Elephant Treking

[Nick NCFC]

Has anyone been to see them in the park at Kui Buri?

I have family coming over and they also want to see the elephants but I don't want to show them tortured captive ones would prefer to see them in the wild and wondered if this was a good option.

[Big Boy]

I've been waiting some time to do that trip, but the park has been closed due to foot & mouth disease. I've not seen any announcement that it's open again.

[Nick NCFC]

Yes, all I can see on the internet is that it is due to re-open in June or July but nothing to say that it actually has.

Will keep trying to see if I can find out.

[STEVE G]

Will the elephants definitely be there? I've been to the vineyard a couple of times, but the elephants were only there the first time.

I've just passed the afternoon up at Hua Hin Hills with a bottle of wine or two and elephants were present.

[Big Boy]

Thanks Steve, but that isn't what their website says - TIT

I guess I'll have to get Mrs BB to phone them.

[jingjoe]

we rode the elephants at the winery today,very pleasant,great spot for lunch, elephant ride was 300bht for 15mins which is more than enough time or 500bht for 30mins..then you can buy fruit for 100bht and feed them,money goes to mahout i suppose.

[PeteC]

^ Are they kind, or hitting them on the head all the time with that metal pointed prod?

[jingjoe]

the mahout had a wooden stick,but was just a light slap if elephant wandered off path,mostly used gutteral calls.
he jumped off before we got to the end of journey and took photos for us,the elephants just slowly followed him back to the end of the trip.

[Big Boy]

Thanks jingjoe - sounds good. I'll run it past them.

[PeteC]

^ That's good...very good! Pete

[cookie102]

Another suggestion would be a day trip to The River Kwai.
When we did this a few years ago the trip included being taken from Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi,A short ride on a boat to the JEATH museum and the War Graves, a ride on the Death Railway over the bridge and about an hour into the countryside where the van met us,then a typical set lunch in a local resturant followed by Elephant Treking up the River Kwai where the Elephants went through the jungle and actually walked along the river bed.
Then finally home.
It was a long full day and but really worth it.
We had also tried the two local ones but they were not a patch on the River Kwai trip.

[hhfarang]

Will the elephants definitely be there? I've been to the vineyard a couple of times, but the elephants were only there the first time.

I've just passed the afternoon up at Hua Hin Hills with a bottle of wine or two and elephants were present.

After the second bottle were they pink?

[STEVE G]

Will the elephants definitely be there? I've been to the vineyard a couple of times, but the elephants were only there the first time.

I've just passed the afternoon up at Hua Hin Hills with a bottle of wine or two and elephants were present.

After the second bottle were they pink?

No but they started to blur a bit, luckily the neighbour was driving home!

[Big Boy]

Another suggestion would be a day trip to The River Kwai.
When we did this a few years ago the trip included being taken from Hua Hin to Kanchanaburi,A short ride on a boat to the JEATH museum and the War Graves, a ride on the Death Railway over the bridge and about an hour into the countryside where the van met us,then a typical set lunch in a local resturant followed by Elephant Treking up the River Kwai where the Elephants went through the jungle and actually walked along the river bed.
Then finally home.
It was a long full day and but really worth it.
We had also tried the two local ones but they were not a patch on the River Kwai trip.

I've done similar with longer stayers, but they're only in Thailand for 10 days, and Hua Hin only a week - they won't want to waste most of one of their precious days on the road to Kanchanaburi and back..

[StevePIraq]

With the terrible treatment Thai elephant trainers (read abusers) hand out to Elephants to break their spirit I am astounded that anyone would even consider going to an elephant show or trek

For a country that supposedly reveres Elephants it is shocking and any tourist who supports this abuse are participants in the animals cruelty.

Watch the video, maybe tourist would like to go and see that also.

Thai's are terrible to animals, look at the way the have bulls fighting bulls, chickens fighting chickens, dogs sick all over the place.

God help animals in Thailand.

http://www.alternativeway.net/blogs/act ... n-thailand