for general information as well as buyig tickets to ride the elephants.  A DVD was playing, giving information about the Village. 

To the left and behind the main large building, the Elephant Hospital, where one elephant was being treated for a leg wound.

The Nam Khan River flowed past the Elephant Village, allowing the Village guests to ride the elephants through the water.



Three thatched buildings, were one could sit and relax, had been built near the edge of the river.






The elephant feeding station, where for a few dollars, one can buy green bananas and feed them to the elephants.



The oldest elephant, Mae Cot, and I were born in the same year.  So it was a must that I buy my this grand old lady some bananas and give them to her.



Mae Cot accepted the bananas with grace, and rather than grabbing them with her trunk, perfered that I place them directly in her mouth.  She was blind in her right eye, so I stood and fed her on her left.  Oh how gentil she was!



As I wandered around the Elephant Village, I had the good fortune of meeting the young German man who helps manage the Village.  He told me that indeed they do have volunteers from time-to-time, and could use some extra hands to help him in the office with the marketing of the program.  So will see as we continue to look at the overall volunteer progam, how the Elephant Village might fit into this picture.