Elephant Trekking and Bamboo Rafting in Chiang Mai

I had always wanted to ride on an elephant, so after I had been relaxing for a couple of days after arriving in Chiang Mai I decided to pop to my hotels' booking desk to inquire about the trips available.

After spending some time looking through the many different combinations available I decided to go for an elephant trek, followed by a visit to a couple of hill tribes before finishing off with a trip down a river on a Bamboo raft.

At 8.30am the following morning, I walked to the hotel lobby to find my tour guide already waiting for me, so pleasantries exchanged I hopped into the van. I was the first pick up of the morning, and we picked up 4 more intrepid travellers form various hotels in Chiang Mai.

After about an hour of driving we arrived at the elephant camp, we spilled out of the people carrier, and crossed a small rope bridge to where our next transport was happily munching on palm leaves. After a brief introduction and talk from our guide, we were off.

Getting on the elephant was no problem, with a wooden platform at the height of the elephant we literally just stepped on to the animal.

The ride itself was maybe an hour through the mountainous jungle, we didn't seem to be following a path, just crashing through the vegetation. I'd always imagined an elephant ride to be a lot smoother for some reason, but it was more like a fair ground ride, although this may have had something to do with the steepness of the incline we were going up, or maybe the fact my animal was far too interested in eating anything it came across than follow the instructions its Mahout was barking out.

The worst moment was getting off the animal, the dutch couple on the elephant in front of me was the first to try to dismount, again onto a wooden platform, but as the lady stepped onto the platform, her elephant decided it was fed up standing there and move away, one of the tour guides tried to hold but to no avail and she fell maybe 10 feet to the forest floor, luckily she was OK, just a few bumps and scratches, how she didn't break anything I'll never know, maybe she was an acrobat in earlier life!

After this incident I was understandably relieved that my animal stayed where it should and I got onto the platform safely.

After saying good bye to the elephants, we were back in the people carrier, and we drove for 30 minutes to visit an Hmong village, an indigenous hill tribe, where the women were still weaving in the traditional way passed down through the generations for hundreds of years. It was also an opportunity for the local children to mob some unsuspecting tourists to see what money they could get out of us.

After spending some time in the village, I loved the massive pigs tethered under the houses, we walked through the jungle to a beautiful waterfall, where we were all able to take a dip and cool off. Our guide then hurried us along a jungle track through the most luscious green I have ever seen in my life, before we entered a White Karen village, and again were able to look around and see how these people lived. It was quite humbling to see the very basic way these people still lived, and I was struck at how happy and contented these people seemed compared to us in the west with all our mod cons.

The food they gave us for lunch was superb, just a very simple vegetable and rice dish with some omelette and glasses of ice cold water, meant we were able to relax in the shade and chat amongst ourselves.

After lunch we drove a short distance to the Bamboo rafting, I suppose in my mind I thought they would be like little boats, but it was basically some big thick bamboo poles lashed together and that was it, we were going to get wet!! With 3 people on each raft, we were spaced out evenly along the rafts length, we set off with our 'driver' standing at the front, using a long thin pole to push us in any given direction. It was a slow and very quiet drift down the river, occasionally shattered by groups of children on the banks diving in as we went passed. This was the highlight of my day, just drifting down the river, hearing the birdsong and insects.

It was great when I got a turn to stand up and use the pole to direct us, I felt like I was stepping back in time, although the 'poleman' on the raft behind thought it would be highly amusing to splash his pole right next to me as to try and scare me so I might fall in, but luckily I seemed to have my sea legs and was able to just laugh with him while retaining my balance.

After maybe 30 minutes we stopped and were given the opportunity to buy a photograph of us on the rafts, which I did.

We were then driven back and dropped off at our hotels, not before arranging to meet up for a beer and a laugh later that evening. A truly magical day.

Thailand Tourism - Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park

It is not uncommon to be out at night in a bar or restaurant in Chiang Mai and hear the sound of an elephant trumpeting. Nonetheless, it hardly seems like a typical day in the life of an ordinary elephant. Unfortunately for some, however, it has become just that. Though the numbers have dramatically decreased in recent years, a handful of street mahouts still take these jungle creatures out into traffic on a nightly pub crawl begging for food. They walk around with bags of peanuts, mostly in congested tourist areas; the bags are then sold and the peanuts fed to the elephants. Many people also make some monetary contribution in order to have a photo taken next to them while tipping back a cocktail. You must admit it's a bit of a novelty and hardly something most westerners experience in their home towns.

