I am not a typical tourist when traveling, but I had to try an “ethical” elephant experience. Obviously, the ideal place for pachyderms is in the wild. However, with the state of the world (poachers and loss of habitat), I’m grateful for sanctuaries such as the Ran-Tong Elephant Rescue Center. It’s a sprawling compound about 58 km/36 miles (about an hour) north of Chiang Mai’s Old City.
My first question: “Do people ride the elephants?” The agent I was talking to said, “Sorry, no.” That was, of course, the answer I wanted but I’m sure many tourists want to ride these creatures. In the interest of full disclosure, I did ride an elephant in Colorado Springs, back in the 1990s, and have been somewhat ashamed of it.
For 1200 Baht (almost 40 USD) I booked the transportation and ticket for a half-day excursion. The next morning, a van picked me up. After a few stops, we headed to the sanctuary.
When we arrived, we were on quite an elevation. The descent was not for the faint-hearted. I would have fared better with my walking stick as the climb down was steep and sudden. A spill down these rocky steps would have a terrible ending. I would caution older visitors and people with physical damage (like me) to be prepared or even avoid the climb. I do believe the guides can arrange vehicle transport to the base, but it would be smart to confirm this before going.
I could see the Asian elephants from a distance. That was nice, but the beautiful view didn’t remotely compare to walking through a large open-air barn structure and meeting the first elephants without any of the normal barriers that normally separate the giants from humans.
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We were able to visit with the elephants for a little while before being escorted to a pavilion where we were told to change our clothes. The instructions were to remove our clothes (in private changing rooms) and put on what appeared to be large scrubs. We had lockers in which to place our clothes and belongings. The changing rooms were also showers in case we got dirty…which we did.
We were given sticks of sugarcane to feed the elephants. We had to chop them up and then split them vertically into quarters. We were given instructions on how to behave around the elephants. and we were off to see and feed them. We fed the elephants the sugarcane, which was quite amusing. Some of them would collect one piece from me and start to eat it, but then pause after seeing the woman next to me extending a piece.
The elephant would efficiently collect hers while the elephant’s trunk was already extended. The sugary treats would go into the elephants’ mouths but not always to eat. Sometimes, the elephants would just store them briefly before crunching down on the sugarcane like a vice.
We were invited to give the elephants a mud bath and then bathe them in a small pond. It was fun to watch them frolic in the water. These huge beasts rolled around in the water looking almost like gigantic almost like otters.
We finally had to say goodbye after a few more pictures, including my first ever selfie with an elephant. I showered and changed back into my regular clothes. We got on the bus and headed home.
I could not put into words the soul-enriching experience it was to visit, touch and look deep into the eyes of these magnificent creatures. I even decided to get a permanent physical reminder of this awesome experience; I got elephant ink done. But that’s another story.
