Elephant Nature Park

We wanted to see elephants in Thailand and really wanted to do the 1 day mahout training at Lampang Elephant Conservation Center. However, the 1 day course wasn%26#39;t being offered in July so we decided on the ENP. We were slightly concerned as it looked like a long day without really doing much and we are quite ';active'; travelers. However, the day absoluletely flew by and it was great. Michelle was a wonderful guide for the day and you will learn everything you ever wanted to know. And although they have some heartbreaking stories, you aren%26#39;t hit up for sponsorship etc all the time like can be other places. It was fabulous interacting with the elephants but with respect for their nature. Feeding and bathing in the river was an unforgetable experience. The journey there was long but very interesting to see the countryside. The lunch provided was incredible and we would highly recommend it. If you have younger children, the day might be too long and it is very hot and you do spend most of the day listening. But our girls are teenagers and enjoyed hearing all the stories and the activities. We would highly recommend it.

Elephant Nature Park

Thanks for that report, sounds great!!

I%26#39;m booked in for the 2 days/1 night on Nov 14th of this year!!

My main reason for going to Thailand is to go to ENP!!

I can%26#39;t wait!!

Elephant Nature Park

Hi JandRT,

Thank you so much for this tip!!

I just booked my day at the park next November,

I was wondering how to contemplate these great animals without making a contribution to there miserable life in satisfying the tourist industry...

A million thanks for that!!

Martin

ps Eljay, we will be able to share our experience at the Nov 30th bar b q in Phuket!!

Martin,

Great!! I look forward to meeting you there!

When are you doing your ENP adventure? :)

Excellent! We%26#39;ve booked a day at the Nature Park on Nov 7th....one of the partsd of our trip I%26#39;m really looking forward to!

Nov 20th for me!!

How exciting!!

I%26#39;m sure you all will enjoy it as much as I will!!

Martin - See you on Nov 30th!! Another thing I can%26#39;t wait for!

I just returned home from chiang mai. We went to the ENP and it was the highlight of our trip.

I have been reading some posts where people are interested in riding elephants. I would beg them not to do so.

At our day at the park, we learned about the brutal training that most elephants go through in order to ';domesticate'; them.

It involves abuse and injury that is sometimes permanent.

It may seem harmless to ride on an elephant, or go to shows where the elephants are painting or doing other tricks, or even demonstrating the logging techniques of the past. However, in order to get the elephants to perform, or to let people ride them, they have more than likely been abused.

I hope you ladies enjoy your visit as much as we did!

Spread the word about the dark side of the elephants in thailand, and lets help save the few thousand that are left!

I have just noticed on this thread that people are booking the ENP in advance. I didn%26#39;t realise that you could do that. Can someone please tell me how I go about doing it as we will be there the first week of November.

Thanks

Wendy

Hi Wendy,

Its best to book in advance as they have limited numbers each day out there (I think its about 6-10).

Two ways : if in Chiang Mai they have an office in the city where you can book or alternatively, the best way is online at www.elephantnaturefoundationonline.com

Reet x

The main way to book is through: info@elephantnaturepark.org

It gets a little confusing when you search for it online, as there are 2-3 websites. If you email the address above, you should get a response in a day or to. I am signed up to volunteer for 2 weeks in March, 2008. Cant wait!