Bangkok could also be probably the most visited city on the earthbut this will not be the one attraction Thailand.
Apart from amazing food, sparkling temples and a famously friendly culture, this country has one other invaluable commodity: elephants.
and at Elephant Nature Parkelephant rescue and rehabilitation center in rural Chiang Mai, you can be surrounded by them.
Thailand has long been home to those beautiful animals, but experts estimate that the elephant population has declined to three,000-4,000 (from 100,000) over the past century.
This is where the Elephant Nature Park comes into play.
The park, positioned about 60 kilometers from Chiang Mai, has rescued greater than 200 elephants from the tourism and logging industries since its establishment within the Nineteen Nineties.
“You know lots of tourists who’ve seen elephants in Thailand and wish to come back and ride them,” Sangdeaun “Lek” Chailert, founding father of Elephant Nature Park, tells CNN. “But I think it’s very important to come here and take care of the elephants and not use them for entertainment.”
A walk within the park
At Elephant Nature Park, volunteers and guests have the chance to interact with over 70 elephants on the 250-acre property.
Instead of doubtless harmful activities resembling game drives, volunteers can participate in a wide range of activities, from bathing and feeding elephants to mountain climbing with them within the jungle.
During half-day or overnight visits, travelers can meet Dok Geaw – a baby elephant just born in May 2017 – in addition to Tilly, who was rescued from a trekking camp, and Sook Jai, who was once a street beggar in town.
The park also offers seven-day volunteer experiences.
“Elephants teach me a lot,” says Sangdeaun. “They have this love that humans don’t have. Love for life, unconditional love – and that is what we must learn from them.”
Source : CNN Journey
