Over the years, as editor of Adore Animals Magazine I’ve published a number of stories on elephants (some are now on this site). For me, they’ve always held a particular attraction, so for month of June, I’m heading overseas to hang with the elephants in Laos and Thailand.  This is a personal trip – no official Foundation business – although I will be investigating the possibility of a publishing venture with the crew at Elephant Stay. And, of course, I’ll also be sharing my animal encounters on my return!

My first elephant experience will be a mahout’s course in Luang Prabang, Laos. Experiencing life as a mahout is about the needs of the elephant and offers the chance to follow this natural rhythm, including bathing and feeding them. This program is part of a conservation project, rescuing elephants from logging. Click on this link for more information

The next animal experience involves another conservation project, and for this one you stay in tree houses! It’s a little wild and we’ve heard many different stories about this one. ‘The Gibbon Experience’ is in the Bokeo Nature Reserve in north-west Laos and is a unique project designed to help conserve the forest by utilising tourism in a very different way. Using ’flying foxes’ to get around, this is a hands-on, bird’s eye view of the forest and its occupants. I’ll be sure to tell you all about this one. For more information, check it out here.

Lastly, is Elephant Stay, which we have done quite a number of articles on in the past. I’ve heard so many positive stories about this non-profit, who are one of the most successful breeders of elephants in the world (if not the best), I just know it’s going to be amazing! Their relationships are simply incredible and show just how important the family bond is to elephants. For more information on Elephant Stay click here.    

For all of you, while I’m away, we’ll be running a series on articles on the beauty industry from Briony Kennedy, Founder and Director of Adorn Mineral Cosmetics. An Australian company, Adorn’s products are cruelty-free, environmentally sustainable and vegan, so stay tuned for those articles.  

See you in a month!

Lisa Louden, MD Adore Animals Foundation