adminWhat is the first thing that comes to your mind when I say “elephants”?
Maybe it’s a figure, or a pillow case you have seen? Maybe it’s a picture from online? Possibly an image of people riding them in Asia? Many people visit South East Asia every month in hopes of riding elephants. They have been exploited this way to western world for as long as I can remember. But let me stop your imagination there- NO. I said no! Never, ever ride an elephant. Do your research. These companies mistreat, abuse and mentally ruin the elephants.
The question is not, ‘Can they reason?’ nor, ‘Can they talk?’ but ‘Can they suffer?’
― Jeremy Bentham
I have had the opportunity to visit this amazing sanctuary three times since 2014. I have been able to experience the full day trip, the overnight (2 days and one night) and I most recently volunteered for a week. I never in my life thought I would be standing face to trunk, feeding and loving on the elephants. The joy of this park is the owner, Lek. She buys these elephants from trekking, begging, working and other various harmful situations and brings them to her park to rehabilitate them and eventually send them back out to the wild. She has such an intense passion for these giants.
Elephant Nature Park will come pick you up (and drop you off) at your hotel/hostel or the Chiang Mai airport for your visit. You must book this with them through the application portion of the website.
Out of all three of my experiences, the volunteering was my favorite. During this I was able to volunteer for a week. I Upon arrival you are broken up into a group and put into a room on the site. Since I went a lone I was paired with a girl from the UK. You can request to room together if you are traveling with someone else. We were put straight to work. In the morning you wake up and have breakfast (around 7am) and go right to your jobs for the day. Our group took turns with other groups to prepare food, clean the pins, walk around the ground and help the mahouts and you are even taken off site to help with cultivation of a garden around the city. Don’t worry about being fed because they feed you some of the best vegan/vegetarian Thai food I have ever had. In the evenings when work is done (about 4-5pm) you are free to relax and hang out on the main platform. You can not go wandering about the camp as it is a safety concern for you and the elephants. The staff plan a nightly activity, there is massage and wifi connection or you can go help out at the dog shelter.
If your time does not permit a week long volunteer trip, then a day trip is just as good. With most of the options they are set up the same way. You will get chances to feed, bathe, walk the grounds and learn more history about the park, Lek, and the mistreatment of elephants around the world. The latter is defiantly an emotional moment but quite impactful. There is usually no dry eye in the room once finished. After this you will be educated to be able to share your knowledge with others. Each elephant at the park has suffered but during your visit you get to see the joy the sanctuary brings to them. They are really taken care of. Each of them had a distinct personality and being able to watch them and feel their skin under your hands as you feed them is an experience like no other I can explain to you.
Find out more information and book your trip at Elephant Nature Park
Loveee❤❤