Elephant Trekking Adventure
(5 days / 4 nights)
Luang Prabang – Pak Beng – Hong Sa - Thai Lu Culture
Highlights
-
2 day elephant trek through jungles & villages
-
Learn about daily routine of elephants & their mahouts
-
Traditional village home stay
-
Boat trip on the Mekong River
Overview
This unique elephant Trekking adventures starts in UNESCO World Heritage town of Luang Prabang and follows the Mekong River west to Pak Beng via Hong Sa the centre for our elephant trekking and home to the Thai Lu culture. Learn about the daily work routine of elephants and their mahouts, overnight with families in remote village home stays and experience a two day elephant trek travelling through hidden mountain valleys. This is a fully guided trip with an elephant specialist who is on hand to explain the relationship between the elephants, the local culture and the environment.
Itinerary at a glance
Day 1 |
Luang Prabang to Hong Sa |
Day 2 |
Hong Sa |
Day 3 |
Elephant trek to Village home stay |
Day 4 |
Elephant trek to Thai Lu Village |
Day 5 |
Pak Beng
|
Prices
Private tour |
$AUD price per person |
3 to 5 people
|
1065 |
2 people
|
1225 |
1 person |
1715 |
Validity |
30 April 2010 |
Includes
- Private tour with local English speaking guide + Elephant specialist
- One way boat trip from Luang Prabang to Ta Xuang or from Pak Beng to Luang Prabang
- Sightseeing + jungle hikes
- 4 nights guesthouse + village home stay accommodation
- 2 day Elephant trekking
- Entrance fees + village permissions
- Meals as per the itinerary
Excludes
- Airfares and departure taxes
- Travel insurance
- Visa, passport and vaccination costs
- Other meals not specified in itinerary
- Personal expenses such as laundry, telephone calls, bar charges, tips, optional activities
Prices are in Australian dollars, land content only, based upon the number of people travelling together. Price reduces as your travel group size increases. Price is land content only + subject to currency fluctuations. Payment by credit card incurs an additional 3% fee. Prices beyond 30/04/10 available on request. See Booking Conditions for more details. Call 1300 43 10 69 for a detailed itinerary.
Trip notes
Is this adventure for you?
This is a trip for open minded, flexible and adventurous people. You need to be physically fit and able to walk a few hours per day. During the Elephant Trekking adventure, you spend a few hours each day on the Elephant travelling through various trails. Routes and accommodation may change according to local conditions and the season.
Home stays + camping
Home stays are basic in terms of bedding and amenities. You are provided with a mattress, clean sheet, pillow, blankets and mosquito net and sleep in a dormitory style room where accommodation and amenities are shared. Toilets are squat, non-flushing as you find in many parts of South East Asia. Depending on weather conditions and season, we also use camping facilities.
Food
All meals, indicated in the detailed itinerary, are included in the price. Expect local style cuisine prepared by villagers using fresh produce and lots of sticky rice! Please advise us if you have any special dietary requirements.
Local guides
An English speaking guide supports your sightseeing and trekking activities. Your guide has been fully trained in guiding outdoor tours around Luang Prabang and in the Elephant Park. Guides in Laos are proud of their job and consider it an honour to show you their country. If you feel your guide provided you with great service, a tip at the end of the tour would be greatly appreciated… a little bit goes a long way in Laos!
What to bring
Your luggage should include: small waterproof bag for your camera and valuables; comfortable walking shoes; sandals or thongs; light weight long sleeve shirt; long pants & shorts; warm clothes for at night; bathers and sarong (women must cover up when bathing in the river); hat, sunglasses and sun block; raincoat; strong insect repellent (Deet medicated preferred); small medical kit; flashlight; toiletries; water bottle; camera & spare batteries; pen & paper; original passport; personal medication; small day pack for day trips.
If you have room in your backpack, bring some books to give away as gifts. You can help local children improve their reading skills by buying picture books printed in their own language. For more information on this worthwhile project, visit www.laobooks.com
Note on client safety
We reserve the right to deviate from this itinerary for any reason, including road and weather conditions, frequency of visits to a village, or for any other factor that may impact client safety.
Your group & share accommodation
Prices are based upon twin share accommodation. A single traveller pays the single supplement price for sole use of a room.
Handy travel tips + travelling responsibly
For more information on how you can participate in sustainable tourism go to Handy Travel Tips. For assistance in planning your trip go to Laos Visa + Travel Guide.
Tipping guidelines
It is customary to express a personal thank you to your guide and driver at the end of your trip, especially if he or she has provided you with excellent service. As a guideline only, we suggest tipping around AUD$4-$5 per day for the guide and AUD$2-$3 per day for the driver. You can pay this in local currency or US dollars. Of course whether you tip and how much is always at your discretion.
