After reading great reviews of Ran Tong's Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai from tripadvisor, I suggested to Steven that we should definitely check this place out! When deciding which elephant camp to visit, I was very particular on picking a place free from animal harm! More specifically, I was only interested in camps which offer elephant rides on their bare backs, rather than the uncomfortable and tight strapped chairs that can harm to spine of the elephants as well as cause pregnant elephants to suffer miscarriages. Above all, I didn't want to pick a place where making money was the camp's primary concern (versus the care of elephants). There are many elephant camps available in Chaing Mai that offer guests the opportunity to ride elephants for a much cheaper price (I saw some for as low as 1,500 baht), however I decided to go with Ran Tong's training full-day (8:30am - 4:00pm) camp experience at 2,400 baht per person. Why? Because Ran Tong's elephant camp's mission is to save the elephants! They offer one-day, two-day, and three-day training camp services and volunteer programs that teach you how to take care of elephants, understand their behaviour and intelligence, as well as experience life with them in their natural habitat. I don't think the other elephant riding camps are as comprehensive as Ran Tong's full-day experience, in my opinion. Included in the full-day package is: transportation to and from the camp, a training course which teaches you the basic commands for controlling the elephant, lunch, a ride through the forest with the elephants, bathing and hanging out with elephants by the waterfall, as well as a CD full of pictures from the day!
Our journey began at 8:30am, when a driver from Ran Tong picked us up from our hostel. Along the way, we picked up more guests before heading to the camp! The drive Ran Tong was about 1.5 hours (one-way), which included two stop overs at the market to pick up fresh bananas for the elephants as well as soymilk and snacks for the baby elephants! Our ride, was simply a pick-up truck with seating/benches placed in the trunk for us to sit in! We were pretty packed back there with 10 of us squished in the trunk!
On our way to the camp, we passed by some rice fields which were pretty cool. Some of the fields were yellowing (I assume from the extreme heat and sun). Once we arrived, we petted and fed some of the elephants soymilk and bananas. The baby elephant at the camp was adorable and very friendly! Pregnant Asian elephants require a very long care process because the duration of pregnancy lasts approximately 2 years (having only one elephant born at a time). We were lucky to arrive at a time when the camp had a baby elephant on site! The elephant trainers were able to get the baby elephant to perform cool tricks such as, saying hello by bowing down and kissing our cheeks with their trunks!
The view from the camp was spectacular and beautiful! Up on the hill where the camp was situated, was a view that overlooked Chiang Mai. You could tell that the area was very secluded for the elephants because there were a lot of trees and forestry surrounding areas. Once we were finished meeting with some of the elephants, we were given clothes to change into (provided by Ran Tong) because we were going to get muddy and wet! I thought it was cool that they offered a change of clothes. The clothes were very raggedy, which I thought added a nice touch to the experience, haha! I was ready and felt geared up to enjoy a day with the elephants!
Once we were settled in with our clothes, we met up once again with the elephants to learn some of the elephant commands (spoken in Thai). Each of us were given time on an elephant to practice the commands that we learned (right, left, lay down, forward, back, stop)! Riding on the elephant for the first time was a little bit scary as the elephant rises up pretty high when it's fully standing. At times, you feel as though you're going to fall, but after awhile, you get used to it and feel more comfortable riding!
We were each paired up with one elephant, so Steven and I shared an elephant for the two of us! For our first journey around the camp, Steven sat in front, while I sat in the back (which I found was much more comfortable!). It was such a fun experience riding the elephants! The elephant that we rode was very obedient and listened to all the commands that we gave. It was such a relaxing and exciting adventure! Although, I'm sure Steven didn't find it as relaxing as me because he sat in the front (going down hill must have been scary for him, haha!). Our first ride on the elephants lasted about 10 minutes before we headed back for lunch!
