It is said that white elephants were prized by the ancient Southeast Asian kingdoms both for their rarity and their beauty. A white elephant is a term sometimes used by Lao men for European women and if you’re a white woman travelling in Laos, be prepared for a lot of compliments and propositioning. Fortunately, Lao men tend to express their admiration more playfully than aggressively, and instances of sexual violence towards Western women are virtually unheard of in Laos. For female travellers in Laos cultivating a local fling, there won’t be many strings attached, except that the man may very well be married and not tell you about it. While marriage is highly cherished in Laos, fidelity is a theoretical concept.