Laos elephant festival

This is a Lonely Travel video on an Elephant Festival in Laos.

Self-study activity:
Watch the video and answer the questions below. The activity is suitable for Básico 2 and Intermediate 1 students.



1 What other name is Laos known as?
2 Where's the Xayabouri province?
3 When did the festival start?
4 Where is the festival held each year?
5 How long do some elephants take to get to the festival?
6 How many people see the festival?
7 How many animals take part in the festival?

For correction, you can read the transcript below.

Laos is known as the land of a million elephants. In Xayabouri province in the country’s northwest is home to it´s largest population of working elephants. In 2007 the province created a festival to celebrate these sacred and endangered animals, and it’s quickly become a popular annual event.

The festival is held in a different location each year, and some of the elephants walk for up to a week to participate in the grand opening parade. The event attracts up to 50,000 elephant enthusiasts from Laos and neighbouring Thailand. They come to see more than seventy animals compete to be crowned “Elephants of the Year”. The animals and their handlers show off their working skills and offer rides to everyone, from elderly monks to young children.

Although still in its infancy, the festival is fast gaining cult status among travellers to south-east Asia.