Elephants: what we do and do not do

The road north follows the Ping for a while, then turns into the hills. The camp sits in Mae Taeng, about an hour from the city, where the valley opens.

What we do

• Feed the elephants: bananas and fruit, prepared together at the camp.

• Walk with them and their keepers along the forest path.

• Bathe them in the river. You will get wet, so wear clothes you can soak.

Feeding, walking and bathing are the whole day, and you choose how much of each you do. Listen to the keepers; they know the elephants and the river.

What we do not do

• We do not ride the elephants, and nobody rides them on our trips.

• We do not rush you from one part of the day to the next.

• We do not push you into anything. Watching from the bank is fine too.

• We do not run big groups: a small group and a local guide, every day.

After lunch at the camp we drive forty minutes on to the waterfall, and we are back in Chiang Mai in the late afternoon.