Located a few kilometres north of the town, MandaLao Elephant Conservation is a sanctuary for elephants that have spent the majority of their lives working for logging throughout Laos. Concerned about the welfare of the pachyderms, the place offers them a dignified and comfortable life in harmony with nature. A truly intimate opportunity to share the life of elephants in their natural habitat while ensuring a pleasant life for them. You will spend time close to the elephants, accompanying them in their natural environment.
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Further information
Opening time and information on MANDALAO
Open daily from 8am to 9pm. From US$100 for a half-day and US$150 for a full day.
Owner's Message
Our mission is to respect and understand elephants by offering our visitors an enriching experience of sharing.
Our goal is to welcome visitors to come into contact with elephants in the most natural way possible. our hope is that our expertise will grow and be shared: to ensure that the treatment of elephants is done in a sustainable and ethical manner both in Laos and across the borders.
With your support, we can work towards the preservation and safeguarding of both domesticated elephants and elephants living in the wild.
MandaLao
Luang Prabang, Laos
[email protected]
+856 (0) 30 56 64 014
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Members' reviews on MANDALAO
The ratings and reviews below reflect the subjective opinions of members and not the opinion of The Little Witty.
MandaLao strives to make the lives of elephants better which have so far been used as working/riding animals and treated horribly. You can still see the scars from riding or when the back of the legs were slapped. They also plan a reintroduction program in the future as Laos only has around 700 elephants left (half in captivity).
The experience starts with a little history about elephants and the project, which is employing almost 50 people and supports 100 families that are growing plants for the (currently) 11 animals- each eating 6% of their bodyweight daily! Half of your ticket price will go to feeding the grey giants.
Then you cross the river on a boat and start with giving the animals a little snack, before you walk through the surrounding forest. The half day tour will turn around after some km, while the full day tour continues to a little campsite. You will also have the opportunity to see and bathe at a waterfall- beautiful and a definite recommendation.
Ask all the questions you have and they will be answered. The mahouts and guide are full of respect for the elephants and are passionate about their work.
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We did the afternoon tour which I was initially upset about missing out on a morning one (book in advance people!) but it ended up being so incredible. We were given tonnes of information from our guide Tan on the drive over both about elephants and general insight into life in Laos which we loved to hear. Then we sat down for a coffee/tea and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings (honestly stunning!) then made some treats for the elephants and were able to feed them and trek with them a decent amount as well. Tan told us all about the different elephants and their past terrible experiences and what their lives are now like, how they reintroduce younger elephants in the wild where they belong and a lot about elephant behaviour. After a good amount of time spent with the elephants we then had some snacks ourselves and marvelled at the day we’d had.
I can’t stress enough how amazing it was and worth every penny! Don’t even think of going for another elephant experience where elephants are ridden as it’s very cruel. You get close up enough with them here and are being kind to them.