Giddy up elephant
When I tell people I have traveled to Thailand, one question I often get is if I rode an elephant. The answer is “yes.” I did the obligatory elephant ride slash bamboo raft trip in Chiang Mai. Riding an elephant was interesting, but it is something I probably will never do again unless I am part of some safari which uses elephants to tour national parks or something of this nature.
I did not mind being up in the gondola, but my elephant tour guide prompted me to sit on his neck, which was really uncomfortable. My legs split wide on every step, and the wiry hair of the elephant rubbed sections of my bare skin raw. I did enjoy feeding my ride bananas, but other than that I felt the whole experience a tad overrated. It is an adventure that everyone should try once, but I likely will never do again.
For those interested in this tour, just come to Chiang Mai and book from one of the thousand of travel agents on hand or from your guesthouse. Do not book this tour in advance as the farther away you get from Chiang Mai, the more expensive it gets. I bought my ticket from an agent in Bangkok, and paid more than everyone else on the tour because I had to pay a middle man in Bangkok instead of just booking direct through the agency in Chiang Mia.
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