Laos

Supporting eco-tourism with Hello World and The Elephant Caravan, whose mission is to stave off the extinction of this majestic species in the small landlocked country once dubbed "The Land of a Million Elephants."

“Let's begin to connect the dots of this disconnect, to realise that nature is not external to us and that we are part of nature. To conserve and protect for future generations. For every traveller educated, and every elephant ride declined, the odds improve for these majestic creatures.” - Melissa, Laos, 2016.

18° 00 ‘N, 105° 00’ E

A story that goes with the story, but an organic moment of trust and wholeness, I could have never planned for. I was on assignment covering the welfare of elephants in the tourism industry. For millennia, the elephant has held both a spiritual and very practical role at the heart of Laos culture. Believed to have spiritual powers and near-human souls, they are venerated in shamanistic and Buddhist traditions. One of the most incredible moments of my entire life happened to me in Laos. Along the Mekong, face to face (or nose to trunk) with a majestic creature, Moukhao, a 38-year-old female Asian elephant who was rescued from the logging industry, originally from the Sayaboury province in Laos. A deeply moving, soul-shaking experience, one I will never ever forget. 

Images captured on a single visit, 2016. Images of me and Moukhao by Linda Silmalis