elephants and temples

After seeing one of nature's most picturesque waterfall displays at Erawan National Park it was time to get up close with some equally impressive animals. As we were in Thailand, this of course means going to meet with elephants. The place we had chosen was Elephant world located in Kanchanaburi Provence. There is much ethical ambiguity of riding elephants for tourism in Thailand, some condemn the practice others applaud it. Not wanting to sit in one of the basket seats we opted of spend the day with the elephants at elephants world.

Here's a bit of information about Elephants world, it is a non profit organization founded in 2008. In essence it is a retirement home for elephants from the tourism or other  industry that have become too old and tired to perform the tasks set for them. In previous years Elephants have been used in the logging industry, which has since been made illegal circa 1989 in Thailand. Elephants are no longer financially viable as they used to and many end up abandoned, I feel this is a tragedy to happen to such majestic animals who have been embedded in Thai culture for countless years. Elephants world cares for these retired and abandoned elephants, with guests working for them, through preparing food, washing them and feeding them.

Immediately as you enter you will see elephants roaming around the complex, the baby elephant is a particularly special sight to see. After a briefing about the animals and the days activities,  first we fed the elephants, a unique experience and the elephants do live up to the stereotype as gentle giants.We proceeded to watch the elephants have their morning bath, making for some great photo opportunities. Throughout the day we prepared food and gathered resources for the elephants. The cherry on the cake was swimming and bathing with the elephants, you even get a short bare back ride on top of them. I would encourage other travelers to head here if they would like to see elephants, as you are helping rather than hindering these gentle creatures.

After our time in Kanchanaburi we were heading to Ayutthaya, an ancient capitol full of working temples and ruins to act as reminder as to the former opulence of this city. It was previously a premier trading city in south east asia, but sadly no longer. Walking around the parks you will witness the various ruins and again makes for ample photography practice. Ayutthaya is a pleasant place to simply stroll around and come across a something that grabs your attention. The ruins and temples are not the most spectacular in all of Thailand, but they do provide a nice getaway from the tumult of Bangkok. The markets were also by far the coolest we came across in Thailand, hands down I had the best food here. Its worth a visit just for the markets.

To summarize Thailand I would say The country certainly has a lot to offer to the whole spectrum of travelers. There are the pristine beaches, the striking landscapes, exotic wildlife, Exquisite food and a mix between the modern and the old. I enjoyed my time in Thailand, but I don't crave to go back there as with some of my other travel destinations. Thailand has a large tourist industry directed at westerners and a sense of adventure can sometimes be lost.  However this shouldn't detract from the multiple offerings of the country as it is still a gateway to south east Asia