Laos forum

Tiger Trails - Elephant Park Experience

ilovebdt

newbie
Posts: 2

Hi

Has anyone done the 2 day elephant park trip with Tiger Trails out of Luang Prabang?

http://tigertrail.travity.de/travels/travel.asp?t=C0A103C1-112A-490A-9ACA-B346AD8F1AA2

How was your experience? Was it worth the money?

ilovebdt

#1 Posted: 24/6/2007 - 12:24
jennipa

newbie
Posts: 4

When are you going, as I'll be there next month and am thinking about this also. The words "baby elephant" on the website just hooked me in....
I can let you know about it after I go, but that might be a bit late for your trip.

#2 Posted: 25/6/2007 - 06:28
ilovebdt

newbie
Posts: 2

Hi

I am not looking to go on this trip till Spet/October time, so it'd be great if you could give me your opinion on the trip.
My friend was in Laos earlier this month and she went on the eephant hike with Toger Trails and met the baby elephant at the park. He or she is a real cutie who loves bananas.

Thanks a lot for your help!

ilovebdt

#3 Posted: 25/6/2007 - 06:33
redmatt

newbie
Posts: 2

Tiger Trails was wonderful & worth the money. It is a couple dollars more expensive than others, but I felt as if the elephants were well treated. The baby elephant is especially cute. We did a 1/2 day elephant trip. I am working on a Luang Prabang blog which I hope to post soon.

#4 Posted: 30/6/2007 - 04:35
maleewan_th

longtail driver
Posts: 7

Lan Chang = million of elephants ====> Laos
Lan Na = million of rice fields ====> Northern of Thailand
From Maleewan

#5 Posted: 4/7/2007 - 11:15
swag

adventurer
Posts: 303
Located in:

Private message

Hi ilovebdt
Not sure if this helps, but if you happened to head to thailand my wife and i had a great experience staying with the elephants march 2007.We headed to ayutthya( 2 hrs nth bangkok)were we spent 3 days at elephant stay.www.elephantstay.com.this is a non profit place were they look after retired elephants and you get to immerse yourself feeding ,washing,riding the retired female elephants.you stay at the kraal which has a nursery with heaps of babies watching them play etc.this is also a working kral were the mahouts train the male elephants for the rides in the town proper so you get to enjoy life amongst these great friendly people.all up a fantastic rewarding experience,not cheap but all money goes toward food medicine etc.hope this helps yourself or anyone else
regards
swag

#6 Posted: 4/7/2007 - 12:10
Red

noodle lady
Posts: 46

Hi ilovedbt,

I went to "elephantstay" in January of this year and it was fantastic. Some people hate the idea that you are riding the elephants, but the elephants really enjoy it as they aren't dstanding around all day doing nothing and getting bored. You actually ride with them down to the river and go swimming with them and then back to feed them adn to take care of them. It is a non-profit organisation managed by two Aussie girls, one and artist from Melbourne and the other used to work for the Royal Melbourne zoo.
The kraal has a lot of history attached to it and you can learn all about this also. While we where there we also got to witness a once in a lifetime event when a couple of elepants mated. The Mahouts are just fantastic people who really care about their elephants ,and the baby elephants are just so funny to watch, they really are like little children.
You can stay there which includes accomodation, food, and the care and pleasure of being with the elephants. Swag is right, it's not cheap but it is worth the experience and the money goes towards the upkeep and the running the place.
One experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life.
Red.

#7 Posted: 5/7/2007 - 12:00
maleewan_th

longtail driver
Posts: 7

Hi,
Do you know where is the wild elephants in Laos..I saw a lot in jungle of Xaiyaburi you can go by boat from Pakbeng village and then stop at Ban Thaxoang or Ban Thanoun ...It's a village along Mekong river after Pakbeng and then you take car to Hongsa....You will see a wild elephants and some it's work for carry wood ....It's not the elephants for circus or to show off for tourist
Maleewan

#8 Posted: 5/7/2007 - 14:27
jallix

newbie
Posts: 1

Hey,

I did the half day "trek" thing rather than the 2 day one, and while the actual elephant ride was kind of .. the novelty wore off after a little while, and was more like a trail ride with bored elephants.. I don't regret going at all.

As redmatt said, the elephants seemed to be treated well, and had been rescued from exploitative situations - I don't mind paying extra to support groups like this.

The baby elephant, who is 3 years old now, apparently, made the whole thing worthwhile. He was so, so beautiful, and was standing around near where we had to wait at the entrance thing, so we were able to hang around patting him etc. In fact, I would pay $25 again, just to be able to see him and play with him! I would have been happy to do that for a few hours, and forego the rest of the day, haha.

#9 Posted: 7/7/2007 - 21:53