Elephant Conservation Center Opens in Sayabouly: "Amidst a fanfare of trunks a-trumpeting, the newly established Elephant Conservation Center (ECC) is now open," reports Tracy Brookshaw in the latest issue of Champa Holidays magazine. ECC is located just two hours from Luang Prabang on the outskirts of Sayabouly Town, host of this February's annual Lao Elephant Festival, and "provides a welcome escape from this busy tourist hub (Luang Prabang)." The center offers accommodation and a variety of activities from trekking alongside an elephant and visiting the elephant hospital to watching mother elephants feed their calves and living with mahouts. In her article, "Elephants Return to their Jungle Roots", Tracy explains, "The first of its kind in Laos, the Center, launched in association with conservation organization, ElefantAsia, is not another elephant camp, but an innovative approach that combines conservation of an endangered species with ecotourism." She notes there are approximately 420 domesticated elephants and around 400 wild elephants left in Laos. To download "Elephants Return to their Jungle Roots", click here. To view this issue of Champa Holidays, visit: www.champaholiday.com. For more information on ECC, visit: www.elephantconservationcenter.com. For tourist information on Sayabouly, visit: www.sayaboulytourism.com. |
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