We took the ferry from the Phi Phi Islands to Phuket. It took about 2 hours to reach Phuket. Once we got to the pier we grabbed a taxi that took us to our hotel. We stayed at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort and Spa. It was an absolutely beautiful resort. This was Brandon’s favorite place we stayed on our trip. The resort is on Karon Beach which is one of the most beautiful in Phuket. We were happy to just hang out at the resort the rest of the day.
The next day was the highlight of the trip for my family. We could not wait to visit the elephant park. I did a lot of research before we left for Thailand to find a park that treated their elephants in a very ethical and caring way. The Phang Nga Elephant Park was so amazing. There are two different experiences you can book. They offer a half day elephant care experience and a family elephant experience. We chose the family experience because of Colt’s age, and it turned out to be just exactly what we were hoping for.
It took about 2 hours to get to the park from Phuket. You can also get there from Krabi. The park opened in 2015 so it is a fairly new park. In Thailand, families will own their own elephants. A mahout is an elephant keeper. As a boy, a mahout, is assigned an elephant by his family. The bond between the boy and his elephant remains throughout their lives. The mahout must look after and care for his elephant. The mahouts at this park lived there with their elephants. It was neat to learn about the history of the Asian elephants in Thailand.
As soon as we arrived at the park, we were assigned to a volunteer that works at the park. The volunteers come from all over the world to work here. Our volunteer’s name was Amy, and she was from England. She assigned us to our very own elephant to care for while we were there. Our elephant was one of the most beautiful in the park.
After we were assigned our elephant, it was time for her snack. We feed her bananas and pineapples. She loved them so much! I couldn’t believe she could just scoop up an entire pineapple and eat the whole thing. It was amazing to watch!
After feeding our elephant her snack, she went to rest and we went over for drinks and painting. We were given a drink to try that comes from a flower. You can add a little lime to it and it changes the color and flavor. Then the boys were able to paint their own elephant magnets to take home with them to remember their day with the elephants!
After our elephant rested, it was time for her bath. We were so excited to get in the water and scrub our elephant. I was a little nervous to get it with this majestic creature. Colt was also a little nervous about this so he just watched from the bank. Our elephant was so gentle with us, and she loved when we scrubbed around her ears. If she wanted you off at any time, she would just slowly dump you to the side into the water.
After her bath, she went back to rest and we washed up in their showers and changed clothes. We were then given a delicious Thai lunch. It was so good and there was so much food!
The Phang Nga Elephant park was the most amazing experience. If you ever visit Thailand, I highly recommend this beautiful elephant park. I know my grandmother was smiling down on us that day! I definitely felt like Patsy Bea! It was the perfect family experience!
