Mueang Chiang Mai District, Thailand - Polarsteps

Today I visited the "Elephant Jungle Sanctuary", an ethical and sustainable Eco-tourism project concerned about the welfare of elephant in Thailand. Their mission is to provide as many elephants as possible with the good health, freedom and happiness they truly deserve. We got picked up by a van in the morning and after a 2-hour drive we arrived at the sanctuary. It was a big valley next to a river with a few huts in the middle of the jungle. When we arrived, the elephants were already walking down the hill. After we received quick information and we've put on our "mahout outfits" we got our own bunch of bananas and went down into the valley to feed them to the elephants. It was great to walk among them and it was so much fun every time one of their greedy trunks tried to steal your bananas! After we've fed them the bananas, they needed more food. Everyone got a big bunch of corn and we went uphill to feed then that. After making and giving the elephants their "elephant medicine" (balls made from sticky rice, unpeeled rice, mashed bananas and tamarind) it was time for the elephants to take a mud bath. The mud helps the elephants cool down and works as a natural "sunblock" for them. Time to get dirty and rub them in! After having them covered in mud, we walked up to the river, where we washed them. They played with us and with each other and we had a great time! After our wash-up they put on sunscreen again while we changed into dry clothes and got ready to leave. It was an amazing day and I am so grateful these people are doing this. Elephants are incredibly beautiful and peaceful creatures and they deserve all the freedom and happiness they can get. If you want to know more about the elephant jungle sanctuary and receive more information on what they do or how to help them, please visit their website and support them! http://www.elephantjunglesanctuary.com/ Yay for the elephants!!