The baby stumbles, snorts, and sticks her face into the mud. She’s still finding her feet. Thankfully, her mother is there to lead the way along the narrow path that cuts through a forest of teak and bamboo. Moments later, we watch transfixed as the 13-month-old elephant calf ambles down the slope into a bathing pool, splashing and spraying herself in the loamy brown water.
We’re visiting the Mekong Elephant Park in the mountains of northern Laos. Situated across from the village of Pakbeng, the 40-hectare sanctuary is one of the first stops on our three-night journey aboard the , a handsome new riverboat launched in October by Ho Chi Minh City–based cruise company Heritage
