Thailand Part V - Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp - Elephants! and More

I arrived on one of the two days a week on which the manager's cocktail party is held. The "terrace" overlooks the valley which houses the elephants. There were some lovely appetizers and delicious cocktails. It was a nice opportunity to chat with the other guests at the hotel.

 

Walking with Giants is an amazing attraction at this resort. It's done with small groups who are loaded into the backs of trucks early in the morning, and taken to see the elephants. 😍 Our tour guide was a veterinarian who looks after the stars of the resort. Our group of three had three elephants to share. Each elephant had their own mahout to look after them. We had been given outfits to wear so our own clothes wouldn't be soiled by our adventures.

The elephants go where they want to, and we accompany them. They headed for a tree which had flowers they particularly enjoy. The ground was littered with these bright red flowers. The elephants were picking them up off the ground to snack on, until the mahouts started gathering them up, and handing them to us so we could feed them. That was really cool, even if my boob did occasionally get groped by an overly-enthusiastic elephant.  😂

It was over all too soon, but I have memories that will last a lifetime. And, when we returned to the resort lobby, we had another surprise: this sweet water buffalo. I'm actually taking a selfie, not showing him this blog. 

I was treated to lunch by the resort manager. The chef came up with a small plates array of specialities. It was wonderful. I don't normally eat a lot at lunch, but I made a valiant effort in the face of this decadence.

The activities of the day weren't over yet, though. After this, I was taken on a tour of the resort, including their small farm which provides some very fresh food for the tables, and the jungle bubbles which are the most sought after accommodations in the camp. 

I saw the fancy Italian restaurant (I didn't eat here, preferring to enjoy the cuisine of Thailand as much as possible). There was a lovely terrace space for it as well.

The resort offers cooking classes, and they have a special classroom for this.

The hotel gift shop contributes to supporting the elephants.

I was shown a family suite (regular room with adjoining suite).

I was also shown some of the spa treatment rooms and areas.

I was taken by truck to the Jungle Bubble area. These are actually inflatable, so they have an airlock to enter. You and your loved ones can sleep with an unrestricted view of the skies, and the ability to just look out of your bubble to see the elephants spending the night near you.

The gym also seemed nice and well-appointed.

The animals have the right of way on the property.

Farm to table. The chickens' coop has an open door, and a fenced in area for the chickens to strut their stuff outside.

Next: Anantara Mai Khao Phuket 

Thailand Part IV - Thai Smile Airways and Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort -Check In and Room

My time in Bangkok was short, and mostly spent recovering from the flight and the consequences of having my days rapidly turned upside down. Soon I was back at Bangkok airport preparing to board Thai Smile for my flight to Chiang Rai. It was an economy flight, but it wasn't going to be a long one, and I paid for both my domestic flights with my annual travel credit and points from Amex, so I was prepared for discomfort. Surprise, for an economy flight it wasn't bad. There was even food (some sort of chicken paste roll) and water provided for all passengers at no extra cost! For cheap and cheerful, this was pretty good.

I'm not going to lie, this was the part of the trip I was looking forward to most. Spending my birthday with elephants was the major feature of this trip. But first, I had to get there. Fortunately, the hotel offers a reasonably priced luxury transfer between the airport at Chiang Rai and Golden triangle. The van was equipped with wifi, juice, cookies, a cold towel, and hand sanitizer.

The resort bangs a drum to welcome you. And then you enter the lobby, and get checked in. You are greeted with a cold towel, juice, and a snack. The yellow object on the tray is an entire peeled and quartered local pineapple. They are tiny, adorable, and delicious.

My room had a view of the "Golden Triangle" where Myanmar, Laos, and Thailand meet.

They certainly made me feel welcome, with all sorts of welcome and birthday amenities.

I had a suite, which was very spacious (64m²). It was almost at the top of the hill, so the view was spectacular. I was later shown the more accessible rooms and suites they had at the bottom of the hill. I had a walk in closet, sitting area, soaking tub, shower, massive vanity, mini fridge, bedroom, and balcony. The sitting area had a sofa, coffee table, binoculars, and snacks. 

Next: Part V - Elephants, and a resort tour.