Our day started early (well for vacation time anyways) by being picked up by the car service for the Elephant Rescue Park in Chiang Mai. The drive is about an hour outside of town but it’s air conditioned and the driver is good so we just sat back and relaxed with our fellow travelers. Both Matt and I have done elephant rescues before but hey how many chances do you get to have this experience?
They suit you up in the red uniforms (which are actually yellow when viewed by an elephant so they call you “banana men”), a straw hat and rubber boots and you are ready to go 
across the road the elephants are waiting patiently because they know there’s food! They give you 7 bananas, one for each elephant, and teach you how to hold them so the elephants can grab and put in their mouths. Asian elephants only have one “finger” At the end of their trunks so they can’t grab with the end of the trunk, they sort of curl it under.
After we feed and take many photos, you walk with them up the mountain so they can graze on the foliage. At this time we are petting them, scratching them and treating them like big dogs. They are super quiet and you have to keep checking your 6 to make sure they aren’t sneaking up on you.
They are really amazing animals and responds well to their handlers commands (no hooks or sticks). They rub themselves against trees and throw dirt in the air to cool down. They are leathery and bristly at the same time and their tails can knock you out if you get hit.
We get to hug them, and then jump in the water and wash them down which ultimately resulted in a water fight (us vs elephants) and sorry I don’t have pictures of that but didn’t want my phone in the poo water they are so playful though! The youngest there is around 9 and the oldest is in her 50s! They rescue them from circuses, logging, tourist rides, etc where people use them and don’t care how well they are treated 
it’s hard to think anyone could hurt these gentle giants!
After the swim we get more pictures then head back to the main house to get showered and eat some delicious lunch they have prepared. So many different people we have met today and so many stories of Thailand! We exchange notes with others and find that we are the knowledgeable ones here.. who would have thought???
If you are going to come to Thailand, this is an experience you cannot miss! And I highly recommend this location as well! Do your research! So many places still do terrible things to elephants and let tourists ride them. Make sure you are doing the right thing
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