Nadyad

We'll be in CM in mid-February and wanted to do a 2 hour elephant ride. However, after reading posts I'm now rethinking. Many commented that they felt the rides weren't safe and that you could fall out.
What does everyone think???

marcy_

We went for an elephant ride in the Golden Triangle, and didn't find it scary at all. There was a seat belt across the seat, but we really didn't need it.
The ride was rather bumpy, and when you're going downhill, especially, you need to hang on, but I wouldn't call it unsafe at all, unless you are really infirm.

Susan33

We went on an elephant ride when we were in CM Oct 2004 and had a wonderful time. I am a big, big wimp, and I enjoyed the one-hour ride.

Yes, you need to hang on tight when going downhill, and there is a lot of rocking and rolling motion, too.

Craig

I think 2 hours is a long time on the back of an elephant but it is not scary. When we did the one at the camp just north of Chiang Mai, the mahout let me get out of the chair and ride on the elephant "bare-back" - it was a real hoot and the photos were great. We have also done short rides at another area north of Chiang Rae and at Amber Fort in Jaipur, India.

Gpanda

Elephant rides are not particularly scary. While you're high off the ground, there is a flat wooden platform upon which you sit. The trick is that there is a bit of hanging on when you go up and down hills. Having said that, the ride is much more interesting when you're travelling through hills. Craig is right, two hours can be a long time. However, I suspect that the longer the ride, the more likely you are to be riding in a more secluded spot. On our 2 hour ride outside Chiang Rai (up the Mae Kok about an hour by long tail boat), we saw not a single other person. It was great fun, if a bit taxing.