Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre

I am b it confused with all the elephant rides/parks/centres available.

we are staying at Chiang Dao for 2 nights %26amp; are contemplating the Elephant training centre.

Can anyone tell me a bit about it..... Is it genuine or a money making circus experience?

Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre

These places are all money making circuses, but then there are plenty of people who find it amusing to watch elephants perform tricks, paint pictures etc.... at the end of the day it is up to each individual to decide whether they support this industry.

After much research last year I decided to spend a day at the Elephant Nature Park with my 14yo son. I felt that he would find a day washing and feeding previously abused elephant much more rewarding than riding on the back of an elephant that has obvious signs of abuse (which is more the norm in these types of places)

We had an amazing day and would never support any other elephant camp after what we experienced... so its up to what you believe in personally. Do some research, read some articles on the abuse these elephants suffer then make a decision that is right for you.

Our day can be viewed at www.travelblog.org/bloggers/reet and you can view the Elephant Nature Park at www.elephantnaturefoundationonline.com

Reet xx

Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre

I visited it years ago and I liked it. But it is all individual. If you are in Chiang Dao you should also visit the Chiang Dao Cave%26#39;s. An interesting place too. Do not go to one of the waterfalls in the neighbourhood. Foreigners (or Farang in Thai language) have to pay THB. 400.00 (approx. USD. 12.50 per person). For this amount you will have a good dinner for two at a good restaurant.

If not for these tourist rides many of these elephants would not be getting looked after or fed properly so it%26#39;s a bit catch 22. I don%26#39;t see the rides much differently to riding horses on trail rides. The conservation centre is training and educating mahouts in the care of elephants.

I also went to the elephant hospital which cares for elephants who have become hurt or sick. It is funded through donations and the conservation centre. Interesting.

The shows are a bit of just that a show. However they don%26#39;t go on for long and haven%26#39;t seen any abuse. The hardest thing is seeing the elephants tethered and seeing some of the neurotic tendencies this creates. at least if they are taking tourists out it gives them a break from that.

I just returned home from chiang mai. We went to the Elephant Nature Park 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.

What we saw was so moving, that I swore when I returned home that I would try and educate people about what really takes place behind the scenes at most other parks.

These elephants are being taken from the wild, to make money for these parks, and so us tourists can get a ';great photo';. As a result, their numbers are decreasing drastically. I hope that one day I can show my grandchildren a real, live elephant, and not have to show them a picture in a book.

Sorry for the rant, but I%26#39;m so glad I chose to go to this park, and not one of the others.