Phou Asa Hotels

The quaint, out-of-the-way village of Ban Khiet Ngong is a good example of how the Lao Government is trying to develop a smooth-running, ecologically friendly tourist infrastructure that brings much-needed income to increasingly remote regions of Laos without impacting negatively on the traditional life-ways of the locals. As you enter the village, you'll see the elephant platform on the left, which makes it possible to get on and off the mammoth beasts, and the one 'tourist friendly' place is stay is well-removed from the village. There are no signs of the hawking and pandering among locals that tends to rise up when cash-laden tourists show up in relatively impoverished places. A visit here is recommended, not only for the beauty of the landscape and novelty of the elephant treks, but also to support the future of such low-impact development in Laos. Ban Khiet Ngong is part of the Xe Pian National Protected Area, 24,000 square kilometres of wildlife and forests reaching through Champasak and Attapeu provinces to the border with Cambodia. The area is rife with bird-life, but also larger mammals like the Asian Black Bear and yellow-cheeked crested gibbon -- not that you'll necessarily spot any of these on your trek, but they're out there! The 2.400 sq km Xe Pian National Biodiversity Conservation Area is one of the most biologically important and diverse protected areas in the country. Home to 51 key species of birds including the Giant Ibis and Sarus Crane, as well as 36 species of mammals, Xe Pian is one of the province's premier ecotourism destinations. Kiet Ngong Village is the jump off point for nature walks, bird watching, trekking, elephant rides and day trips to the Phou Asa archaeological site