Wildest Drea s IN SOUTHEAST ASIA’S GOLDEN TRIANGLE, AN ADVENTURE CAMP SHOWS HOW TOURISM CAN HELP ENDANGERED ELEPHANTS.
By Joel Centano
It’s dusk in the jungle of northern Thailand’s Chiang Rai province. A symphony of cicadas plays in surround-sound as fireflies flare in the jasmine-scented air. I’m seated in an outdoor sala, preparing to tuck into a three-course Thai feast, watching as my plus-size dinner companions approach through the gloaming. Moving closer, their colossal forms take shape in the lamplight. They breathe in my scent as a form of greeting, flutter their ears like butterfly wings, and then let it be known that it’s time to eat. Long, strong, prehensile trunks sinuate and stretch, snatching up liberal servings of sugarcane from my outstretched hands.
30 VIRTUOSO TRAVELER | VIRTUOSO.COM Wild and scenic: Views from the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort.
(MAHOUT AND LEAF) JOEL CENTANO, CENTANO, JOEL LEAF) AND (MAHOUT PROJECT NOUN KARAVDIC/THE ADRIJAN ICON) (ELEPHANT
DECEMBER 2014 31 Also Consider
Explore the Golden Triangle beyond Anantara’s elephant camp through its collection of excursions. Travel advisors can help tailor your experience to fit your interests, from touring temples to perfecting pad thai.
Set foot in three countries on a guided daylong journey that visits Phra Jow La Keng monastery (shown above) in Myanmar, thirteenth-century temples in the Thai town of Chiang Saen, and the market on the Laotian island of Done Clockwise from top: Pachyderm parade, chef Paitoon prepares a breakfast Xao. A bonus: A longtail boat ride up picnic at Chiang Saen’s Wat Pa Sak, and sala dining at the resort. the Mekong – an antidote to the region’s steamy air – takes you to the precise spot It’s not your typical dinner party, of dining options, including contemporary where the three countries converge. course, and Teang Moo, Lynchee, and Italian fare; a hands-on cooking school; a Pleum – one- to three-ton Asian elephants holistic spa; and 77 sleek guest rooms styled that consume ten percent of their body with teak furnishings and private balconies, Anantara’s culinary program begins with weight daily – aren’t your typical guests. all backed by a traditional mahout (Hindi a guided market tour and a breakfast Tonight’s repast (accompanied by haute for “elephant keeper”) village. picnic beneath Lanna ruins in Chiang Thai dishes prepared on-site for attending “Typical” days at the resort flow much Saen. Back at the resort, cooking classes humans), however, is a fitting finale to like this: Guests rise early to the bellows of reveal the correct way to cut lemongrass, my four-day stay at Anantara Golden elephants grazing in surrounding bamboo when to add lime juice to tom kha gai Triangle Elephant Camp & Resort, forests, don denim mahout suits that can soup, and how to tinge pad thai using red where close encounters with pachyderms best be described as outsize maternity chili and tamarind sauce. Guests then are the norm. clothes, and then choose from a program of dine on their creations – or better, the Three- to five-day visits to the resort, educational, elephant-centric activities. The instructing chef’s – during lunch. which travel advisors often recommend in lineup includes interactive presentations by longer Thailand itineraries, provide insight camp veterinarians and conservationists into a region famed for its thirteenth- from Think Elephants International, Showpiece of a campaign led by Thailand’s century Lanna ruins, history of opium along with classes in which students, late Princess Mother to eradicate opium production, and human interaction with perched on pachyderms and accompanied production in the Golden Triangle – once elephants that dates back some 4,000 years. below by resident mahouts, learn basic the world’s largest producer – the Hall of Set along the Mekong River with views phrases and light touches used to steer their Opium provides a comprehensive look at of Myanmar and Laos (both countries steeds past misty rice terraces and riverside the drug’s 5,000-year history. Take a tuk- converge with Thailand to form the Golden plains. Watching the elephants swim and tuk from the resort and plan to spend at
Triangle), the 160-acre retreat features fine- bathe is also big here, as are visits with the least a few hours here. CENTANO JOEL MONASTERY) AND (PICNIC
