Go Backpacking

  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
search icon
Homepage link
  • About
  • Travel Tips
    • Accommodations
    • Budgeting & Money
    • Adventure Travel
    • Food & Drink
    • Gear & Gadgets
    • Packing Tips
    • Travel Blogging
    • Travel Insurance
    • Trip Planning
    • UNESCO Sites
  • Destinations
    • Africa
      • Botswana
      • Egypt
      • Ethiopia
      • Morocco
      • Rwanda
      • South Africa
      • Tanzania
    • Asia
      • Cambodia
      • China
      • Hong Kong
      • India
      • Indonesia
      • Japan
      • Laos
      • Malaysia
      • Nepal
      • Philippines
      • Thailand
      • Vietnam
    • Europe
      • England
      • France
      • Germany
      • Greece
      • Iceland
      • Ireland
      • Italy
      • Portugal
      • Spain
      • Switzerland
      • Turkey
    • North America
      • Canada
      • Costa Rica
      • Cuba
      • Guatemala
      • Mexico
      • Nicaragua
      • Panama
      • United States
    • Oceania
      • Australia
      • French Polynesia
      • New Zealand
    • South America
      • Argentina
      • Bolivia
      • Brazil
      • Chile
      • Colombia
      • Ecuador
      • Peru
  • Advertise
×
Home » Destinations » Asia » Laos

Mountain Biking And Elephants

Published: Oct 8, 2008 by Dave Lee |

Mountain biking east of Luang Prabang

8:45 am - Began mountain biking to river - 1.5 hours (16 km) on dirt/rock road - bumpy enough to justify quality bikes. Sun came out. Hot hot. Seat was hard, didn't have easy access to all 18 gears.

Northern Laos

10:15 am - Arrived at a village, rest break, took five minute boat ride across river. Short walk to elephant camp.

A thumb's up after my first elephant ride

45 minutes - My first elephant ride. I got to sit on her neck for a bit like the Mahout (trainers). Mine was 48 years old. Fed her some bananas afterwards. Elephant tongues are big and funny looking. She was sweet though.

Happy elephant

There were a total of 6 elephants in the camp, and it was recognized as one that treats the animals humanely.

The passenger is bailing water to keep the boat afloat

10 minutes - Boat ride to waterfall, lunch of chicken fried rice, began to rain steadily. Got soaked on boat back. Another rest break in village.

A BIG spider makes for a little more interesting waterfall shot

1:15 pm - Mountain biked back to Luang Prabang for 2 hours (18 km) on dirt/mud roads and pavement, all the while soaked by rain showers.

Related Stories

  • Kayaking Nærøyfjord (photo: Max van den Oetelaar).
    Experience the Best Norwegian Fjords Cruise and See Norway Like Never Before
  • Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador (photo by Noam Levenson).
    The 5 Things I Learned Climbing Chimborazo, Ecuador's Highest Peak
  • A guide leads hikers on Kilimanjaro.
    Can a Beginner Climb Kilimanjaro?
  • The Schooner J & E Riggin offers windjammer cruises in Maine
    Windjammer Cruises in Maine: Sailing the Schooner J & E Riggin
  • Share
  • Tweet

About Dave Lee

Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 68 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.

Comments

  1. Laura says

    October 08, 2008 at 5:18 pm

    Hey Dave. Care to share the name of the elephant camp? I'm on a constant search of humane animal sanctuaries, etc. in the US and elsewhere!

  2. Laura says

    October 08, 2008 at 10:18 pm

    Hey Dave. Care to share the name of the elephant camp? I'm on a constant search of humane animal sanctuaries, etc. in the US and elsewhere!

  3. Sonia says

    October 09, 2008 at 4:30 pm

    That spider + waterfall picture is AWESOME. Ya gotta love Mother Nature!

  4. Sonia says

    October 09, 2008 at 11:30 am

    That spider + waterfall picture is AWESOME. Ya gotta love Mother Nature!

Dave at Ahu Ko Te Riku on Rapa Nui (Easter Island), Chile.

Hi, I'm Dave

Editor in Chief

I've been writing about adventure travel on Go Backpacking since 2007. I've visited 68 countries.

Read more about Dave.

Footer

back to top

About

  • About
  • Archive
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy

Follow Us

Contact

  • Contact
  • Work With Us
  • Submissions

Copyright © 2025 Go Backpacking