The Elephant Festival includes parades, activities, shows, market shopping, sukhuan ceremony, elephant contest, and much more. It's quite a spectacle to see and experience! Check it out February 18-20 2013.
The city of Sayaboury in the province of the same name is home to the Elephant Festival which originally started back in 2007 ElephantAsia, an organization devoted to the protection and well-being of Asian elephants. This is the first year however that ElephantAsia is not organizing as they have handed over the reins to the local and provincial authorities.
The festival has grown each year, attracting tens of thousands of visitors over a three day period. Many of the participants are from all over northern and northwestern Laos. And festival goers are mostly Lao but many foreign tourists are taking notice of the event as well as the event is being promoted by tour companies.
Checkout the promotional video posted by LaosPictures on Youtube.
Related Links:
ElephantAsia
Elephant News
Side Note: With Sayaboury being home to the largest number of mahouts (elephant trainers/owners) and the largest amount of elephants in Laos it was only fitting that the festival began there. Also the first Mahout Association was created in Hongsa, Sayaboury in 2011. The first Lao civil society organization devoted to mahouts and their elephants.
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