The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Phuket

I grew up on a farm. Each of our animals had a job. The dog guarded the farm, the cat caught mice, the goose and chicken ended up in the soup pot, and the pig became sausage in the smokehouse. Animals were never abused and always treated with respect.

In Thailand, people have a completely different relationship with animals. Elephants, in particular, are affected. Many Thais hunt these animals because they destroy crops in the countryside, which they have taken away from nature and the habitat of the pachyderms. Working elephants are often not treated well, not to mention the many elephants that perform in shows or walk through parks as attractions for tourists.

Of course, I can understand wanting to have great pictures from your vacation and unforgettable experiences such as riding an elephant. But, especially in Thailand, you should take a close look at how the conditions for the animals are in such camps.

The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary first opened its doors in August 2008 in Chiang Rai. Here, abused and injured animals are taken in and cared for. Tourists cannot ride on the often traumatized elephants, but they actively participate in the feeding and care of these majestic creatures. There are now such sanctuaries in several parts of the country, including Phuket. We chose this sanctuary for our grandparents' days. So, our granddaughter will make her first acquaintance with elephants.

First, we drive by car from Koh Lanta, our vacation home, to Phuket. We have a 5-hour journey ahead of us. The time is painfully long. Only when we drive through the beautiful Phang Nga region are we distracted by the almost unreal beauty of this area. For me, the province of Phang Nga is one of the most beautiful regions in the world. High karst cliffs, palm forests in front of them, and wide fields are absolutely dreamlike.

After 4 hours, we reach Phuket. Phuket is a huge bustling place with chaotic traffic and entertainment districts wherever you look. At the city's countless markets, dollars and euros are transformed into fake Gucci bags and Rolex watches, and the willing tourist can buy a quick pleasure.

We struggle for another hour through the slow traffic and reach our accommodation, the Centara Grand Beach on Karon Beach, quite exhausted. The resort is beautiful and particularly child-friendly.

After dinner, we fall into bed completely exhausted.

The next day has arrived, the elephant camp awaits. We are picked up around noon, and once again, we struggle through the traffic of Phuket for an hour.

Then we're there, registration is quickly done, and with our whining and complaining granddaughter Leni, who was just woken up from her nap, we head to the first station, the feeding station. We prepare the food from bananas, rice, and a kind of pellets. But first, we have to bring huge baskets of melon pieces to the elephants. By now, Leni's bad mood has completely disappeared. Yes, melon all you can eat, she will surely think and immediately grabs a piece from the feeding basket. She enjoys munching on one piece after another, but she is happy to share the basket with the elephants. Every time she offers a piece to the elephants, she briefly considers whether she should eat it or let the elephant have it. Everyone is joyfully participating and enjoying the proximity of the pachyderms, who display a cool calmness.

After eating, it's time for body care. It's time for a mud bath. Not only for the elephants but also for the caregivers for an afternoon. I also join Leni in the mud. With tremendous enthusiasm, she splashes muddy water on the elephants and then gently rubs them with the mud. The little child's eyes sparkle, and everyone is amused by the youngest caregiver in the group.

Soon, however, my granddaughter's attention is diverted by a huge mud puddle. Now she jumps into the puddle, splashes and squishes. What more does a child need to be happy?

The highlight of the day is the joint bath in the lake with the elephants. We also move there, but unfortunately, Leni is too small to stand in the lake, so we use the brushes we brought to clean each other from the mud.

At the end of the day, there is a small buffet, and with great memories in our luggage, we make our way back to the hotel.

At first, I was worried whether this elephant camp might not be as species-appropriate as advertised on the internet. 40 people are flocking to the elephants. But when I saw how calm and composed the animals were and how much they enjoyed it all, I had a good feeling. I saw how caring the caregivers treated the animals, and today I am sure that the elephants are well off there.

After another night in Phuket, we make our way back to Koh Lanta. Since we don't want to endure the ordeal of a five-hour drive again, we book a ferry ride from Phuket to Koh Lanta. The speedboat journey takes 1.5 hours. Along the way, we briefly stop at Koh Phi Phi, and sheer horror grabs me. The island, which has been a destination of longing for numerous hippies, dropouts, and hopeless romantics, especially since the movie 'The Beach' with Leonardo DiCaprio, seems to be bursting at the seams. There are so many boats around the island that it is hard to find a free piece of water anymore.

There are so many boats anchored in front of the famous Maya Bay that I can hardly imagine that the government's regulations, which state that only 3800 people per week are allowed on the island, are being followed.

Thailand urgently needs income from tourism. Who cares about protecting nature?

I am glad when we finally reach our small, quiet island of Koh Lanta.

We have wonderful memories of a day with the elephants in our luggage.