My family and I are going to Thailand next October. We just found out about the Mahout training course. We knew we could visit the place and enjoy it, but we did not know we could take part of it. My 23 year old daughter is simply fascinated by animals, and also my husband. What they like most is to have contact (phisical) with the animals. My worries are:
-my 16 year old son and I love animals too, but sometimes we are a little afraid of them, depending on their size and behaviour. Do you think we should participate too? Otherwise I'll sure regret in the future. Do you think it is not fearfull? Is it easy to ride them beareback?
-what about the accomodations and the food?is it possible to spend the nights in Lampang?
Anyone who took part of it please tell me how it is. I know I am a "big city person", that's way I'm so worried.
THANKS again everybody.

We went to the ECC for 3 days in December. There is plenty of animal contact. The elephants come in a range of sizes from pretty small to very big. They are all gentle and friendly.

I was VERY afraid. They told me that I was the most afraid person they had ever had there. I do not like heights, and I do not like being the least bit out of control...and when I was on my elephant for the first time and had yet to learn how to give them the commands I was afraid. Mind you, the mahout had control, and the elephant did nothing out of the ordinary or remotely scary at all...it was just me. I got down after about 10 seconds and had to sit down and drink water before trying again, and then a helper rode with me, talked to me, helped me relax. We rode about an hour into the jungle and by the time we got to the place where my elephant would spend the night I was pretty OK with being up there.

It is very easy to ride the elephants on their necks. It is the easiest way...it's very smooth, where if you ride in the chairs they use for elephant rides it is very rough I think. Behind the elephant's ears are where you keep your knees and if you are sitting forward enough you can brace yourself with the ears and relax completely.

The accommodations are fine. The shower has hot water and each rooom has 3 beds and a private bath with shower, sink and toilet. The pictures on their website don't show the bathroom in a good way I don't think...though it is basic, it is very clean. The beds were also fine. The rooms are screened and have fans.

We were in a room in the hut with the main kitchen where the meals were prepared. There are 3 huts. The meals were good to very good. Breakfast was fried eggs and toast and coffee/tea/Milo. Lunch and dinner were freshly prepared Thai style dishes with vegetables, chicken or fish. They are careful to offer something for everyone including those who don't like spice. When you check in, they ask you about your food preferences...hot or not, vegetarian or not, fish or not, etc. We thought the food was very good.

I wouldn't spend the nights in Lampang. Not only is it logistically difficult at best, but you'd miss out on a lot. For us, a big part of the program was socialing in the evening with the other participants and the mahouts and their families. In the mahout village there is a "bar" and some in our group went there with the mahouts and treated them to some beers and had a fantastic time with them. You also need to start at 6:00 AM...you go into the jungle to get your elephant before breakfast.

Bugs...not in the huts, some mosquitos outside, bring repellent. There are also some friendly dogs and lovely cats. It is not a city experience, but it isn't nearly as rough as it might sound. You are looked after very well.

Back to the elephants...there is a full range of things you can learn to do with them, but if at any time you feel uncomfortable, that's fine, they don't push you. I was happy just walking around and feeding my elephant and trying to steer. My daughter (8) was fearless, and learned everything in no time...sliding down the front of the elephant's head to trunk to get down and then being lifted back up by the trunk to get down, various ways of getting on and off using the legs as steps for example, walking on a single log. In the end, I was happy doing what I was comfortable with and had overcome my fear, but she was a star...she got to be in the show the final day, and I got to watch. It was good for both of us. She still talks about it and wants to return for a month.

One thing I'd advise against is swimming/bathing with the elephants. My daughter got seriously ill a couple of days after leaving the ECC, with a high fever, body pain, vomiting, stomach pain, diahrrea, and bleeding under the skin on her face and inside her arms where the skin is very thin. At first, dengue fever was suspected, but tests ended up showing a severe and powerful bacterial infection, and though it was impossible to trace how she got it, we suspect it was the water in the bathing pool at the ECC. She was soaked, head to toe, several times each day. I'm sure she swallowed some. My husband was also ill one day earlier, but not as severely and started antibiotics right away and recovered soon. He also swam with the elephants. I was not sick at all. I did not swim with the elephants at all. We all ate the same foods. The doctor agreed that it was probably the elephant swimming, but as we didn't have the bacteria cultured and couldn't possibly compare it to the water in Chiang Mai when were then in Khao Lak, we just decided that next time we go we'll skip the bathing and swimming, or at the very least, be very careful to keep our mouths shut and shower well immediately afterwards.

I would definitely do it again, and I would definitely recommend it. There is so much more to the experience there in addition to elephant riding so that even if you decide riding isn't your thing there is plenty else in the program to enjoy. You are busy, but not so busy, and the evenings are great.

