I am not sure how many people could say that they enjoyed wading around in poop, but I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority.
We knew that we wanted to see and play with elephants during our stay in Thailand, and with all of the bad rap surrounding elephant camps, we really had to do some research to find the right one to go to. Ran-Tong Elephant Camp (or Ran-Tong Save & Rescue Elephant Centre) is a rescue camp, meaning that they rescue elephants from camps where they are treated poorly.
At Ran-Tong, they do allow you to ride the elephants, but only bare backed which is more comfortable for them (but not for you!). In addition, they don’t use chains on the elephants or abuse them in any way.
About 45 minutes outside of Chiang Mai, we arrived at the top of a small valley in the middle of the jungle. Arriving from above, we were able to look over the entire reserve and the elephants, a pretty surreal view. We walked down among the straw and wood houses and numerous livestock to reach the camp.
The first step was trading our clothes in for some more fashionable options. Make sure to wear a bathing suit under your clothes, you will get wet and dirty.
Next, we had about 5 minutes to get down the elephant commands, in Thai.
After we were well versed, we were given bananas to feed the elephants. Elephants eat the bananas whole, so no need to unpeel. It is actually scary holding a banana in the middle of a group of enormous elephants for the first time. You really don’t understand how huge they are before they are coming at you and hungry for food. However, I soon realized how gentle they were and my fear subsided. These elephants are probably one of the most interesting and fun animals I’ve ever interacted with.
We would soon board our elephants and take off on a trek up a steep hill, through the woods, and down to a muddy pond (where we would inevitably be swimming in poop). I am not sure how many people could say that they enjoyed wading around in poop, but I’m pretty sure I’m in the minority. From here, we would bathe the elephants with buckets of water.
The whole experience was a lot of fun (although my butt was quite sore afterwards). Sit in the front if you can!
The staff was informed, helpful and seemed to genuinely care for the elephants. During lunch (which was excellent, especially after a long day of elephant riding), the instructor held a Q&A session where we learned a lot about the history of the elephants at Ran Tong. The elephant trainer took about a thousand photos of us while we were on the elephant (for free using our iphones). It’s safe to say that the whole day was really well documented.
If you wish to do one of these elephant rides, I would recommend Ran-Tong Elephant Camp. It allows you the experience to interact with a health and happy elephant while also supporting a company that treats the elephants well.
You can choose between a half day or a full day, and the price includes the ride to and from your hotel, as well as lunch. In the half and full day programs, you are able to feed, ride and bathe the elephants.
Ran-Tong Save & Rescue Animal Centre
Website:: http://www.elephant-training.com/
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