After a day lost to the incompetence of Vietjet Air, we woke early to catch a trip out to the Doi Inthanon Elephant Sanctuary. The use of elephants in the logging industry, and tourist rides have been outlawed in Thailand for a few years. Now they live protected but substantially free in the jungle. This part of Thailand is inhabited by an indigenous tribe who moved here from Myanmar centuries ago, and we are told the elephants respond better to the local tribes people, so you are supplied with a local style vest and a huge bag of ripe bananas.
A few hundred metres walk further in to the jungle and we were greeted by two adult elephants.
Even with these smaller Asian elephants their size impresses. Standing well within a trunks reach of our banana laden bags, they gently nudge around you, searching for the offerings you bring to this god of the jungle. After a few minutes acquainting ourselves with the elephants and their carers we are encouraged to follow them for a short walk in to the jungle. My advice, to would be traveller, is that you should never walk behind an elephant. The exercise mixed with a high fibre diet, causes gaseous eruptions which can only be described as a light mist.
The walk is not long, but is quite steep in places, through waist high vegetation and small trees. Wear footwear you are prepared to get dirty, so leave the new Nike's at home. Following the elephant's offers ample opportunity for photos and videos. But we preferred to spend our time there interacting with the elephants not our phones or cameras. These are truly magnificent animals, so big, yet so gentle, so cumbersome, but so precise. Time spent with them is a privilege everyone should experience.
Walking back towards the river, you are introduced to the sanctuary's 4 year old and it's mother. Mud it seems, is like factor 30 to an elephant, so a mud bath, followed by a good dip in the cool mountain water seemed like an offer we could not refuse. smearing mud over an elephant really brings out the child in a group of people, so much hilarity, and mudslinging ensued. The elephants really seemed to enjoy the river dip, especially the baby which in some parts of the fast flowing stream was completely submerged.
This was definitely a day to remember, the half day trip we went on included a good plateful of Pad Thai along with half a water melon at a roadside canteen.
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