Elephants
Sep 9th, 2006, 01:54 PM
#1
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Elephants
I am planning my vacation to Thailand and am excited about spending some time with the elephants. I have looked up alot of sites and the elephant nature park just north of Chiang Mai appeals to me. Has anyone been there? I noticed in the recent posting by spenny that KimJapan recommended the ECC, what is this? Truthfully, I would also like to be able to ride an elephant. Do these places allow that?
Thanks in advance.
Thanks in advance.
Sep 9th, 2006, 02:30 PM
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www.changthai.com
The Elephant Conservation Center is funded partly by the Thai Gov't and Chang beer, and by tourists who visit there. It's a training center for elephants, an elephant hospital, as well as home for many elephants and their mahout families.
The Elephant Nature Park is privately funded and seems similar.
The ECC will allow tourists to ride elephants for a fee during their regular business hours. The center is open to day visitors without advance reservations. The ENP will not allow tourists to even visit without prior reservation that you must make through only one certain travel agency in Chiang Mai..it's on their website. You can only ride an elephant there if you are enrollled in their mahout training program.
We (me, husband, daughter then 8) did the 3 day mahout training program at the ECC. I'll top my report for
The Elephant Conservation Center is funded partly by the Thai Gov't and Chang beer, and by tourists who visit there. It's a training center for elephants, an elephant hospital, as well as home for many elephants and their mahout families.
The Elephant Nature Park is privately funded and seems similar.
The ECC will allow tourists to ride elephants for a fee during their regular business hours. The center is open to day visitors without advance reservations. The ENP will not allow tourists to even visit without prior reservation that you must make through only one certain travel agency in Chiang Mai..it's on their website. You can only ride an elephant there if you are enrollled in their mahout training program.
We (me, husband, daughter then 8) did the 3 day mahout training program at the ECC. I'll top my report for
Sep 9th, 2006, 02:32 PM
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I topped it, and here's the link.
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34734627
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34734627
Sep 9th, 2006, 02:57 PM
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Thank you KimJapan for the fast reply. I just read the segment of your trip report about the ECC and I want to go - sounds exactly what I am looking for! I am looking forward to reading your whole report because I too am interested in some cooking classes (I own two restauarants in Ixtapa,Mexico and we have alot of the same ingredients that are in Thailand). Anyway thanks! I appreciate your help.
Sep 9th, 2006, 03:05 PM
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For the cooking class, I highly recommend Yui www.alotofthai.com
I had corresponded with a number of places in Chiang Mai asking about our daughter and a custom menu. Yui was the ONLY one who was happy to offer us virtually anything we wanted...all of the other places told us to pick a day for the class based on their set menu for the day...not what we wanted at all. As a restaurant owner, I would think a custom class would be perfect....you could arrange to learn to make dishes you could replicate in your places at home. I'm sure you could give her some guidelines as to what you want and she could make suggestions, as she did for us.
I had corresponded with a number of places in Chiang Mai asking about our daughter and a custom menu. Yui was the ONLY one who was happy to offer us virtually anything we wanted...all of the other places told us to pick a day for the class based on their set menu for the day...not what we wanted at all. As a restaurant owner, I would think a custom class would be perfect....you could arrange to learn to make dishes you could replicate in your places at home. I'm sure you could give her some guidelines as to what you want and she could make suggestions, as she did for us.
Sep 10th, 2006, 08:12 PM
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My daughter and I rode the elephants in Chiang Mai and and the experience of a lifetime. We took pictures before hand of all the elephants and one of the babies even tried to pick my daughter up with it's trunk. the ride is a little bumpy, but take your camera....the scenery is spectacular! (And when you hear about the elephant's 'fifth' leg, you might get a giggle from that, too!)
Have a fabulous time!
Have a fabulous time!
Sep 10th, 2006, 10:11 PM
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I went to both Elephant Nature Park and Elephant Conservation Centre in July this year. I think the messages they try to convery are rather different.
ENC - Most of the elephants there have a sad story. ENC rescue the elephants from their owners and treat them as if they are in the wild as far as possible. While you can help to feed and clean the elephants, they do not encourage you to ride on them. Most of the times, you will watch the elephants playing or strolling around the places. Advance reservation is not necessary, their vehicles come to town every morning to buy ele food and you can call their office early in the morning so that the vehicle can pick you up. A fee is charged for day trips.
ECC - There are mahout training which you can ride and train the elephants. You will also be participated in ele shows. Advance reservation is necessary, seems that their training programme is always full.
If you are looking for a close encounter with the elephants, ECC would be the choice but ENP offers a more nature environment to watch the elephants.
ENC - Most of the elephants there have a sad story. ENC rescue the elephants from their owners and treat them as if they are in the wild as far as possible. While you can help to feed and clean the elephants, they do not encourage you to ride on them. Most of the times, you will watch the elephants playing or strolling around the places. Advance reservation is not necessary, their vehicles come to town every morning to buy ele food and you can call their office early in the morning so that the vehicle can pick you up. A fee is charged for day trips.
ECC - There are mahout training which you can ride and train the elephants. You will also be participated in ele shows. Advance reservation is necessary, seems that their training programme is always full.
If you are looking for a close encounter with the elephants, ECC would be the choice but ENP offers a more nature environment to watch the elephants.
Sep 11th, 2006, 02:37 AM
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Flights to Chiang Mai from Bangkok take an hour. You can also fly from Bangkok to Lampang, where the ECC is, in an hour. Of course, add in the time it takes to get to the airport and check in etc.
There isn't anything in or around Bangkok that I've ever heard of that is similar to the ECC.
There isn't anything in or around Bangkok that I've ever heard of that is similar to the ECC.
