Bathing Elephants at Ao Nang, Krabi

Last month, I went to Krabi with my friends and had the chance to engage in activities with the elephants. Each of them was much older than us. We started by feeding them to build familiarity, then moved on to helping with mud spa treatments, saltwater baths, and freshwater baths. The elephants here don't have to work, and there are no chains, cages, or elephant hooks. The activities are adjusted to fit the elephants' daily routines. They can eat whenever they want or take a walk in the spacious area. My friends and I had the chance to take care of Pi Mai, an elephant that is blind in one eye. She looked pregnant but was actually just a bit overweight from eating too much. After the activities, she was still using her trunk to grab leaves to eat. Overall, it was a very impressive and fun experience. (There were snacks, tea, coffee, coconut, and sweets available, as well as showers and towels provided.)