Sayabouly

To tour the province’s Northern Legends Trail, base your stay in Hongsa Town, while Sayabouly Town covers the Land of Elephants’ central region. Paklay opens the door to the Southern Mountain Circuit and Thai border, while plenty of overland routes link all three to other destinations. You’ll find adequate accommodation, travel agents, Tourist Information Centres, … Read more

Myth blends with nature, culture, and history in the mountains of Sayabouly, The Land of Elephants. Take the Northern Legends Trail, and explore religious sites, waterfalls, and caves filled with lore. Stay in Sayabouly, and get up close to pachyderms at the Elephant Conservation Centre. Experience an herbal spa and garden, forest mysteries, and a … Read more

Sayabouly is coming alive, with new transportation links providing quicker travel times between Luang Prabang and Thailand. To meet the needs of tourists flocking to The Land of Elephants, new accommodation is rising, with the province now offering some 150 places across all price and quality ranges. Imaginative architecture marks many of the establishments, giving … Read more

Tuk tuks, sawng taews (Pickup trucks with benches), 4WD vehicles, and minivans are the main forms of transportation between the three hubs and outlying provinces. They leave two-to-three times throughout the day from the local bus stations. Schedules, destinations, and transportation type are constantly changing, so it is best to check at the bus station … Read more

Evidence points to 1,000-year-old relics in today’s Sayabouly Province as proof of early settlements established by migrants from Burma and China. A wave of Tai Lue arrived from China in the 15th century, before the Lane Xang Kingdom claimed Sayabouly 100 years later. It briefly fell under Siamese control, due to its vulnerability as the … Read more

  Elephants Immerse yourself in “The Land of Elephants”, at the Elephant Conservation Centre, about 6 km outside Sayabouly Town on the Namtiene Reservoir. You can learn about the centre’s conservation work, enjoy the natural lake-side scenery, and interact with a herd in their environment.  Every February, Sayabouly holds the highly popular Elephant Festival, which … Read more

  Tham Ou Toum Kham: Go about 2 km from Xienghone Town in the province’s northwest to Ou Toum Kham Cave at Ban Kham, and inspect its monk cell chiselled out by locals. Also inside are a stupa and several Buddha images. Tham Luang: In Khop District, investigate Phou Pha Daeng Mountain’s 200-metre-long Luang Cave. … Read more

  The Khmu migrated to Sayabouly centuries ago, and practice animism and spirit worship. The village entrance, a decorated bamboo gate (taleo), separates the human from the natural worlds. They rely on the forest for growing rice, hunting and gathering, and producing woven rattan and bamboo basketry, tools, and net-bags. When visiting a Khmu village, … Read more

  Local busses depart Vientiane for Sayabouly Town via Paklay at 08:00 and 09:00 (LAK90,000-110,000), and VIP sleeper busses leave the capital at 16:00 and 18:00 (LAK130,000-150,000) via Luang Prabang. Local busses head to Sayabouly from Luang Prabang at 09:00, 14:00, and 17:00 (LAK60,000), and minivan service can be booked at local travel agents. Minivan … Read more