This was mom’s idea. She wanted to see elephants since we started to plan this trip. I just wanted to ride them, as I saw pictures on internet of people riding them, and it looked big fun to me… but that was out of question, mom said that treating elephants like that is not nice, cause it is hurting them, and she found better place. Much better place.
So, I’ve been told, that we will go to the place where people take care of rescued animals, elephants that they saved from hard labor, or circus shows, and we gonna spend afternoon there, feeding them, cuddling them, and at the very end we will have a bath in a muddy pond together. Really? I didn’t like that idea at all, part with muddy pond sounds disgusting to me. Then, they told me that I should try new things if I get chance to try them, and that this is once in a lifetime opportunity. I am lucky to be here and to see and experience things like this. I was confused a bit and wasn’t sure that I am gonna do any of those things but I had to go and see.
Krabi elephant sanctuary was more than an hour away from our resort, guys arrived with van and took us there.

There are two sanctuaries around. They have similar names but different approach, other one is not so nice with elephants. This is good one.

And this is the first thing that i see!

For a moment this is gonna be the only important thing for me here.

So, while they are talking about elephants, and they talked a lot, I spent some quality cuddling time with this little family.

And then.. I saw them, just there… They have 3 girl elephants in total, nice and big.

I got some tips. I need to be calm with them, no running around them, no teasing them, not making noise.. And to be confident.. Oh my, I am a bit afraid now.

But then i saw dad cuddling her so calmly, and I decided to give a try.

And yes… you just need to try it. And I did. And I liked it!

I will try to feed them now as well!

They gave us buckets full of bananas to feed them

This is awesome!

Elephants were really nice. They were gently searching for the food, at first I gave them food in the trunk, but after I tried to feed them directly into the mouth. It was scary at first, but then I realise that it is not a big deal at all.

More bananas. More!

They are waiting for them.

And I am happy to have them.

Time for work now!

We need to make protein bombs for elephants, made with bananas, vitamins and some medicines. Elephants eat a lot, they can eat hole day, and just bananas are not enough for them.

So, entire group of visitors is making food now.

And there they are!. This should be given in elephant mouth, not in trunk.

Dad is gonna do it.

And I will help.

It is time for group photo, as now we will go for walk and bath, and this is last chance to take decent photo. This group was from all over the world, Portugal, Germany, Australia, America…

Mom and dad are born ready.

We are walking with elephants

I didn’t know that even they look rough, elephants skin is really sensitive, and they can, just like us, get sunburns. For thot reason they throw mud on themselves as a layer of protection. Wow.!

Even more, we are gonna help them with mud!

My dad, like me, said that there is no chance that he will get muddy,  but now I see him getting really dirty.

That is nice layer of mud.

But they look so happy. I can tell they are smiling!

Time to find pond to wash them.

Uh-oh. I will pretend that I haven’t seen that.

Our muddy pond. Of course I will get in!

it just feels good. Now we will brush  and wash them. I just need to be careful not to get under them.

Big fun for all of us!

It is important to brush them gently.

At the end, even if they look huge and rough, they are gentle and nice animals.

Mission completed. We had great time with this magnificent animals, and I tried all those things that I wasn’t sure if I am gonna like. This was the best part of our Thailand trip!