The sanctuary has been built to create an alternative of the ancestral work of the elephants and the Cornac who traditionally were working in the forest and protect the elephants from hard labor tasks.
(meta data) TITLE: Destination Pakbeng – A Mekong Oasis – Champa Meuanglao ## Destination Pakbeng – A Mekong Oasis posted by Mai Nov 5, 2018 Wonders await as Pakbeng transforms itself from a stopover to a destination in its own right. Forested mountains in wilderness proved highlighted of my eight-hour ride aboard a Shompoo Cruise to "Destination Pakbeng" Some describe Pakbeng as little more tham an overnight stop on the Thailand-Luang Prabang Mekong cruise. But I was getting a treasure map from Jai at the newly opened Le Grand Pakbeng Resort. It revealed tourism gems and real gold. "We just introduced The Khmu Trail to tourists," he said. "Mr Pheng, a local Khmu, will guide us." The Khmu Trail Morning began with coffee in silence on the villa's terrace. The Mekong flowed below. Mountaintops peaked above a rim of fog. Passengers hurried to catch cruises. I relaxed until 10:00. Our truck turned onto the Khmu Trail just outside town. The rough mountain road followed the Sengkham River past wandering livestock: goats, cows, chickens, ducks, and an albino buffalo. We arrived at Houay Sengkham Village to find a stuck truck blocking the road. Never mind. The steep riverbanks presented green swaths of mountain rice awaiting harvest. We joined a woman stripping rice from stems that Pheng modified into flutes. He then challenged me to husk rice with a foot-powered wooden contraption. Pheng explained "These folks grow enough rice for the village, and harvest in September. In November, when the river is low, they pan for gold." He said that lorry had come from a jungle mine. We walked past it to Souksay Village, and ate noodle soup. One man fished in the river. Soon, they'd all be here with pans. Mekong Elephant Park We put the Khmu Trail on hold. I moved to the Sanctuary Pakbeng Lodge, and watched a Mekong sunset from my terrace. After dinner, I joined Ben, the general manager, at the Moonlight restaurant's lounge. The boat to Sanctuary's Mekong Elephant Park would leave at 10:00 a.m. A distant trumpeting elephant interrupted my morning coffee by the Mekong. Attention turned to the pachyderms bathing across the river. The boat brought me to Wendy, the park manager, waiting at the sandy bank. She led the way to Meiping and adopted mother, Meikhram. Meiping nudged us with her trunk for attention. We locked eyes; I melted. She was a giant cuddly dog. We trekked with Meiping to a village blacksmith and textile shop, and up a mountain path. She was a pet, who constantly stopped to eat flora. Walking with elephants easily beats riding. We were starting to bond. Back to the Khmu Pheng telephoned during lunch. "Can you ride on my motorcycle?" Sure! We went straight to Ban Kham to complete the trail. "This is how people in Luang Prabang lived 20 years ago." We walked over chat to an old topless woman smoking a cigar. A gang of 17 children followed us. One rolled a tyre with a stick. We watched girls pounding massive pestles into mortars of rice, before continuing to a burial site marking the trail's end. A night at the Luang Say Lodge maintained the yesteryear atmosphere. A giant wooden veranda served as reception, restaurant, bar, and lounge. The comfortable bungalows sat on the riverside. I relaxed with my final morning coffee at Destination Pakbeng. Just an overnight on a cruise? You could call it an oasis on the Mekong. Getting there: Pakbeng is an 8 hour slow boat cruise from Luang Prabang or from Houay Xay. Lao Airlines also has daily flights to Oudomxay, and then it is only a 3-4 hour drive to Pakbeng. Text by BERNIE ROSENBLOOM Photograph by PHOONSAB THEVONGSA & BERNIE ROSENBLOOM [:en]48 Hours in Hà Nội[:] [:en]Voices of the Wind[:] #### Recent Posts Boat Racing in Luang Prabang Molding His Future Oh la la! Rosewood Luang Prabang The Lao Conservation Trust for Wildlife #### Categories Conservation of Lao Nature Lao Airlines Social Enterprise #### Archives July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 September 2018 July 2018 May 2018 March 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 July 2017 May 2017 #### Follow Us ## You Might Also Like New, Travel May 17, 2018 ## Village Life in Northern Laos At first glance, there doesn't seem much to Muang La. Therein of course lies its charms. Being right in the... Read More May 1, 2017 ## Waterfalls worth chasing Champasack province in southern Laos is dotted with stunning, pristine waterfalls, as our photographer Johnny... Read More ## Comments 2 Comments posted by ###### John Morris williams Nov 6, 2018 Great article to begin with this is a nice destination that should be taken over a 2 or 3 days period plenty to do and see. posted by ###### SannyWeN Dec 7, 2018 Make a more new posts please __ ### Leave A Comment Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked * Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
train18611
Pakbeng
Tourism.
The town is the overnight stop for boats running between Luang Prabang and Huay Xai. The slow boats which run between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang over a period of two days spend the night moored in Pak Beng. 
 An elephant sanctuary has been created in November 2017 welcoming 4 elephants: Mei-kham (48 years old female with more than 25 years as a working elephant in the forest), Kham-Khum (28 years old male with 20 years as a working elephant), Mae-Kham-Di (28 years old female, 15 years working in the forest) and Mae-Ping (21 years old female who has was never used as a working elephant).