For lunch, the camp provided us with rice with vegetables, chicken tom yum soup, a bowl of exotic rambutan fruit, and sesame jelly dessert. It was a very satisfying meal. At the same time, we were in plain sight of the elephants, so we were able to enjoy our lunch while observing the elephants! After lunch, we rested for a bit and had some extra time to pet some of the elephants again.
Shortly after, we were instructed to help prepare lunch for the elephants. At first, we were asked to place medication tablets inside the bananas for the elephants. We watched as the trainers gave the medicated bananas to the elephants, only to find them picking out the pills from the bananas and spitting it out, haha! According the the camp, the tablets were for the wild rescued elephants to help them stay healthy! After that, we headed over to a large wooden food crusher which uses a peddle that is stepped on to crush food in a large bowl. Long sticks were used to help mix the food in the bowl and help the food crusher mush up the food better. The ingredients that we used to create elephant food mix included tamarine paste, bananas, and some sea salt. Once the mixture was at a good consistency, we formed balls out of the food and let it sit out in the sun to dry out for a bit before feeding the elephants.
Shortly after, we were instructed to help prepare lunch for the elephants. At first, we were asked to place medication tablets inside the bananas for the elephants. We watched as the trainers gave the medicated bananas to the elephants, only to find them picking out the pills from the bananas and spitting it out, haha! According the the camp, the tablets were for the wild rescued elephants to help them stay healthy! After that, we headed over to a large wooden food crusher which uses a peddle that is stepped on to crush food in a large bowl. Long sticks were used to help mix the food in the bowl and help the food crusher mush up the food better. The ingredients that we used to create elephant food mix included tamarine paste, bananas, and some sea salt. Once the mixture was at a good consistency, we formed balls out of the food and let it sit out in the sun to dry out for a bit before feeding the elephants.
Following lunch, we took the elephants for a ride to the waterfall! It was bathing time with the elephants! This time, Steven and I picked a different elephant for our journey and I decided to sit in the front. Our elephant was less obedient than the other because he always stopped for food on the side of the road and slowed down the line of elephants! It was all fun though, because I secretly let him eat the leaves on the trees!
Our day at Ran Tong made me realize how amazing and intelligent elephants really are! It was such a great experience to get the opportunity to spend time with such wonderful creatures! While you're riding an elephant, you really feel as though you build a connection with them. And unlike the other excursions you may book in Thailand, we didn't feel rushed or forced to tip the staff at Ran Tong (which I thought was very nice). The people at the camp seemed very genuine about their work and seemed like they cared a lot for the elephants. Before we left, the staff thanked us for helping them prepare the food for the elephants and for bathing them! It was such a wonderful gesture for them to seem so appreciative of the time we spent taking care of the elephants!
At around 4:30pm, we arrived back at So Hostel to shower and get ready for some shopping and dinner at the Night Bazaar! The Night Bazaar is a night market situated in the east end of Chiang Mai (only 5-minute walking distance from our hostel) and open every day of the year! The entire night market spans across 1km of land, filled with vendors of delicious warm foods, snacks, drinks, souvenir gifts, clothes, and massage services! It was outside, and decorated beautifully with lanterns and lights hanging above the shops. It was shoppers paradise! We ended up bargaining quite a bit and as a result, bought most of our gifts from the Night Bazaar! At the end of the night, our crew enjoyed a relaxing full body massage (Only 150 baht per person)!
At around 4:30pm, we arrived back at So Hostel to shower and get ready for some shopping and dinner at the Night Bazaar! The Night Bazaar is a night market situated in the east end of Chiang Mai (only 5-minute walking distance from our hostel) and open every day of the year! The entire night market spans across 1km of land, filled with vendors of delicious warm foods, snacks, drinks, souvenir gifts, clothes, and massage services! It was outside, and decorated beautifully with lanterns and lights hanging above the shops. It was shoppers paradise! We ended up bargaining quite a bit and as a result, bought most of our gifts from the Night Bazaar! At the end of the night, our crew enjoyed a relaxing full body massage (Only 150 baht per person)!
Posted by Rebecca
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