Elephant Ride

As part of our Phuket tour, we were brought to Elephant Ride. I was really apprehensive on trying it but the boys were so interested.

#1 Cost. We paid 1300  Baht per person. Adult and Children have the same price. From the taxi's brochures, it showed that it should only cost 1100 Baht for adults and 900 for kids. But the staff charged us much higher plus 3% for credit card.

#2 Animal Cruelty. I hated that the elephants are hurt. One elephant had bleeding ears. The guides, in my opinion, are too harsh. It almost felt inhumane (except that I'm riding it and part of the abuse.. guilty!)

#3 Area. Paid for 45 minutes. It didn't go anywhere. Just a very small area. 

#4 Highway Robbery. The guides were so scary. Forcibly asking for tips. At one point leaving us alone with the animal and going for a smoke. I tell you. It was so scary. The worst? He actually forced us to buy his souvenir which were so expensive. A small elephant cost us 300 Baht. And later we found out it was even broken. You cannot not buy. The guy was so scary. 

#5 Photography. The guides asked for tip if we want photo. No nice words to describe it. The official photo cost 300 Baht. If you walk away it becomes 200 Baht.

The entire experience was not at all fun. It felt so much like robbery. At the same time slavery and abuse for the elephant. Not doing it again. Don't do.

Nature's great masterpiece, an elephant; the only harmless great thing. 

- John Donne