I saw a special on Oprah about her traveling to India. She was riding on an elephant and I thought to myself someday I will ride an elephant in India just like Oprah. Well I still have not made it to India, but I was able to take my first ride in Thailand. I chose to do a guided all day elephant trek with Blue Elephant Thailand Tours. The price was approximately 255.00 per person. Yes I thought it was expensive but I didn’t know when I would return to Thailand or have another opportunity to ride an elephant.
Mr. Kai, our driver and tour guide picked up my cousin Taniesha and I up from the hotel at 8 am. Our first stop was at the fresh market where he picked up our lunch and fresh fruit for the elephants. Soon, after we arrived at the Blue Tao Elephant Village. We ate a delicious lunch of Thai noodles, pork, chicken, and fried rice, wrapped in banana leaves. It was very good but we couldn’t finish the food as they provided us with large portions.
After eating lunch we changed into an elephant mahout outfit (blue denim shirt and Capri pants) they have most sizes but I was unable to fit the shirt. So beware if you have more cushion in the tummy area. We were than introduced to our elephants. We fed them bananas, watermelon rinds and leaves. It was fun trying to feed them but I was hoping there slimy tongues wouldn’t actually touch my hands.
Now onto the hard part, trying to actually ride an elephant bareback. Riding bareback is safer than having a seat strapped onto the elephants back. In order to climb on top, you have to climb on their feet and hop on the back. After hoping on you have to steady yourself as they stand up on all 4 legs. As we begin to move, I was really scared. Scared like I wanted to cry and get off scared. I was afraid because riding an elephant bareback means that you do not have the convenience of sitting on a chair while riding. You have to sit on the neck of the elephant, wrap your feet behind his ears and steady your arms on top of its head. When going up a hill, you have to lean forward and hold onto his head to prevent from falling. In addition elephants love to eat, hence why they are such large animals. As we trekked through the jungle, the elephants often stopped to eat leaves from the ground. As we were going down the hill, I felt like I was literally about to fall off the elephant. I called for Mr. Kai to stop and I jumped off the elephant!! My cousin teased me because I got off the elephant but I was perfectly fine with her making fun of me long as I didn’t fall off.
After riding we had the opportunity to bathe the elephants. It was fun getting inside the water and bathing the elephants. They love the cool water and strokes from the brushes on their back.
My cousin stayed on the elephants back while in the water. The elephant decided they he wanted to fully submerge in the water with my cousin on its back. My cousin fell of her elephant into the water. Now it was my opportunity to tease her. The best part was Mr. Kai capturing the fall on camera.
If I ever ride an elephant again I probably will not ride bareback because you only have a rope to hold on and you need extra strength in either your arms or legs. Due to the fact I used my arms to hold myself up while riding, my arms were sore several days after. My motto is “Experience everything at least once”. I must say that I am glad to have checked off riding elephants from my bucket list.
What an awesome adventure! Your pictures are beautiful. Talk about a Kodak moment. What’s so funny to me is how you and your guide are just staring as your friend goes down… Lol.
Thanks for reading Deon! I’m so glad that I could give you a laugh before completing your reading assignment. So glad that my tour guide Mr. Kai captured some great action shots. Right we watched as it all went down, I was just watching hoping she was ok..lol then I could laugh..
Awesome! Good for you- I love that you are out there having these wonderful experiences. Kudos to you!! I’m taking my 1st painting class the end of April- you do only live once..lol.
I want to thank you again for following my travel Journey! Y.O.L.O (you only live once) is my motto when traveling. Who knows if I will get a chance to be come back to a particular destination.
You are going to love the painting class. I took my dad to paint night for Fathers day and we had a great time.
That must have been an unforgettable experience. Your pictures are amazing! As I mentioned before you are really motivating me to start traveling.
Yes I must thank my tour guide he took some great shots! It was a great experience. I love experiencing new things when I travel. I figure I should try it in the moment because I’m not sure when I will return to a particular destination! I’m so glad I could motivate you to travel. Make sure to let me know if you have any questions about planning a trip and I want to know all the details. lol
That food looks delish! And how exciting to be able to ride an elephant!!! That’s something I’ve never thought of doing, but I supposed it would be a good bucket list item, huh?:)
Yes the food was great, it was so much we saved it for dinner but never finished because we actually went out to eat at a restaurant later on that evening. Def a good bucket item list, you should def think about it!
Wow!!! What an awesome experience. Looks like you had a great time and the pics are amazing!!!!
Thanks, glad you enjoyed the pictures. Very awesome experience, now i can cross this off my bucket list.
The fall was too funny. That is an amazing memory. Are the ropes behind you or in front to hold on to?
Right, I couldn’t laugh until after i knew she was ok. lol. The ropes were behind you, which was the problem, it was awkward trying to hold ropes in back of me, it defeated the purpose of having something to hold onto.. def memories for a lifetime which is why i love traveling for the memories.
I love Oprah but…LOL Looks like you had a lot of fun. I might have to reconsider and give it a try. We only live once, right? 🙂
lol, it was fun, i especially enjoyed bathing and feeding the elephants. Yes YOLO, you have to try at least once. Try it! Try it! lol
Wow I bet that was amazing! I would be so scared to fall off if I ever had the opportunity to ride and elephant!!
It was an amazing opportunity! You can ride the elephants with seats on them but its not suggested because they say the seats are harmful to there back. Or you can ride bareback like i did. its scary but i recommend at least once for the experience.
