On May 14th we spent the morning at Elephant Haven in Kanchanaburi, Thailand. We got to do numerous things with the elephants from bathing them in the river to feeding them watermelons. It was an unforgettable experience that I’m sure left everyone, including myself, in awe.

Personally, I was anticipating the interactions that I would have with the elephants for as long as I’ve known that I’d be coming to Thailand. It’s something I was very excited for because I’ve never been that close to an animal that big. I was afraid that I would chicken out last minute because of the overwhelming size of the elephants but I didn’t. It’s very easy to imagine how big these beautiful creatures might be but what we imagine isn’t always correct.

My first thoughts once I saw the elephants were about how much bigger they were than what I anticipated. I was shocked at not only how massive they were but at how fast they could walk. Although their size overwhelmed me the fact that they are such gentle creatures reminded me that there was no reason to be afraid of them.

Bathing the elephants was a great experience. I didn’t expect their skin to be as rough as it was so I was surprised to find that out once I touched one of the elephants. One of my favorite moments was when the elephants would spray water at us out of their trunks. It is amazing how much water they can hold in there!

Feeding the elephants was another unimaginable moment. Their trunks felt weird at first when they would wrap around my hand to grab the watermelon but it was an easy feeling to get used to. I found it funny how the elephants would just reach into the basket of melons immediately after being handed a piece. I would try to hide some behind my back a few times but when they would see me do that they would try to reach behind me. They are very intelligent creatures.

Going to Elephant Haven in Kanchanaburi has been one of my favorite experiences in Thailand thus far. It was truly unimaginable especially after seeing how cute the baby elephant was.