Chiang Mai – Ele-fun with Elephants

Posted by holly on Jun 11, 2009 in Articles, Asia, BlogSherpa

“In Thailand you must ride elephants” advised my Lonely Planet, so I found myself in a squeaky minivan on a cloudless January morning driving through the outskirts of Chiang Mai towards the Maetamann Nature Camp.

We arrived just in time to see 12 of the camp’s 57 adopted pachyderms frolicking in the river, squirting and splashing and getting a good scrubdown from their mahouts (trainers). Coming to Thailand I had been concerned about the welfare of the elephants, having seen the TV exposes, but any worries I had were washed away as, after their baths, the elephants strolled past, free of any chains, whips or even fences. The performance that followed was like Superdogs at the PNE, where verbal or practically invisible foot commands highlighted the elephants’ dexterity and intelligence as they moved logs, kicked soccer balls and marched in formations.

A table sold bundles of sugar cane and bananas for 20 baht (60 cents CAD), and during the art portion of the show (where a baby elephant actually painted a detailed picture of an elephant holding a flower – if I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have believed a trunk could make such intricate movements) my friend bought some. It took seconds for the baby to spot the treats, and each time he gave his brush to his mahout for reloading he slyly peeked our direction through long eyelashes to make sure they were still there. It was love at first sight. As soon as the painting was completed, the baby elephant, like a kid on Christmas morning, looked to his mahout for permission and when he got a nod he rushed right over to us, trunk extended. Though it was a crowded amphitheatre, for the few minutes it took for him to enjoy his sugar cane, everyone else ceased to exist and he was ours.

Then the show was over and he was gone, but the disappointment was short lived as, after an oxcart ride to a nearby village, we got an elephant ride back to the camp. The scenery was postcard perfect, lush and unspoiled as we sauntered along the sparking river (or, in our case, through the river, as our elephant decided it was too hot to follow the path like everyone else)! En route we stopped at a lifeguard tower-esque booth and bought some bananas. As we wandered away (periodically placing a banana in the trunk, like feeding quarters into an arcade game) I realized: we’d just gone through a drive-through on an elephant!

All too soon it was time to go, but the memories are priceless and evoke an excited buzz in me every time I think back. The perfect day in Chiang Mai. I’m so glad I listened to my guidebook!