After lunch our driver drove us to Elephant Eco Valley an hour north of Chiang Mai to visit the elepants. Everyone was excited to see how they live in this unique protected environment.

We climbed into the truck and headed up the bumpy dirt road.

Elephant Eco Valley is a beautiful and mellow place,…a far cry from the companies in the past who featured elephant riding.

Mahouts are Thailand’s traditional elephant keepers. They are often from indigenous tribes such as the Karen people. Thailand has a rich history with elephants. Over the centuries, mahouts were respected as highly skilled men whose occupation made them crucial to Thailand’s civilisation. They worked with elephants in wartime, and in activities such as agriculture and construction work. In many ways, elephants in Thailand played a similar role to horses and oxen in Western countries.

We covered our bathing suits with mahout shirts that the elephants recognize.

“TaTa” was the sweetest elephant!

I think she liked us!

Vaughan has a new friend!

Owen is one happy guy!

Our group went to the paper making pavilion to see how it is made. They use…elephant poop. Yes, elephant poop! Quite unusual to say the least!

Marla used a crushing pole to mash vegetables into a pulp. She then scooped it up into a ball the size of a large tennis ball.

The elephants loved the food balls and bananas, quickly grabbing them with their trunks.

I was momentarily caught off guard as the elephants headed toward me!

They actually were headed to their favorite watering hole for bathing.

They enjoy going into the pond!

This guy really loves a nice bath!

Vaughan helped Marla into the pond.

The head mahout is explaining how to “bath” the elephants.

Marla, Vaughan, and Owen.

This is one really happy group. I don’t know who is having more enjoyment..the elephants or the bathers!

Time for the bathers to get a little wet!

I was on the bank keeping my camera dry and documenting this special event!

What an amazing experience at EcoValley pond with these beautiful animals.

Our guide and a mahout helped Marla out of the pond as the elephants were closely behind.

Vaughan and Owen loved this day more than anything on on our whole Southeast Asian adventure!

One last scrub before heading back to change clothes and take a shower. Everyone loved bathing the elephants!

Some fried cricket treats at the end of the day.

Owen was the only one brave enough to give them a try. “Hmmm,….quite crunchy!”

I’ve been around elephants on multiple trips to Chiang Mai, Koh Samui, India, and Kenya, and I’ve never seen such a loving and safe environment!

This was on a visit north of Chiang Mai in 1997. So many things have changed since then. These are young mahouts in training.

Photos: Dick Gentry. Not to be shared without permission.