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.
10:15 am – Arrived at a village, rest break, took five minute boat ride across river. Short walk to elephant camp.
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.
There were a total of 6 elephants in the camp, and it was recognized as one that treats the animals humanely.
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.
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.
Dave is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Go Backpacking and Feastio. He's been to 66 countries and lived in Colombia and Peru. Read the full story of how he became a travel blogger.
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours.
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- Hostelworld for booking hostels.
- Rail Europe for train passes.
Sonia
Thursday 9th of October 2008
That spider + waterfall picture is AWESOME. Ya gotta love Mother Nature!
Sonia
Thursday 9th of October 2008
That spider + waterfall picture is AWESOME. Ya gotta love Mother Nature!
Laura
Wednesday 8th of October 2008
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!
Laura
Wednesday 8th of October 2008
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!