A little difficult to navigate through, but if you have the time, the ECC's website is full of photos and information too.
www.changthai.com

Thank you Kim for answering all my questions. Concerning the accomodations at ECC, were there frogs and small crawling animals inside the room? I know it is ridiculos to ask that, but I hate them. If you have any other comment about ECC, i would love to know! THANKS!

Nothing living in the room except for us. Honest. No mice, no frogs, no lizars, nada. In fact, the animals we saw there were elephants, dogs, cats, mosquitos, and people. We were in total a group of 9 people, 2 children (my daughter age 8, and another young girl age 12) and the rest adults.

Arrival day, we left Chiang Mai around 8 AM and arrived at the ECC at around 9 AM. We checked in and filled in the forms about height, weight, food likes and dislikes, and got a paper with a schedule for the next 3 days and a list of commands for the elephants.

Put our bags in our bungalow, put on the mahout suits they gave us, and watched the elephant show. Had lunch on our own at one of the two cafes there...good and cheap. At 1:00 our group all gathered in the office and had an orientation and practiced commands, reviewed the schedule, and had some chat time. Then we met our mahouts and elephants, rode them in the show ground, then out to the jungle, where we left them for the night. Then we hiked back..about 40 minutes?

Went to the little shop and bought cold Milo for the kids and me, juice, beer and snacks. Soon Supat and the cooks started dinner, and everyone helped chop and so on. We all ate together in the kitchen/dining area of our bungalow. After dinner, everyone talked and hung around, then bed.

Day 2...Wake up 6 AM and meet your mahout at the paper factory and hike out to get your elephant. The morning was gorgeous, misty and cool, and the mahouts were all in good spirits. Ride the elephants back to camp, bathe them maybe, have breakfast, then the official bathing time. Elephant show. Then about 1 hour of training time pracicing whatever it is you like to do, or in my case, was brave enough to do. Lunch and free time before the afternoon session that matched the first day. At some point on either day 1 or 2 we saw how they make elephant dung paper and got to try it a bit, and visited the elephant hospital. We spent a long time at the hospital as everyone in our group was interested in it.

After the afternoon session and putting the elephants out for the night, we got more drinks, snacks and beer and hung around some more. Some of us went to have beers with the mahouts in the village "bar." Dinner this night was much more involved...maybe there were 10 different dishes plus rice.

Day 3..repeat morning of day 2 until elephant show, which you might be in if you like, and then you get a certificate and you can thank your mahout and say good bye to your elephant. You are free to hang out at the camp as you like, or leave. We left around 1:00 after having a light lunch at the same cafe. The lunches on arrival and departure day are not included in the price but cost us next to nothing. We tipped our mahouts 500 baht each I think...I forget but we tipped them whatever Supat told us was OK.

There is really nothing there, outside of the bathing water, that can hurt you I don't think. I'm easily spooked, am afraid of insects and creepy crawly things, but really, this place is pretty tame.

The time there flew by. My daughter didn't want to leave at all, and when some staff said she could stay she readily agreed when we said we'd pick her up in 2 weeks...of course we didn't do that, but she would have no problem. She has also now gotten many of her friends interested in the place, much to their parents dismay I think (we live in Japan and elephant camp isn't typical Japanese 5 day tour material).

I'd certainly go back. We might next summer, just my daughter and I, depending on what else we find to do when we finish Cambodia and my husband goes back to work.

Go. I really don't think you'll regret it. They don't push you...or at least after me they know that some people are really afraid! But I did it and I loved it in the end, and I felt really good that I had overcome the initial fear that I had. I feel good right now writing about it. Yes, go.

Thank you again Kim! You cannot imagine how much you helped me. I am now very sure that my son and I will take part of the Elephant training! That thanks in great part to you!!! I live in Brazil, so we have to take an 11 hour flight to Milan, and then another 11 hours to Bangkok! We are very far from you in Japan, and every country in the Orient! That's why I like to know everything possible to know before going, so we can take profit of every single detail of the trip. In case you remember of anything that you may like to share about Chiang Mai or Bangkok, I will be very happy to know. You were very kind to me!!!THANKS again everybody!!!

Last tip...be sure you book the stay at the ECC first so you are sure of the dates. On occasion, the online calendar isn't updated...like if Supat has a day off. We found we had to book by e-mailing him directly, as the booking form wasn't working back in November when we booked. If you don't see your reservation the next day, send an e-mail. If you get no reply within 2 days and still don't see your reservation try again. It books out often, so reserve as much in advance as you can.

Payment is in cash when you arrive. There are locks for the rooms, but no safes. Our things were safe. We left most of our baggage at Yaang Come Village and only carried backpacks. Bring hiking sandals to wear, as they can get wet and have support.