The Mekong River is the main geographical feature in Laos’s west and forms a natural border with Thailand in some areas. The Mekong flows through nearly 1,900 kilometres of Lao territory and shapes much of the Lao lifestyle. In the south near the Cambodian border, the Mekong spans a breadth of twenty kilometres and has over time formed the ‘Four Thousand Islands’ or Si Phan Don region, consisting of lots of tiny islands – some too tiny for roads. Laos has a population of 6.8 million people, made up of different 49 ethnic groups and four main languages. Lao people are open and friendly, and they possess a strongly developed sense of courtesy and respect. Buddhism is an inherent feature of daily life and casts a strong influence on Lao society. In fact, it is a cultural expectation that every Lao man will become a monk for at least a short time in his life. Lao women can be seen each morning at sunrise giving alms to monks, a tradition that dates back to the 14^th century but is still practiced in Luang Prabang.

The Elephant Conservation Centre

The Centre was launched in association with conservation organisation ElefantAsia. The NGO has been working towards the protection of elephants in Laos for over 12 years, running welfare, vet care, breeding and mahout (elephant carer) training programs. The Asian elephant, sacred national emblem of Laos, is under serious threat of extinction. If immediate action is not taken, the Lane Xang or ‘Land of a Million Elephants’ stands to lose not only its elephant populations but also a major component of Lao cultural heritage. With these threats in mind, the ECC and VESA have joined forces to:

• Encourage births by creating an elephant nursery and a “Baby Bonus” program
• Enhance access to veterinary care by offering the qualified services of a permanent hospital
• Propose training sessions to mahouts in various fields (tourism, care and welfare, traditional medicine)
• Reconvert logging elephants into fair, environmentally friendly ecotourism
• Ensure the viability of the ECC through visits on site
• Inform the public about the condition of Lao elephants
• Protect a highly endangered species from regional extinction
• Ensure a sustainable and fair income for mahouts and their families
• Support an environmentally friendly and fair business approach
• Protect ancestral cultures, knowledge and traditions
• Protect a rich and fragile tropical ecosystem