If I would choose the highlight of my first year of teaching in Thailand, then hands-down it would be my encounter with elephants during the one-week trip to Chiang Mai. I told myself that the first blog I would write on my first year here would be about this day trip to an elephant sanctuary.
Elephants have long been synonymous with Thailand, yet their treatment in the name of tourism is questionable. Awareness about the dangers of elephant riding camps has spread over the years, yet some tourists are still unaware that interaction with these gentle creatures is possible without riding them.
Maerim Elephant Sanctuary
There are a number of elephant sanctuaries near Chiang Mai, but I chose to visit Maerim Elephant Sanctuary, located roughly 30 km from Chiang Mai Old City. There are a lot of options to choose from: a half-day (morning or afternoon), full-day, or two-day visit. I chose the full-day visit at 2000 baht which includes pick-up and drop-off from your accommodation and a healthy traditional Thai noodle soup lunch.
I was picked-up in an open truck called a songthaew and it took 45 minutes to get to the sanctuary. I was the lone visitor who opted for a full-day visit. Lucky me because I got an unlimited refill of bananas. The bananas are not for me – they’re for the elephants, of course.
Upon arrival, I changed into traditional mahout (traditional term for elephant keeper or caretaker) clothing. The comfortable all-blue outfit is required because elephants can only see two colors. After changing, my guide, Lek, showed a video on the history of elephant tourism in Thailand and efforts on rescuing and returning them to their natural habitat. He also instructed me how to feed, touch, and interact with the elephants.
Maerim Sanctuary Elephants
The five elephants residing in the sanctuary were all rescued from various locations: riding camps, logging companies, and the circus. The baby elephant, Sethi, which translates to “rich man”, was named as such because he was the most expensive elephant rescue that Maerim has ever made. Sethi and his mom, Champu were both rescued from a circus in 2017.
Sethi is a playful kid at two years old. The baby boy is also a pickpocket! He loves snatching bananas from my bag and doesn’t want to be fed. After overcoming my initial apprehension and after getting used to standing beside a big animal, I was ready to interact with the adults.
Bun Lai, at 52 years old is the oldest and biggest. She was rescued from a riding camp in 2016, when Maerim Sanctuary was founded. Heidi was rescued from a logging company. These companies still use elephants for logging because they don’t want to spend for expensive equipment. Duang Jan comes from a different breed. She is Sri Lankan and her face and body are rounder and legs shorter than the Asian elephants. Champu was not with us because that time she was kept separate due to some jealousy issues among the other female elephants.
Feeding them took almost the entire morning. I don’t know when they will feel full and stop eating. I learned that they sleep for only 3 hours and that they literally eat all day long!
Now, it’s time for the humans to eat. I cooked my own lunch, a traditional Thai noodle soup with the freshest vegetable ingredients. After lunch, it was time for us to forage for elephant treats. We rode the pick-up truck to a banana plantation just outside the sanctuary. I chopped down an entire banana plant using an axe! I learned that the elephants actually eat the entire plant, trunk and all.
At the Elephant Playground
The afternoon was reserved for play and bath time. We walked alongside these gentle creatures, further into the jungle (well, not really a jungle, but close enough) carrying more baskets of bananas and the whole banana plant. We reached the elephant playground – a small clearing with enough plants (food!) surrounding it and a mud pool at the center.
Elephants love to play with mud. They do this to cool and protect their bodies from the heat. During playtime, the mahouts stayed near the elephants while allowing us to “play” with them. In the picture below, the elephant and I seem to be playing hide-and-seek.
When they had enough playtime, we all walked back to the sanctuary passing a shallow stream. Walking next to them felt so surreal, thinking they could crush me any minute, but nevertheless feeling safe beside them.
It’s time for the mud bath! At first, I didn’t like to get in the mud with them, but my guide convinced me by saying this is a once-in-a lifetime experience. Oh, how they loved being covered with mud! After the mud bath, everyone got into a pool of cold water to rinse away the mud. The elephants don’t always take a dip so I was really lucky that day.
The baby Sethi’s cute antics were not yet over, though. He rolled in the water, seemingly inviting me to join him. He was so playful and he loved pushing and rolling. That was his way of showing that he likes me. I already miss Sethi while I’m writing this and hope that he still remembers me if I get another chance to visit the sanctuary.
Afterthought
I wrote and shared this blog hoping anyone who would happen to read it would not have second thoughts of choosing Maerim Elephant Sanctuary the next time they visit Thailand. If you love elephants, and animals in general, as much as I do, please help spread the word: do not ride an elephant while visiting Thailand.
And if you’re going to visit an elephant sanctuary, please make it Maerim Elephant Sanctuary – “where elephants are loved and respected.”
Itchy Feet 