As a tourist its always possible you are going to be part of some exploitation to generate money. Anything involving animals is always problematic. So there are a couple of ethically Elephant places in Thailand – and a lot of dodgy ones. I was recommended this location. So if there is an ethical dilemma why do them? Because the tourist money is also what drives the protection and maintenance of these animals. I did opt not do do the Tiger sanctuary because I am aware of the issues there.

So at 8.45am picked up from the hotel by Mr Ning’s Tours and Taxi’s and shoved in a car with another 3 adults + 2 children (it was a squeeze) and 1 and half hours up into the mountains. The pickup was meant to be between 8 and 8.30am but with Thai time you can add 15 minutes. This is better than Latin/South American time which can run from hours to never. There was a little stop to pick up lunches from a roadside stand.

We arrived at this clearing where we then walked down this very steep road until we reached the Elephant Sanctuary.

There were 3 Elephants Khun (12 years old), Pookie (20 years old) and MaGoo (50 years old). The Elephants eat about 200-300kg of food each day but only absorb about 50% of the nutrients.

After there initial breakfast of bamboo we fed them sugar cane and bananas and were introduced. The command “Bon” gets them to raise their trunks so you can feed them putting the food in their mouth, the command Loon which we used later gets them to lower their head and you put a treat on top that they will then grab with their trunk.

After that we took them for a walk around the mountain. I think they liked following me (which happened) because I was the biggest human. I made elephant friends. I did have a moment of I am in near-jungle in hot temperature in a land with like 112 different types of poisonous snakes and I have no pants or socks on. I found out that the snakes are in the south. I look at the guide. He looks at me; “ my father has 12 siblings, and we eat snakes in the north… the south doesn’t. King Cobra is good eating”. His generation only has 2 children on average.

With all the hiking up and down the mountains (its all a big slope) not only was it tiring but I had a lot of recollections of outward bound excursions in Hongkong. It reminded me a lot of that. I am certainly working my thighs here. I had no concern’s – because it’s not Mindo in Ecuador.

After that we had lunch, with some coffee from the local farm (Which you can buy). then it was putting mud on them. I think its to help their skin. They were nicely sitting down before I got there. Unfortunately they stood up. One of the other people were knocked over. The guides make it very clear that when the elephants move, you move. You don’t want to be in the way of a 1.5 ton animal. You scoop mud from the pool and slather it on them. Yes, one of the elephants peed while we were in there. It’s the joys of life. Remember to shower Alan…..

Then we go and wash them off. The elephants are trained to spray water with their trunks that the guides make sure happens to you….

Then it’s time for more snacks. One of the kids who is growing from girl to teenager gave their childhood stuffed llama to a local child which was awesome.

At this point its off back up the hill we go but this time standing in the back of a pickup before arriving back at Mr Ning’s car. It is then off to a waterfall for another hike. They never mention these 10-15 minutes of uphill climbing. It’s always like “surprise!!!”.

All around it was a smiles day 🙂