{"id":2313,"date":"2015-02-26T09:30:51","date_gmt":"2015-02-26T09:30:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/?p=2313"},"modified":"2015-02-26T03:59:08","modified_gmt":"2015-02-26T03:59:08","slug":"chiang-mai-elephant-camps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/thai\/chiang-mai-elephant-camps\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Choose an Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai"},"content":{"rendered":"

Elephants<\/strong> (\u0e0a\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07 – ch\u00e1ang) are an important part of Thai culture, and they\u2019re also a huge part of the tourism industry. Take a walk in Chiang Mai, and you’re sure to pass countless travel agencies offering a variety of elephant-related experiences. From a simple ride on Dumbo to week-long mahout<\/em> training camps, to long-term volunteer opportunities, it’s all there in Thailand’s northern capital. Not all elephant camps are created equal, so it\u2019s important that you do some research before choosing a place to go. Here are some things to think about when planning your Thai elephant adventure:<\/p>\n

\"\u0e0a\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07\"<\/a>

\u0e0a\u0e49\u0e32\u0e07<\/p><\/div>\n

To ride or not to ride?<\/h1>\n
\"We<\/a>

We did it, but maybe you shouldn’t…<\/p><\/div>\n

That is the question. If you disagree with riding the elephants, a lot of choices will immediately be eliminated. For those who aren’t sure why this might be a bad thing, just punch “elephant riding” into Google and start browsing through the multitude of articles online about why many consider this a horrible practice. It’s not so much the riding of the elephants, but rather the way that they need to be trained in order to allow people to do it. There is definitely a dark side to the elephant tourism industry, and it starts when they are very young. If you do decide to ride an elephant, definitely be wary of places that use wooden chairs for riders and hooks to keep them in line. On our visit to an elephant camp, we\u00a0went for a ride on the elephants. No hooks or chairs were used, though. In hindsight – after doing much more research – I would choose a place that does not offer riding. Sure, it is a great experience, but not for the elephants. For more, check out this post from the Expert Vagabond<\/a> about why you shouldn’t ride elephants.<\/p>\n

Which place to choose?<\/h1>\n
\"Ask<\/a>

Ask about how they train the elephants.<\/p><\/div>\n

As mentioned above, there are tons of options for visiting the majestic animals, ranging from a single ride to extended stays as a volunteer. Since this is such big business, there are more elephant camps than you can count scattered around northern Thailand. Making a decision is not exactly easy, unless you’re the kind of traveler who just dives right in to the first thing they see. Some things to consider are:<\/p>\n