Photo Credit: Exploring Sayaboury
Welcome, all tourists to Xayaboury Province, Laos! Sayaboury Province(or it may spell as Xayaboury Province) should be one of your listed destination! When you visit Laos. Do you love elephants from the bottom of your heart? Do you like to see elephants’ home? Do you want to learn more about Lao in northwest ethnic cultures? Do you like to see the wild and jungle? All these answers to the above questions are in Xayaboury. You should travel there immediately for your next travel plan.
Do you know what elephant in Lao? Yes, we call “Xang ຊ້າງ”.
Do you know that Laos was call name as Lan Xang? Lan Xang means Land of a million elephants this province is number one of larges elephants, 75 % elephants in Laos which is the home of elephants, rich of nature like caves, waterfalls, incredible Mountain View including hot springs; Visiting the province with unique traditions.
Photo Credit: Exploring Sayaboury
Location or Geography
Xayaboury Province is located in northern of Lao PDR and on the right hand side of Mekong River, and closes with 6 province’s Thailand such as Chaing Rai, Phayao, Nan, Uttaradit, Phitsanulok, and Loei. There are 11 Districts such as: Muang Kop, Muang Xienghom, Muang Ngern, Muang Hongsa, Muang Xayaboury, Muang Xaysathan,Muang Phiang, Muang Pak Lai, Muang Tong Mixay, Muang Kenethao, Muang Boeten and has 433 villages (Muang means district English). The total number of family 77.114, 396.529 people, Female: 195.691 and include poor family 1.202 or around 1.6%, poor village 12 villages around 2.78% and poor district 1 district.
This northwest province is far from Vientiane capital about 459 Km.
Google map of Xayaboury/Sayaboury Province:
Ethnic Cultures
Xayaboury province is surrounded by nature and culture are different type color, but grow up as on the same tree such as 8 ethic stays together as happily, Unity helps one other such as Lao lowland, Hmong, Eiw mien, Thaidam, Lue, Yuan, Prai and Khumu all along with 49 tribes in each tribe also have their own symbol. There is also a great deal of hard work in the work force, commercial agriculture based on party policy, link to the preservation of national tradition.
Photo Credit: Exploring Sayaboury
Xayaboury’s Slogan
The slogan ethnic minority such as: “Xayyaboury length land front checkpoint stronger, land of green mountain, gentle Elephant volcano cotton Chan colorful cultural power of sustain”.
In Lao “ໄຊຍະບູລີດິນແດນຍາວສຸດຫຼາ ດ່ານໜ້າທີ່ແຂງແກ່ນ ແດນພູເຂົາແຫ່ງຄຳຂຽວ ຊ້າງຄຳຮູ້ພູໄຟດອກຝ້າຍຈັນ ວັດທະນະທຳເຜົ່າຫຼາຍສິສັນ ພະລັງດັນສູ່ຄວາມັ່ງຄັ່ງ.”
In addition, Xayaboury also has abundant resources such as a green mountain, forest, waterfall, Ancient temple, and historical area …etc. And a beautiful ethnic-cultural this will make you impress when you see and touch.
In 1000 years ago Elephants are related with lifestyle and activities of Lao people, Local people are using an Elephant to be a vehicle, While they have war the elephant support to fight with the war to protect their own land, Furthermore Xayaboury has the largest number of elephants in Laos, Which continue to use for loading and transport heavy item for Lao person’s livelihood by the way Xayaboury Province also have Boun Xang (Elephants festival).
Festivals in Xayaboury Province
The festival will be celebrated in the middle’s February of every year the province is going to celebrate Elephants Festival the Local Called ( Boun Xang), there will have 3 districts to take turn as organizer such as Hongsa District, Paklai District, Xayaboury District in each year, but nowadays the festival is celebrated in Xayaboury city, and easy for visitor to find the hotel and guest house there, but the owner can’t speak English well, and this, not a big deal, this will have more fun and exciting.
Photo Credit: Exploring Sayaboury
The First-year start in 2007 at Hong Sa District every year, there will have Elephants not less than 50 elephants and in 2019 about 70 elephants to celebrate this festival and every year has more elephants increase.
Before starting to celebrate their will Baci for the elephants is one of the cultural rituals related to Lao people from ancient time until nowadays. The elephant’s owners think that the elephants are their family members therefore they organize the Baci ceremony for their elephants to bless them strong and live long and thank you for working hard with the human.
This Festival means to return the thing that elephants help people in the previous year about working hard and more motivate the human to protect /save the elephant life to stay with human as peaceful.
List of attractive places in Xayaboury
1) Saysathan/ Xaysathan District (Highlight: Mountains tea and hill people)
2) Elephant Conservation Center (Highlight: Visit Elephants at home)
3) Xayaboury District (Highlight: Elephants Heritage Trail)
4) Hongsa District (Highlight: History and Weaving)
5) Ngern District (Highlight: Land of Cotton)
6) Pak Lai District (Highlight: Crossing the Mekong River)
7) Phiang District (Highlight: Farming the land)
8) Xienghone District (Highlight: Land of Peace)
9) Kop District (Highlight: Into the Wild/jungle)
10) Kenethao District (Highlight: The Sourthern Gate)
11) Tong Mixay District (Highlight: Protecting the Elephants)
12) Boten District (Highlight: Grace by Nature)
Rental Motorbike’s Information in Xayaboury
Motorbike for Rental in Xayaboury daily open d at 06:00-18:00 Service Estimate /day 100.000 LAK
Mobile: +856 0209711622
Tel: 074 211915 Far from the bus station around 4 Km location in Ban Si Moung Khoun.
Elephant Festival’s Information
Welcome to the Elephant Festival
Location: Sayaboury District, Sayaboury Province, Laos
Date: 21 – 28 February 2020
I think that you will fell in love with elephants after you visited Sayaboury Province. The highlight and you should see the elephants festival! The coming Elephant Festival as I mentioned above and this festival will be held every year; then you should keep updated on the tourism website or facebook from time to time. The elephant Festival is the most famous festival in this province and is very well know for Lao as well. Of course, you can ask local for more information and you can go straight to thereby yourself; If you like to join the event.
One more unseen festival I would recommend to you is PHIKHONE (Ghost) Festival, it is an unseen festival; the PHIKHONE
Festival comes from the belief of local people in ghost or in the soul for many years. 
Photo Credit: Exploring Sayaboury
So, you can see more videos on this link or you can visit Exploring Sayaboury Facebook Page, it will be good information if you prefer to learn more detail about the tourism of Sayaboury Province. They are very happy to support, help, and give you. Moreover, you can visit their website for wonderful information www.tourismsayaboury.org
Many other natural tours, festivals as well, you should try!
Finally, I am sure that Sayaboury Province will be your listed destination when you know, learn about that. I wish you have an enjoyable trip to Laos soon! Happy New Year 2020!
Thank you information from:
- Facebook Page of “Exploring Sayaboury” provides more detail.