phuket - elephants we’ll never forget

A message arrives the day before we dock from Green Elephant Sanctuary confirming our request for a private audience. We have reserved the entire park and will be in the presence of the majesty they have rescued and now care for.

Day breaks in Phuket and we fill our tummies as the captain backs into port. Eyes are watching over coffee and eggs in silent judgment. 

Our private transport arrives and we race down the gangplank. A chauffeur holding a charming hand-scrawled sign collects us. His smile is warm. He weaves expertly through traffic and knows our curiosity must breathe in silence. We are given the luxury to simply observe our surroundings. This is a welcome contrast to past guides who seem petrified of quiet, stuffing words into every moment.  

We turn towards thick jungle and arrive in a space where the utmost care is found in every detail. You can smell the sunshine mixed with mud, hear birds chatting about their day, feel serenity like a full body exhale. Thailand's hospitality is like a hug and we are cared for from the moment we set foot here. 

This will be an interactive visit with high possibilities of water and mud - time for a change of attire! Feeling slightly exposed in swimwear we are guided around a large freshwater pond to a receiving line of flapping ears and curling trunks. The world goes slightly blurry as my eyes are in joyful disbelief. We are walking towards eight elephants, all of whom we are about to meet up close. 

A mahout is glued to the side of each, these companions ensure comfort and care is an absolute priority. Introductions are made with detailed backgrounds, all elephants are female and range from 35-60 years of age. Their stories are tough to hear. We are told what each one is comfortable with, ‘don’t touch around her face, but feel free to rub her tummy.’ We dutifully follow each elephant’s wishes. 

Trunks tap baskets filled with cucumbers and we feed the searching noses that curl gently around our hands. Ears flap as belly rubs are given to what almost feel like giant puppies. 

Now it’s time to play in the mud. Wait - this is just mud, right? We are invited to rub these stunning pachyderms in copious amounts of mud. They LOVE it and we get right in there ourselves. There are no parents around to chastise this muddy mischief, so we take full advantage.

Lunch is almost ready, so all mud-covered beings marched into the freshwater pond to clean up beforehand. We are handed comically small buckets and proceed to use these to rinse ourselves and each other. Eventually, we are shown how it’s done when a trunk full of water sprays us down! 

Finally, under a monsoon shower fit for a herd of elephants, brushes are handed out to scrub any residue away. This is like scrubbing a fleet of Volkswagen Beetles with legs! When our new friends have enough, they exit and find their way to a protected jungle to do elephant things. We are drenched in water, slightly muddy, and completely exhausted. A single-file line of massive baggy pants strolls away. 

WOW! 

We use human-sized showers with heaps of soap and ready ourselves to eat. A Thai feast fit for royalty is spread out before us all garnished with orchids. Champagne is popped and we are given time to eat in silence as the afternoon sinks in. 

WOW! Did that just happen?

Phuket, you have expanded the edges of our hearts with a single experience. Unearthing the words to share this moment is like trying to describe what the light of a star tastes like. 

Our faces have been rubbed in awe and we’re still recovering with a hangover of giggles. I’m afraid the grins are permanent and cannot be wiped from our faces!

Thank you.