President Thongloun Sisoulith feeds sugarcane to an elephant at the Manifa Elephant Camp in Luang Prabang province on Sunday.   --Photo Luang Prabang Television

President visits elephant camp in Luang Prabang

Secretary General of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party Central Committee and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith, on Sunday visited the Manifa Elephant Camp in Pak Ou district, Luang Prabang province, to observe the facility’s conservation efforts.
He was accompanied by the Secretary of the Luang Prabang Provincial Party Committee and President of the Luang Prabang Provincial People’s Council, Mr Bounleum Manivong, Chairman of the Luang Prabang Provincial Administrative Committee, Dr Bounleua Sinxayvoravong, along with other provincial leaders and officials.
During the visit, the management of Manifa Elephant Camp briefed the President on the camp’s operations, which have been ongoing since 2009.
The facility is one of the largest elephant camps in Luang Prabang, currently housing nine elephants.
The managers emphasised their commitment to elephant welfare, health care, and the preservation of beneficial elephant-human interactions.
Beyond elephant conservation, the camp offers a variety of activities for visitors including “mahout experiences”, allowing people to feed and bathe elephants, take a sunset boat trip on the river, visit the intriguing Pak Ou cave, go kayaking, and stay in rustic accommodation.
The site utilises over 100 hectares of land for its elephant-related activities and has expanded its operations to the Kuang Xi waterfalls area, covering approximately 16,000 hectares of forest.
President Thongloun praised the camp’s work and urged the relevant sectors of government to ensure more is done to improve elephant conservation as well as the standard of tourism services.
He said development must go hand-in-hand with environmental protection, revenue generation for local communities, and promoting a positive image of Lao tourism to the international community.
The President’s visit highlights the Party and State’s ongoing commitment to wildlife conservation, the promotion of “green tourism”, and the sustainable use of natural resources to ensure long-term benefits for the nation and its people.

By Times Reporters
 (Latest Update July 14, 2026)