Exercise and Elephants!

Would you believe I started today with a run in the resort’s gym?? No, I wouldn’t believe me either. Who am I? Does it justify the amount of food and drinks I’ve already had? Probably not. But I say it earned me some beer tokens for later.

That out of the way, I enjoyed a leisurely morning in the pool while a thunderstorm happened somewhere in the distance. The thunder was loud and exciting, but the rain stayed mild and brief. Then, another adventure!

Loved this cute little infinity pool at the edge of the hill

Bukit Elephant Sanctuary is home to 7 female, Asian elephants ranging from 45 to 76 years old and all rescued from elephant riding. I was hesitant to visit an elephant ‘sanctury’ because I wasn’t sure whether they would truly have the elephant’s best interests at heart, so it was a relief to witness nothing but love and admiration for the elephants. The caretakers all seemed to understand and respect their elephant’s needs and let us know which ones liked pats and which ones should just be looked at. Asian elephants weigh between 2-5 tonnes and can eat 150kg of vegetation a day! That’s a lot of fibre. It was amazing to see them up close and learn about their stories.

This is Chom Pu. She is 47 years old and was rescued from elephant riding during COVID when tourism stopped coming and they couldn’t keep her.

It was interesting to learn that elephant ownership is legal for anyone in Thailand, even tourists can buy them. Sadly, many elephants spend their entire lives in captivity and chains for the entertainment of others. You could see scars on their backs from years of wearing saddles and some had scars on their legs or ripped ears from chains. It was encouraging to hear that ethical tourism is changing the way the elephants are treated. Tourists are starting to realise that riding elephants all day, every day isn’t kind, and so those sorts of places are changing, leading to more rescue sanctuaries like this one.

These elephants will (hopefully) enjoy a safe and quiet retirement here.

We made rice balls with mango, pineapple, and tomato and then fed the elephants. That was quite an experience.

Jonny and Grace arrived today, and we’re finally all together! Happy hour was enjoyed on the roof, followed by a walk down to the beach for dinner and drinkies.