Author picture

Walking with Giants at Anantara Golden Triangle

The Anantara Golden Triangle is an extraordinary hotel. It’s located up up in Northern Thailand, perched on a ridge overlooking the border with Myanmar and Laos. Why is this hotel extraordinary I hear you ask? Well, there is one large reason (or 21 large reasons, to be precise) which makes this the most incredible place we have ever stayed! 

Over the past 15 years this Anantara resort has developed an award-winning elephant camp and become home to 21 Asian Elephants who have been saved from captivity or life on the streets, where they were cruelly forced to work. Anantara do not own these elephants, they simply ‘lease’ them on a permanent basis, discouraging the action of buying/owning these animals who we all wish could be living free in the wild. 

If you are a guest here staying on an all-inclusive basis, you are entitled to one ‘elephant experience’ per day called the “Walking with Giants” experience. We were so lucky to join this excursion and we were captivated and in awe of these magnificent animals.

On the day of our “Walking with Giants” experience, we were already brimming with excitement whilst waiting to be met by our guide at 10am. We have both been fortunate enough to see wild elephants on Safari in Africa a few years ago, but we expected (and were not disappointed) that this would be quite a different experience.  We were in a group of just 6 people and after taking a short drive down to the grasslands, we climbed down to the main feeding area, where our 3 elephant friends were enjoying some greens. The first thing that hit me was the sheer size of them. It’s really quite different to seeing them from the comfort of your safari truck 10m away. Being up close and right at their feet is quite overwhelming. After being handed some sunflower seeds and dropping them into the large, wet hairy trunks of the elephants, so they could become accustom to us, we set off on a leisurely stroll for around 2 hours. Each elephant has its own Mahout (now my dream job!) and they interact like parent and very cheeky child! 

Not only is the Anantara Resort doing enormous amounts for the elephants, but they are also providing jobs, homes and giving some stability back to the people of northern Thailand.

The Veterinarian who has lived and worked on site for 3 years now, knows all there is to know about each of these wonderful animals, so I was sure to ask loads of questions! It’s clear the vet is totally invested in ensuring their day is filled with food and exercise and they are well washed down and showered during the hot days.

I’m sure you can tell that I totally fell in love with these amazing elephants and I loved learning more about them! This was my first trip to Thailand so I have been really spoiled and I can’t wait to return one day!

If you’d like to know more, please give me a call! 020 8891 0166 or email [email protected] 

Share this post