Lora

Hi,<BR>I will be in CM mid. Feb and I am wondering if anyone has done an elephant trek? We are trying to decide on a full day or an over night two day? Any experience would be appreciated including the name of the tour group and where you picked it up. <BR>thanks, Lora

Andy

My wife and I took an elephant trek out of Chiang Rai. I can't help with a CM company. However, I do note that our 2 hour trek through the hills was wonderful. You should be aware that riding on an elephant entails a great deal of hanging on. The platform on which you are riding is parallell to the ground. When you're going up, you hang on to the front post to keep from slipping out the front opening. When you're going down a hill, you hang on to the rear post while turning a half turn. This prevents falling out the back. We thought 2 hours was plenty.

Elaine

I agree that 2 hours on elephant is enough. If you want to go treking, go with other transportation. Most of the elephant camps are kinda alike. Really all run for tourists now.

Lora

Hello Andy and Elaine,<BR>Thanks for the &quot;hanging on tip&quot; I had no idea...we are going to have to re-evaluate this one. <BR>Much appreciated.

andrea

If you're an animal lover, please keep in mind that the elephants are not well cared for: often whipped to be trained, and are kept chained up so they will not roam. For these reasons I personally did not feel comfortable supporting these business practices.<BR><BR>However, if it doesn't bother you, pretty much all the hotels can arrange a trek for you.

CharlieB

Lora - Andrea brings up an important point. However, consider that the elephants were used to haul teak logs out of the jungle. Now that teak harvesting is illegal in Thailand there is nothing left for these poor creatures other than tourism until the Thais are again able to harvest teak trees. Also consider that each mahout and elephant are paired together and stay with each other for life. I am afraid that without tourism most of these animals would have been slaughtered - so I would urge you to take the 2 hour trek.

Ilse

I second Charlie's comments. We did a trek in November, and could tell the handler cared a great deal for his elephant. I would not have done the trek if I felt there was any mistreatment at all.

Andy

More details about our elephant &quot;trek&quot;. <BR><BR>First of all, it was great. While it was not overly adveturous, it was wonderful to wander through the hills atop an elephant. After leaving the river side village, the only people we saw were other mahouts returning on their elephants. Luckily, the path on which we were travelling had a turnout. There was not enough room for two elephants to pass. We meandered through a forest with occasional rice paddies sculpted into the hills. At the beginning and the end of the &quot;trek&quot;, we fell for the 20 baht bags of bananas and sugar cane to feed the elephants. <BR><BR>Insofar as mistreatment goes, one wonders what the elephants are to do if not provide enjoyment for the tourists. Certainly, an untrained elephant would not be much fun to ride on. &quot;Beast of Burden&quot; is not just a Rolling Stones song, it's a work animal that predates America. I'm not condoning maltreatment, merely wondering whether I'm knowlegeable enough to form a wothwhile opinion.

Graeme

You may want to check out the Elephant Conservation Camp in Chiang Mai. It will be in any tour guide and you can easily get a ride there. You go on an hour or so trek in the hills. I too was skeptical about the treatment of the animals, but I was impressed with how things operated at this place. I came across another camp elsewhere in the country and the elephants were treated nearly as good.

Ingrid

Lora:<BR><BR>Two hours is plenty and may be too much - depends on the elephant - hehe<BR><BR>We went to an elephant camp in Chiag Mai called Mae Tang. It was not the camp we had originally planned to go to, but it was really nice and not as touristy. <BR><BR>It was truly in the middle of the jungle. We rode an ox-cart, went on a bamboo raft cruise on the river, watched the elephant show w/ demonstrations of how they work and bathe, as well as rode an elephant for an hour across the river and through the jungle.<BR><BR>Elephants here are well taken care of. They look healthy and do not nod their heads - a sign that they are bored and mistreated.<BR><BR>They even allow the babies to run crazy and untethered. The babies will push anyone out of the way for a banana or sugar cane!!!!<BR><BR>Watch out for that, but it's a great experience - not to be missed!!!<BR>The trainers even sleep next to the elephants while they raise and train them.<BR>The ride there was very smooth and no major holding on was needed.<BR><BR><BR>However, we also rode an elephant in Mae Hong Son and that was a truly scary experience. The elephant was fat, so we know it was eating well!<BR><BR>The seat was very rickety and not attached to the elephant properly, so we were hanging on for dear life. <BR><BR>This elephant turned out to be the guide's pet, and not very well trained.<BR><BR>It started run/walking and the guide couldn't get it to stop - finally it did as we were crossing the rapids in the river!!<BR><BR>The elephant also took every opportunity to eat, especially as the guide took us past his house. The elephant was ready to stop when it saw its house.<BR><BR>That ride was truly amateur hour, BUT very authentic!!!!<BR><BR>Just be sure to ride an elephant that is part of a camp, not someone's pet.<BR><BR>Ingrid <BR><BR><BR>

Lori

I spent a week at the Thai Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, just an hour out of Chiang Mai. The elephants are treated so well there. They are happy, healthy and friendly animals and the mahouts and staff are the best. I would recommend it highly. I went through Global Spectrum Travel out of Falls Church, Virginia. They specialize in Asian travel.

plummie

Did a two hour trip between two villages near Chiang Rai. Very interesting but also not very comfortable. The back support was maybe a couple of inches high so we felt like we were going to fall backwards when going uphill. Also felt like we were going to fall forward going downhill. Also got brushed by jungle folliage and wound up with a great many red ant bites. I'd take another ride for maybe ten minutes or so