Trunk appeal in laid-back Laos

My interest was the UNESCO World Heritage-listed city of Luang Prabang. It's called a city but it's more like a big, old, sleepy town that attracts people from all over the world.

It is in the central north of Laos, where the Nam Khan River meets the mighty Mekong River.

I was told by a local that Luang Prabang translates as "Peaceful Buddha". Or was it "Divine Buddha"? Either way, the name is fitting. In saffron robes, monks walk in line and collect alms early every morning. It is an extraordinary sight.
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Tourists are allowed to join in the morning ritual but are urged to observe custom and participate only if they have genuine intentions.

Getting around Luang Prabang is easy. Hiring a bike gives you flexibility and a sense of romantic adventure. There are many cute, hidden cafes to quench your thirst once the midday sun starts to beat down. The iced coffees are a winner.

Out in the villages, life is even sleepier, and not even the children are in a rush to go anywhere.

Whiskey village fits the bill. Here, whiskey is distilled from fermented rice. You can sample it with all sorts of creepy crawlies added to ward off a range of ailments. But play it safe and you'll be rewarded with clear, unadulterated moonshine.

A baby was hanging lazily in a hammock in the corner of the distillery, suspended between two poles. Families in Laos are generally close-knit, and all members help look after the youngest ones.

It's difficult not to be affected by the measured pace of life. I could feel myself changing down a gear and getting more in tune with my surroundings.From Whiskey, I boarded a long dragon boat and motored up the Mekong to the Pak Ou caves. They're full of thousands of Buddha statues left over the years by pilgrims who have travelled the Mekong to make their offering.

A green praying mantis in the boat didn't bother me and I was considering moving it to a tree so it wouldn't get trampled until my guide told me a hard worm would come out of its bottom and bore into my body. I think he meant it had a stinger. The exact meaning was lost in translation but I steered clear of the insect.

A 30-minute, somewhat bumpy drive from Luang Prabang is a sanctuary for rescued elephants known as Elephant Village. Laos is known as the land of a million elephants but today there are fewer than 1000 left and I was keen to help them out with my tourist dollar.

This was the feel-good part of my holiday. On this day, there were nine elephants at the sanctuary. Most of them had been rescued from the logging industry.

Each elephant has its own mahout, or handler. But it's hard to tell exactly who the boss is here.

The elephants have to accept their mahout. If they reject a candidate, another person is put forward, and so it goes until the elephant is happy.

Elephant Village employs people from the surrounding area, so tourists dollars spent here support more than just the elephants.

Standing on the banks of the river, I was surprised at just how large the elephants were as they lumbered down the muddy path from the jungle.

The mahouts perched on their backs bantered with each other as they brought the elephants to a standstill.

My elephant, Mae Uak or "Eated at the Buffet", named so for her ravenous appetite bent her leg so I could use it as a step. It was very kind of her but it didn't stop me being rather ungraceful as I climbed aboard.

Once secure on her neck, her mahout directed Mae Uak's five-tonne body into the river for her daily scrub.

Armed with a brush and a lot of energy, we walked deeper into the river until she was almost immersed. I scrubbed the mud on her, and braced myself as she ducked her head and then her backside beneath the surface, leaving us holding on.

Sourced: heraldsun