Freak riding an elephant, I want that food. It looks like you enjoyed your ride though. More power to you because I wouldn’t do it lol
lol, yes that food was bomb! I’m mad I wasn’t able to finish it all. Yes it was a good day! You wouldn’t try it? You have to try at least once..lol
Thailand is on my travel list! I wouldnt wait to go to India to ride an Elephant so I am so happy you shared this in your time there. I need to do this too so fun!
You def have to make it to Thailand. I had a wonderful time and I’m pretty sure you will too! Let me know if you have any questions, when you go!
OMG!! I am totally jealous. LOL. I never wanted to ride an elephant until now. You looked like you had a great time and the cost is worth the memories!
LOL I’m so glad I have inspired you to add something to your bucket list! I had a great time with the elephants. You have got to try it, let me know how your first ride goes! That’s the best part of traveling is memories I could purchase shoes and close but only those last for so long. Memories last a life time! Thanks for reading!
I’m okay with being afraid and I would have jumped off too. Your cousin falling in the water gave me the laugh I needed this morning. Funny! I’ve never been on the back of an elephant, that is something I would love to experience for sure.
See your like me, I had to trust my gut, and from her falling glad i trust my instincts! The other funny part is that our guide managed to snap pictures as she was falling! LOL Yes you have to experience at least one time! Check it off your bucket list
Looks like a lot of fun but I’ll pass. LOL I’ll be the friend watching and taking pictures.
LOL, bathing them was super fun! No don’t pass, you have try at least once.. LOL
I love reading about your adventures because of how brave and bold you are. I don’t think I’d even get on a horse let alone an elephant! Go girl!
I was laughing the entire time reading this. I love your blog. You give us the not so sexy pics. I felt like I was right there.
Glad i could give you a laugh, I laughed once i realized my cousin was not harmed..LOL Thank you so much, my goal is to bring my readers along in the case they never make it to the places I travel
What an exciting experience! What brought you to Thailand? I hope that you have many more epic adventures. <3
I went to celebrate my 30th birthday! Yes I had many great epic adventures on this trip.
You will never forget your 30th! That’s awesome. Blessings to you, Tiffany. <3
Yes I will never forget. I travel to have memories that will last a life time!
What an experience! You are braver than me. Lol.
It was def a experience! Would you try riding a elephant?
Wow you got some amazing shots with your experience with the elephants. I want to ride one too but I want to make sure they are not being abused. I will do my research because I hear so many are abused just to make tourism profits break my heart.
I do like that you got to go in there and bathe with them. And is it wrong that I laughed at the photo of your cousin falling off the elephant?? I really LOL’d
That looks like so much fun! The photos are great. The cousin falling off? That would soooooooo be me.
I am glad you got to fulfill your bucket list item minus India. Elephants are so majestic.
Yes Elephants are awesome and hopefully one day I will make it to India.
I love reading about your travel experiences! How cool to ride an elephant! You rock!
Thank you so much for reading! I was glad for the experience
I just ride a camel for the first time and riding an elephant is on my list as well!! They look so sweet
I want to ride a camel!
That picture of your cousin falling off the elephant is priceless. I had the chance to be around some elephants in the wild earlier this year while in Kenya on a national reserve. I was so scared girl. I could never have rode one. I wanted to cry when I had to sleep with them outside of my tent.
That picture was super funny, I’m so glad that our guide was taking pictures and caught this in mid-motion. OMG that sounds super exciting, I was thinking about going to Kenya but changed my mind. I want to sleep in a tent with animals around me.
It looks like you and your cousin had a fun time! I love elephants too, but would be terrified to actual ride on one.
We had a good time, I was brave until I actually started to ride then I became terrified. LOL
Yes Auntie Oprah!!! I’m so glad you didn’t get off and held on to experience something so great. I love your pictures too.
Thank you, I need to send this blog post to Auntie Oprah.
What a great experience! You always take the best trip and have amazing experiences!!!
Thank you, it was one of my best experiences.
I’ve rode an elephant once. It was a pretty cool experience. So glad that you enjoyed your ride.
Did you ride the elephant bareback?
Wow! What an awesome experience. My son loves elephants and I would love for him to have an experience like yours. Looks so thrilling!
If he loves elephants he will certainly love this. Hopefully, he can interact with the elephants soon.
Your trip looks amazing! That “elephant hugs” photo made me smile. Too cute!
Thank you, this trip was super amazing! The elephant pic made into Essence Online photos
You are living your best life girl. How brave are you! I love these shots. I would be scared but maybe I will try to ride an elephant one day.
Don’t let the face fool you, I was so scared but I’m glad I tried.
What a fun adventure. I agree. You have to try everything once. Although, I’m not sure I would’ve been as brave.
Super fun, I tried it once and don’t need to try it again. LOL You never know how brave you are until you face your fears.
I love that you met your goal. You doing it big like Oprah. Your pictures are amazing.
Thank you 🙂 I wanted to ride an elephant in India but I will take it in Thailand. LOL
Oh my goodness what a great experience. So glad you shared all of it with us. Elephants really seem like such gentle creatures even though they are enormous. I think I would have been scared too with only a rope to hold on to. I rode horses before in a saddle so I can’t even imagine riding bareback on an elephant.
I was so scared especially after being on top, I was like I don’t think I can do this. My cousin had to convince me to stay on top. I’ve written both and it was way easier to ride a horse, although that hurt my legs. It was an experience and that is the reason I love to travel.
You really took that elephant, you got closer than I ever could. And you bathed them. What an experience!
It was a great 👍🏾 experience, my favorite part was bathing them. They are nice and gentle, you could have touched them.