Why You’ve Got to Ride an Elephant in Thailand

Riding an elephant is an opportunity of a life time. In Thailand you can ride a well-trained elephant through villages and forests – why wouldn’t you want to do it? Because riding an elephant is such a tourist attraction, most cities across the country have at least one resident elephant. But, if you are looking for a real adventure, you’ll want to book a three to five day elephant trek through the jungle of the northern region of Thailand.

Before rivers and roads were created and discovered, riding elephants was a major form of transportation for the people in Thailand. Today, many people still use elephants to get around, especially when it comes to travelling through the dense forest and broad rivers – places where it’s nearly impossible to navigate through using modern transportation. That’s why the best way to explore the natural beauty of Thailand is by using resources that mother nature has already  given us – elephants.

As you stand next to the elephant and prepare for your ride, you’ll likely notice three things. First, elephants are really tall … like 10-11 feet tall. That’s pretty huge. Second, elephants are really big. And by big, we mean they weigh almost 4 tons. Do you know how much 4 tons is? It’s big. And third, elephants are like kids the day after Halloween – they never stand still.

In order to mount the elephant, you’ll climb up a ladder to a platform. When you finally stand on the platform, you’ll probably notice that it sways from side to side – just like the elephant. You’ll jump from the platform (remember you’re 11 feet above the ground) onto the elephant’s back and then sit on a little wooden plank.

That’s when the real adventure begins. You’ll spend the next 30 minutes, hour or day (depending on what kind of tour you’ve booked) riding on the back of an elephant. And, in case you were wondering, elephants are pretty fast runners.

Make sure you hold onto your hats and sunglasses during your ride because elephants love to walk on anything that gets dropped onto the ground. Your hat is no exception. If you lose your hat, the elephant will stomp all over it and turn it into a pancake. If you do drop your hat, you probably won’t want to try to rescue it because … well … that 4 ton elephant might squash you instead of the hat. It’s not a risk you should take.

If you are feeling really adventurous, ask your guide (called a mahout) to urge the elephant to run down a steep hill. That’ll give you butterflies like you’ve never had them before. And, speaking of running elephants … you never want to ask your guide to stop suddenly if there is another elephant behind you. The moment you realize that you are about to get rear-ended by an elephant is a moment you will never forget – it gives  a whole new meaning to the word fear.
In Thailand elephants are raised to work first and then to give rides to tourists through the rain forest. Elephant riding is a huge part of tourism in Thailand, and while it is a tourist trap, it’s an experience you’ve got to take advantage of. Elephant riding isn’t very expensive, it’s only about $15 per hour or a full day out trekking will cost you $40. It’s an experience that is worth every penny.

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