The province of Sayabouly is a province of Laos bordering Thailand (to the west). It is separated from the rest of Laos by the Mekong and Thailand by the watershed between the Mekong Basin and the Nan.

This mountainous province has several peaks with altitudes of over 1,000 meters and offers tourists extraordinary landscapes of mountains and forests. Sayabouly is home to the largest number of elephants in Laos, which are commonly used to carry heavy objects to and from fields and forest. Local people earn their living from agricultural products such as rice, cucumbers, cotton, cabbages, beans and sugar cane.

The district of Hongsa and the village of Viengkeo in particular are still famous for elephants. Expert trainings and handling capabilities of local mahouts have made Hongsa the focal point of Lao elephant history. In Hongsa, elephants are sacred. They have been man's best friend since time immemorial. Traditionally used for work in the forest, these beautiful animals look forward to meeting you at this first elephant festival, giving you the chance to discover the riches and wonders of the cultural and natural world that surrounds them. Who could claim to have visited Laos, the "Land of a million elephants", without meeting one of these beautiful animals? So come meet the elephants and their masters at the Elephant Festival ...