When I was in Chang Mai, I ran into some German tourists at my hostel who had planned a day learning to ride elephants.
They had done their research to make sure that the company they went through treated the elephants well, and it sounded like fun, so I went along.
To steer, you sit on the elephants neck and nudge their shoulder blades in the direction you want to go.
I had one of those moments when I got on where I thought: “How on Earth did I end up sitting on an elephant?”
We all have moments where we have to stop and think about where we are in the world and be surprised, right?
I bought some bananas and so did the others, and the elephants would reach back and try to take them.
So, you give them one banana at a time when they are hungry. It’s definitely more fun than putting gas in a car.
Afterwards, we got to play with the elephants. There was a baby, which belonged to the elephant I had been riding.
It was a lot of fun to see the baby playing around and having a good time with everyone.
And of course, they sold photos (because they always do.) I bought one of me taking this couple for a ride in the basket on top of my elephant.
It was a great experience. I had fun, and the elephants seemed to have fun too. They are very playful.
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