Thailand - 4th Stop: Kanchanaburi

After our 'amazing' stay in Bangkok, we continued west to Kanchanaburi, Thailand. The city is mainly known for its history in World War II, but we were more interested in the Erawan National Park and Elephant Sanctuary. We spent a total of 2 nights in the city. There is a cat café in the city center, which I already knew from Düsseldorf. Despite the rather questionable understanding of 'cute' cats by the Thai people, we had a great time cuddling with the cats. Later, we took a bus to the national park, which is about an hour away. There, we visited the Erawan Waterfalls and swam in them. There are 7 levels that can be walked in a few hours. The nature in the national park was beautiful and highly recommended despite the many tourists. For the second day, we booked an afternoon at the Elephant Sanctuary. It was a great experience to get up close with the animals. We learned a lot about their lives and past. We had the opportunity to feed them, wash them, and swim with them. The organization claims to be a retirement home for elephants that have spent their lives in captivity. Unlike other facilities, they aim to implement ethical guidelines in their care. However, opinions among visitors are divided. Like many places in Thailand, this place is also geared towards tourists. They seem to handle the elephants well and with love. However, in my research, I found both thousands of positive and negative reviews. So, you can never know what happens behind closed doors. I can only hope that our visit supported the right facility.