Bears may not be the first thing that come to mind when visiting the spiritual capital of Laos, Luang Prabang. But Free the Bears (a not-for-profit organization) actually have two bear sanctuaries near the city that are well worth visiting. You’ll learn about Asian bears and the incredible work Free the Bears has done over the last 30 years to rescue bears from awful conditions. And see some super cute bears of course.
Having visited both sites, we break down whether it’s worth visiting, how to get there, and what to expect.
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Who are Free the Bears?
Free the Bears is a not-for-profit organization set up in 1995 by Australian grandmother, Mary Hutton. Two years earlier, at her home in Perth she saw a documentary that changed her life… And the lives of thousands of bears. It showed the horrifying conditions that Asiatic Black Bears (Moon bears) were kept in for the bear bile industry (for Chinese traditional medicine).
After rescuing a pair of sun bears in Cambodia, it quickly became clear that there were more bears that needed help. So Mary started construction on the Cambodian Bear Sanctuary to provide a safe haven for rescued bears that couldn’t survive in the wild. This is now the world’s largest sanctuary for sun bears.
A few years later, Free the Bears joined forces with Wildlife SOS and International Animal Rescue in a massive undertaking: freeing the “dancing bears” in India. An overwhelming task in its scale. But, in 2009, the last of India’s dancing bears were handed over. They succeeded in giving the bears a better life and also providing education/ alternative employment opportunities to those who had previously earned money this way.
In Laos, the first of their sites – the Bear Rescue Centre at Kuang-Si Waterfall – opened in 2003. Then, in 2017 they completed the multi-species Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary, offering a much bigger space to provide even more care for bears in need.
Whilst the bear bile industry is now illegal in Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Though the numbers are reducing. The survival of bears is also threatened by illegal wildlife trade for pets or poaching, and habitat loss.
They have rescued over 1,000 bears. And their work will continue for as long as there are bears that need help.
Tat Kuang Si Bear Sanctuary
At the entrance to Kuang Si waterfall in Luang Prabang, you’ll find the first sanctuary Free the Bears established in Laos. Working with the local government, they have 3 bear houses here and enough space for 25 bears.
Yes, it does feel quite small for so many big bears. But it’s infinitely better than the cages that these bears were rescued from.
Unfortunately, the enclosures can’t be expanded or made any bigger. This is due to Kuang Si Waterfall’s status as a National Park with land ownership falling to the Laos Department of Forestry. So Free the Bears can only within the boundaries given to them.
As you walk to the stunning waterfall (it’s well worth a visit!), you can take the Bear Discovery Trail to get a deeper insight into the work of Free the Bears. Plus you get to see rescued moon bears playing and hanging out in their hammocks or swings. What’s not to love?!
We’ve spoken to a lot of people who chose to take the other walking route to Kuang Si Waterfall as they wrongly assumed this was ‘just another Asian zoo’ that had captured and mistreated the bears. So we really urge you to take the time to read all of the information there as that’s not the case at all. There’s also a (totally optional) opportunity to leave a donation or buy a branded souvenir if you would like to further the protection work of the bears.
If you don’t have time to go to their bigger Wildlife Sanctuary, the waterfall and bear sanctuary combo is one of the top things you can do in Luang Prabang.
Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary
We did a Bear Care Tour at the newer sanctuary and it was an absolute highlight of our whole Laos trip. Very few people even know about the second bear sanctuary in Luang Prabang, and even fewer make the trip.
Mostly because getting to the Luang Prabang Wildlife Sanctuary is… interesting.
Getting there
It’s 14km outside the center of Luang Prabang and takes 40-60 minutes up a pretty bad road in a tuktuk. So be prepared for a LOT of bouncing around. Even without the bears though, it’s worth the trip to the stunning mountain valley in the rural village of Ban Nong Tok.
If you go during wet season, you need a 4×4 to get there as a tuktuk can’t handle the roads. You need to book your trip in advance ($60 per person) and they can help with transport if you need a 4×4 ($50 for 4 people).
It cost us 600,000 Kip ($28) for a tuktuk driver to take us and wait to take us back. But there was a lot of back and forth to explain where we wanted to go as so few people visit.
What you’ll see
Arriving at 9am (you can choose 9-12noon, or 1-4pm), we were first shown their bear hospital. This is where they do regular health checks of the bears to ensure they’re all thriving.
Then we got to walk around and prepare snacks for the many species that live at the Bear Sanctuary. When we visited (January 2024), there were sun bears, moon bears, macaques, and some red pandas that were smuggled across the China/Laos border.
The site is much larger than at Kuang Si so be prepared for a walk. We were really impressed with the setup and the number of platforms they’ve built. This allows you to observe the playful bears without disturbing them.
They even have sections with zero human contact (including visibility) for animals that are being rewilded. When we visited, there were 2 moon bears and macaques being prepared to be released back into the wild.
Preparing snacks for the bears
Along with their regular food, bears deserve a little treat (who doesn’t?!)
So you get to prepare their “enrichment” – a combination of nutrient dense nuts and seeds that the bears absolutely love.
It turns out, I’m not very good at wrapping nuts into a banana leaf. But it only had to make it over the enclosure’s fence so we just about managed.
This is also a good reminder that despite looking all cute and cuddly, they’re still bears. Occasionally there would be a disagreement over whose enrichment was who’s and the ROARS were enough to dissuade us from getting any closer to the fence!
Is it worth visiting Free the Bears?
Yes.
Because A. You get to see lots of amazing bears up close (including some very cute youngsters).
And B. You get to learn a lot about the realities of animal conservation.
I’m sure we’d all prefer these animals to live in the wild or, at the very least, in enormous enclosures. But the reality is that the space and resources to do that just aren’t there. We keep building in their homes and farming the land that they also want to eat from.
Free the Bears does an amazing job of articulating the challenges of working with the local people, government and other international organizations. They not only work tirelessly to ensure that the bear bile industry (and dancing bears) is banned but also assist those involved to have alternative methods of making a living.
It’s quite expensive at $60 per person but that money goes directly to help to save more bears. So it’s well worth it if your budget can stretch.
Final Thoughts
Visiting a bear sanctuary in Luang Prabang is a great opportunity to better understand the threats to Asiatic bears. Plus the work that goes into protecting them. If you can afford the $60 to visit the bigger Wildlife Sanctuary, and the half day from your itinerary, then its well worth your time. Plus you’ll get a camera roll full of cute bear pictures!
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