Her eyes, patient and kind, reminded me of someone else. It was Mrs. Jumbo, the loving, protective mother circus elephant in Disney’s 1941 animated classic. She defended her baby from bullying children who called him “Dumbo,” and was locked in a cage. But even from there, she heartbreakingly cradled her baby in her trunk while singing “Baby Mine” to him.
Some 30 elephants, who like Mrs. Jumbo, had been abused, hurt or worked in tourism and other industries live out their retirement cared for, in contentment and peace in the sanctuary. No longer do they have to work, perform or give rides to tourists. One of them, our guide Ploy told us, is 81 years old.
During the ride to the sanctuary Ploy gave us information and tips including that we should not walk or stand behind an elephant as it is its blind spot. She said to mind our possessions as an elephant might be playful and grab our hats or phones. “And iPhones are not permitted,” she said to a chorus of gasps which turned to laughs when she added, “because elephants like Apple.”
At the sanctuary we stood in awe of several Asian elephants who were relaxing with their mahouts (handlers) in a cleared area surrounded by the sanctuary’s trees. They are free to socialize with other elephants in the sanctuary and did not have to perform for us or give us rides – they just waited for us as we picked up thick, juicy, red watermelon slices and offered the treats to them. We noticed that they waved their ears – a sign they were relaxed and happy, Ploy said. “If an elephant has spread out, stiff ears,” Ploy added, “that is not something you want to see. It means it is angry or feels threatened.” Thank goodness, this was not the case.
“Elephants eat all day,” Ploy told us. “They eat 330 to 440 lbs. of food each day, which can be 5 percent of their body weight,” she added. Other interesting facts we learned during our visit included that the gestation period of the elephant can be almost two years.
We were instructed that if we wanted to feed the elephants we needed to wash our hands, as elephants have a very keen sense of smell so our hands needed to be very clean, and we were shown how to offer the watermelon slices to them – not lifting the big slices up but keeping them low so they could see them better and grab them with their trunks. We were also told not to pick a slice that had fallen to the ground in failed attempts to feed, but to go get another one.
It took me three tries – and my elephant waited patiently for me to be able to feed one slice to her. Humberto was more adept, needing only one try. We then petted “our” elephant as her mahout suggested, gently on the sides of her trunk. Some elephants prefer to be petted on their heads, Ploy said.
As we petted our elephant, the hairs on her trunk that had looked fuzzy from a few feet away, felt wiry to the touch. Amazing!
After we spent time with some of the elephants, staff invited us to head to another area of the sanctuary to see elephants cooling off with a mud bath – it was a very hot and humid day. They waved their ears gently so we knew they were happy and content. We were, too, and like elephants who are said to have exceptional memory, this will be one experience we shall not forget.
Other unforgettable experiences we enjoyed in another Thai port included a tour to the Thailand Royal Navy Turtle Conservancy near the port of Laem Chabang where we saw many rescued endangered green turtles and coincided with the release of several back to the wild at the Conservancy’s lovely beach with gentle surf.
Life on board during our sojourn in Thai waters included an exclusive World Cruise Dim Sum Dinner and Deck Party by the Seven Seas Mariner’s swimming pool. The Pool Grill was decorated with red lanterns and other adornments, dim sum delights were available, the Arista Duo provided the music and Mother Nature gave us a lovely pink sunset and fresh breezes.
Some quick superlatives:
- Most fun: Feeding our elephant watermelon slices and seeing how happy the well-cared pachyderms were at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary.
- Most refreshing: The fruit sampling and coconut water at the Suphattraland fruit farm.
- Most enchanting: The World Cruise Dim Sum Dinner Deck Party.
- Most dreamed about: The upcoming ports in Africa as our world cruise heads to the Dark Continent.
Follow along with Georgina and Humberto:
Preparing for a World Cruise | The Adventure Begins | Amazing Americas | Crossing the Pacific | Hawaiian Islands | French Polynesia | Venturing to New Zealand | Australia | Bali | Vietnam | Singapore | Seychelles | Madagascar
By Cruise Specialists client, Georgina Cruz
Georgina Cruz is a freelance travel writer specializing in cruises. Her work has appeared in national magazines and regional publications as well as on travel websites. She has been on more than 200 voyages including seven circumnavigations, all booked through Cruise Specialists.
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