Elephants have long been an integral part of Thai society and culture for hundreds of years. They were often used in battles as transportation for Kings and other royal army officers. At one time, the population of elephants in Thailand was around 100,000 as opposed to around 4,000 today. Elephants were often captured and used for logging and then, after its ban in the late 1980's, many entered into the tourism industry performing in various shows, trekking camps, along with street begging, and often mistreated.

One person who has tried rather successfully to put an end to elephant abuse and return them to a more natural environment is a woman by the name of "Lek". It is hard to imagine at first glance that her petite frame is capable of encapsulating her larger than life spirit.

I first read about Lek when I was researching elephant trekking and camps for a friend's website. I hadn't given much thought to the ethical considerations of the various tourist packages until I ran across an article describing this woman, who had been named by Time magazine as "2005 Asian Hero of the Year". The more I read about her work with elephants and the Elephant Nature Park she set up not far from Chiang Mai town, I could not help but feel persuaded to forgo recommending any other places in the Kingdom.

There is plenty of information for those interested in riding elephants and every tourist office has stacks of brochures to choose from. I, on the other hand, set out to learn more about her alternative. I drove out of town one morning early for about an hour and made my way to the entrance of Elephant Nature Park. She had been expecting me and, when we arrived, a woman standing near the outside kitchen waved and motioned me to come over. It was Lek and she was busy helping to prepare one of the daily meals for more than 60 fulltime staff and several volunteers.

Upstairs, day visitors and guides were gathered, drinking complimentary coffee and tea in a large Thai-style wooden building. The grounds, though well managed, maintain the natural beauty of a jungle retreat with plenty of open space surrounded by mountains. I took a seat near a tree and soaked in the stunning environment.

About 30 minutes later, Lek motioned for me to follow her and we headed over to a group of elephants. There was no conversation. I just stood there and watched as she caressed and played with a 4-month old baby elephant for more than 30 minutes. She later told me that this was part of her daily routine.

Unlike typical elephant camps, there is no elephant riding at Elephant Nature Park nor are there any organized performances. However, there is definitely no shortage of entertainment simply observing their behavior which is often quite playful during their daily river time. Guests at the park are encouraged to participate in bathing the creatures while respecting certain guidelines for safety.

All of the elephants Lek has purchased in her rescue efforts suffered some sort of physical or mental abuse. Outside the restaurant, on the wall, photos are displayed with a brief biography of each one. The camp is funded through private donations including fees paid by the volunteers.

In the afternoon, once she had time to break from her daily elephant activities, Lek and I sat up in a tree and she told me more about the mahouts. Her goal is definitely to get the elephants off of the street yet she is sympathetic to their trainers as well. She feels they must be given a viable alternative that still allows them earn a living. All of the mahouts at her camp are provided with housing, meals, and a monthly salary. She helps obtain legal documents for those who arrive undocumented. Her tone lacked judgment of the mahouts but rather a greater need for education and understanding. Speaking in a soft yet determined voice, she expressed a desire for her fellow countryman to take more interest in the plight of these endangered creatures.

Meanwhile, elephants grazed freely in the surrounding pastures with their mahouts squatted quietly nearby, some alone and others in small groups. Occasionally, during our conversation, Lek turned to look at them briefly, as a mother might while watching her children playing in a park. The bond between Lek and her staff is as obvious as it is with the elephants. There is a mutual respect that lingers in the air and exudes a common love they each feel for the sanctuary they now call home.

Volunteers may enroll in a program, staying at the park overnight or up to four weeks and take part in daily life with the mammals including bathing them and working alongside the mahouts. In order to alleviate stress on the elephants and maintain a safe environment, only small numbers of tourists may inhabit the park each day.

Future plans include purchasing more land enabling more elephants and trainers to become part of this conservation project. Elephant Nature Park offers a unique alternative for street mahouts as well as tourists. They do not allow unscheduled visits but there is a separate office in Chiang Mai town with detailed information about arranging visits.