Day 4 Thailand - Gentle Giants
Elephants, Mud, and the End of the Honeymoon Phase
Today was all about the elephants — and it might go down as the best day of the trip for me.
We spent the day at Chiang Mai Elephant Home, which is part of an ethical, no-riding sanctuary just outside the city. No chains, no saddles, and no circus tricks. The people who run it have partnered directly with local mahouts (elephant caretakers) to create a better life for these mammals — and for the communities around them too. It’s quiet, peaceful, and surrounded by mountains. An elephant heaven for these rescued beautiful creatures.
We got lucky — two babies were there (3 and 4 months old), that we got to play with as well as their mamas. And by “play,” I mean we:
Fed them bananas and sugar cane
Took a jungle walk with them
Waded into a river to bathe them
And yes, slung mud around with them like kids at recess
It was messy, fun, and 100% of magical.
One of the most fascinating things about elephants is how emotionally intelligent they are — and how their herds are run by matriarchs. These are deeply social mammals who comfort each other, grieve losses, and basically operate like tight-knit families.
Fun fact: Elephants can recognize themselves in mirrors, which means they’re part of a tiny club of mammals (including dolphins and great apes) that have self-awareness.
After the elephants, the kids were trained in jungle survival. They learned how to build a fire without a lighter, filter water using sticks, sand and leaves, and cook food without a stove.
After dinner, we hit up the night market where the kids had a little free time to shop for souvenirs and trinkets. I celebrated by getting another massage, only this time a bit more relaxing one.
And then — the honeymoon phase ended.
Conor drew upon his teaching skills and gave the group a firm but fair talking-to about listening when an adult speaks and keeping phones out of their faces. To be clear, it wasn’t everyone — just a select few who needed the reminder. Likely it was one of those moments most every group has eventually. Still — all in all, they’re a great crew of kids.
Today was the kind of day I won’t forget anytime soon. The elephants are my spirit animal - I could have watched them all week! I will definitely bring my own kids here someday. In my next life, I wouldn’t mind being a mahout.
Check out more elephant pics and videos are on my Instagram and Facebook.
ขอบคุณที่อ่านนะคะ (Thanks for reading!)
Kacy