Baby Elephant Wash and Elephant Jungle Trek

There is an almost endless amount of things to do in Ao Nang- One of the most popular activities is going on an elephant trek. It’s hard to write this and even get into this description without addressing, well, the elephant in the room: Elephant treks are an activity that are a hotbed of debate.

A short description is not going to change anyone’s mind on whether it's inhumane for tourists to ride elephants. We went as far as emailing The Asian Elephant Foundation to confirm their endorsement of this elephant camp before booking the tour. Additionally, all reviews and background information online pointed to the fact that the elephants were treated ethically by their handlers.

The protection of elephants is an expensive and manpower intensive affair. They require a large amount of land, food, and protection from poachers. While you may disagree with the concept of elephant treks there is justification in that they are a source of income for locals and therefore guaranteed protection for the animals. The real world best case scenario is that the businesses that treat the animals ethically are supported.

Back to the fun part of all of this- washing a baby elephant in a river is probably the most fun anyone can have in their lifetime. I don’t know that there have been fifteen minutes in our lives where we’ve smiled harder. In all the laughing, it’s important to remember not to let the 1,000 lbs baby roll on you.

The day was topped off with a visit to Huay Toh Waterfall in the nearby national park to cool down.