At ElefantAsia we love nothing more than elephants, so what better weekend is there to hold the Elephant Festival than the Valentine’s Day weekend – 14th & 15th of February 2009. Prettying up will be about 100 elephants, all competing for the prestigious title of “Elephant of the Year”. Expect to see colourful elephant processions, elephant bathing, mahout demonstrations, ancient Baci ceremony, traditional Monk blessings, live performances from Lao and foreign artists, night markets, fun fairs and much, much more.
An all-ages event, the Elephant Festival welcomes everyone to the biggest event in Laos celebrating the elephant, only fitting in the “land of a million elephants”. Not only a wonderful celebration of cultural traditions, our elephant festivals raise awareness of the plight of the Asian elephant in Laos and how action needs to be taken now to stop this beautiful species from extinction.
Want to party with the elephants?
It’s free and it’s easy! The 2009 Elephant Festival will be held in the city of Sayaboury, Sayaboury Province, Laos. Travel to Sayaboury is simple from either Vientiane, Luang Prabang or overseas. Options include:
Fly direct from Vientiane to Sayaboury (approx 50mins) with Lao Air. Hire a car or take a local bus from Luang Prabang to Sayaboury (approx 2-3 hours). Hire a car from Vientiane (approx 10-12hours) Take a local bus from Vientiane (approx 12 hours) International flights to/from Luang Prabang include departures from Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam. International flights to/from Vientiane include departures from Thailand, China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Cambodia. 
Accommodation choices in Sayaboury range from hotels, guesthouses or camping depending on your budget and tastes. There are many local dining choices in Sayaboury, as well as local sights and scenery to take in if the elephant festivities get a bit too much.
Want more? Visit the official 2009 Elephant Festival. Subscribe to our newsletter to receive the latest ElefantAsia news and festival updates. Check out links to our 2007and 2008 Elephant Festivals. Watch a video clip from the 2008 Elephant Festival in Paklay.
Make yourself visible, signup at samakomlao webboard. 
