Our day with the Elephants!

After some thorough research, we decided to spend a day at Elephant Nature Park, a pioneering Elephant sanctuary which is just an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai. Because visitor numbers are limited, and the park is so popular, we were lucky to sneak into their otherwise fully-booked calendar.

The visit was definitely a highlight. We were so close to the animals all day. We fed them fruit, bathed them in the river and generally hung out. The visit was very informative too – we learnt a lot about their characteristics and preferences, but we were also very saddened to learn just how badly they are sometimes treated. Most of the elephants have been rescued and many suffer from broken bones and blindness. Most are due to cruel abuse and overwork from their previous owners.

So as well as enjoying seeing the elephants safe and at peace in their natural environment, we also gained that warm fuzzy feeling from helping out a charity.

Washing that mud off

Mud on!

Little baby girl

Watermelons mmm

The sanctuary has a beautiful setting

Wraparound trunk

Just a few of the snacks!

Going for a walk around the park