Hannah did a lot of research before deciding on Maerim Elephant Sanctuary. There are several to choose from but most importantly, we wanted one that did not allow elephant riding. Elephants backs are not strong enough to support the weight of a human and they suffer through a lot of torture in the training process. We were very happy with the choice we made because Maerim provided a lot of one-on-one time, MUD BATH TIME and it was drastically more affordable than other sanctuaries.
Maerim offers half and full day visits. We booked the full day so our commute started early in the morning. The truck that picked us up was similar to the size of a Ford Ranger with a cap on the back. They installed two wooden benches in the bed which is where six of us sat for our ride to Maerim. You won’t see anything like it in the states, haha.
Upon arrival we were greeted by our guide and elephant caretaker, Dee, who immediately had us change into our stylish denim outfits. Dee wanted us to understand the cruelty these elephants experience in order to entertain humanity with riding, painting and circus acts. He had us watch a short documentary that left us all near tears.
We were definitely ready to give the elephants the lovin’s they deserve. We filled our pockets and cross body bags with as many bananas as possible. The adult elephants eat bananas whole; peel and all! The baby will try but we were asked to peel them for him.
Dee led us back to a grassy pasture and the elephants followed next to us anticipating their banana morning snack. With a group of 11, I was worried we were not going to get enough one-on-one time with the elephants but it was perfect! Maerim currently has 3 adult females and 1 male baby (3 years old). The females were all rescued from previous distress situations.
Once we ran out of bananas, we loaded into vehicles and traveled down the road to a banana tree farm. We took turns chopping up the trees into elephant friendly portions. The inner phloem of the trees looked and tasted like cucumber.
It was finally time to eat lunch after unloading our stash of elephant goodies! We were given the ingredients to make our very own pad Thai. Starving and in a hurry, I accidentally poured the scorching hot broth all over my hand. I had instant tears, haha. I couldn’t stop them from coming. Injury #3! I’m so thankful that it didn’t blister because that would have made the rest of the trip very challenging.
By the time we were full, the elephants were hungry! They eat ALL day! Again, we led them into a back pasture and fed them the snacks we collected earlier. Dee filled our heads with elephant trivia and made us smell Elly moon pies LOL
Here are some fun facts:
- Elephants sweat from their toe nails and eyes.
- They sleep with their trunk touching the ground so they can feel vibrations.
- Daddy elephants do not stick around for the baby. They hit it and quit it. Moms raise the babies alone.
- They use dirt as sunscreen.
- They’re herbivores.
- They have human feelings- feel happiness and mourn.
- Wagging their tail means they are happy.
- Average gestation period of 22 months.
- Elephants live between 50-60 years!
The final part of the day included a mud bath and swimming with the elephants. We stripped out of our denim outfits and jumped into the mud pit. They throughly enjoyed playing with us in the mud!
That photo above with the trunk popping out of the water cracks me up! It reminds me of Star Wars and the trash compactor scene. I had no idea that elephants would plunge their entire head under water.
Hands down Maerim Elephant Sanctuary was our favorite experience over the 2.5 weeks we spent in Thailand. The elephants were treated with great care and showed zero signs of abuse or depression. Our tour guide, Dee, was very knowledgable and kind. They are also drastically cheaper than other sanctuaries.
For more information, please visit their website! If you’re able to make a donation, I know Maerim would greatly appreciate it! If I recall, Dee mentioned it costs approximately $30,000 to buy/save an elephant from a cruel environment. They are currently trying to save Chock-Dee. Lets bring her home so she can live a happy life!
