Elephant Sanctuary!

 One of the main things I wanted to do before we left Chiang Mai was to see the elephants! We got in a Songtaew and drove about an hour away to the Jungle. When we arrived there were several other foreigners all there to experience an authentic elephant adventure! 

*side note* 

 When you think of Thailand you might think of riding elephants and petting tigers, but many Thai people do not like these tourist attractions at all. While the Thai people once used the elephants for transportation (and probably still do in the villages) some of the places the animals are kept for tourism are not good for their health. Elephants eat 300lbs of food a day and when kept in enclosures and kept on a tight riding schedule there is not enough time or natural food for them to be healthy. While riding an elephant would be pretty cool, we found something even cooler! 

So, after going over safety precautions they called for the elephants and they came running! First we were given bananas to feed them. There were 5 elephants in total that live in the sanctuary. They sucked the banana right out of our hands faster then we could feed them. It took us about 30 minutes to feed them and then we moved to the outside area where we watched them eat greenery and we were able to get pictures and interact with them. 

Then it was time for the best part! We walked the elephants down to the water hole and washed them clean! Then our guide started a water fight which was actually really fun even though I had not planned to be soaking wet! Then we walked to the mud hole were we rubbed them down with mud to protect them from the sun and bugs. Brandon did not get in the mud for fear of stepping on a turd. I on the other hand, was sticking my hands in mud without a care in the world! 

We then washed off and ate lunch which they had prepared for us! It was so much fun. Here are some pictures or our elephant adventure! 












We will post a video as well for the full experience! 






Comments

  1. AnonymousOctober 10, 2022 at 5:00 PM

    These pictures are awesome. Being able to be beside them and in the water. I did not know they liked bananas! So glad you are able to experience some of these things, oh the memories you all will have. Love you! Eva/Mom

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