32 VIRTUOSO TRAVELER | VIRTUOSO.COM village’s newest celebrity, baby Nong Sam, born in March. Established in 2003, the camp works in concert with the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation to provide sanctuary for Thailand’s captive elephants and their mahout partners, trainers who are often lifelong companions. A 1989 nationwide ban on logging, an industry that employed the majority of mahouts and their elephants, helped spawn a number of unscrupulous trekking camps and led to some keepers and animals begging on city streets, explains the foundation’s founder, John Roberts, who’s also Anantara’s director of conservation. Though the foundation also works with the Elephant Reintroduction Founda- tion, which is exploring the feasibility of releasing the animals back into the wild, “given the lack of natural habitat remaining here, [this option] will only be an answer for a small proportion of the captive population, which currently numbers more than 3,500 in Thailand alone,” says Roberts. He adds that the sheer scale of the animals’ needs in terms of land, food, and water – it can cost upwards of $15,000 annually to feed and properly shelter an elephant – also means that serious revenue must be garnered for their care. “So far,” says Roberts, “sustainable tourism based on compassionate care for these elephants is the best answer we’ve found to accomplish this.” Twenty elephants currently reside at the camp, 11 of which engage in guest learning activities; all are rescues from city streets, illegal logging operations, or unfavorable conditions at sur- rounding camps. The elephants’ mahouts also live on-site, where their families benefit from Clockwise from top: Poolside at Anantara, dragon fruit in Chiang Saen, and the education, health care, and all profits from a silk- Buddha contemplates the convergence of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos at Sop Ruak. weaving business. Anantara’s neighbor, Four Seasons Tented Camp Golden Triangle, partners with the camp, and income generated from guest experiences, stays, and donations at both resorts helps fund the foundation, which Advisor Tip also works to protect herds still living in the “For the perfect complements to an wild. Asian elephants are listed as endangered adventure in northern Thailand, have your on the International Union for Conservation travel advisor include trips on Belmond’s of Nature’s Red List of Threatened Species; luxury train, Eastern & Oriental Express estimates of Thailand’s wild population range (which runs regularly between Bangkok between 2,000 and 4,000. and Singapore), and its river cruiser in The camp only employs “target training” – Myanmar, Orcaella. Belmond spoils its based on positive reinforcement and rewards guests, and both trips combine outstanding rather than punishment – and holds annual food and wine with unique sightseeing. workshops to teach this technique to other Warning: Book them very early!” regional organizations. It also opposes the Belmond’s Eastern & Oriental Express – Eleanor Hardy
purchasing of elephants, a practice that’s en route to Bangkok. Louisville, Kentucky JOEL CENTANO BUDDHA) AND (POOL, FRUIT,
34 VIRTUOSO TRAVELER | VIRTUOSO.COM 36 passing oftheBuddha, whoisbelieved tohave holiday thebirth, honors enlightenment, and Visakha Bucha. Celebrated across Thailand, the released from anearby templetocommemorate as glowing prayer ascendintothesky, lanterns himjoy.brings rewarding, for the animals and that caring working with juveniles canbetoughbut me, adding that they’re just like people, that elephants are my life,” onemahouttells talk aboutourrespective families. “The dole outbellyfulsofbananaswhilewe in. Working withtheelephants’ mahouts, I dessert, Teang Moo, Lynchee, andPleumdig that already exist.” haven forthosecaptive elephants we’d like tohelpprovide asafe the captive population; rather, breeding programs oraddingto Otherwise, we don’t believe in making thebestofthatsituation. camp inChiangMai, sowe are when we rescued herfrom a mother, BoonJan, was pregnant my NongSam. visitwithnewborn “The Sophie Bergin, thecamp’s manager, during elephants isinthewildherd,” says biologist “We believe thatthefuture of Thailand’s leading tothedeclineofwildpopulations. About tomake asplash: Bath timeat Anantara. A full moon now sheds light on our scene Back atourdinnerparty, whenit’s timefor VIRTUOSO TRAVELER | VIRTUOSO.COM To more learn about the Golden Triangle Asian and how you canlend helpingelephants.org Elephant Foundation a hand,visit Get Involved have foundaplacetocallhome. still rising, itfeelsgoodknowing thatboth through themoonlight, prayer lanterns elephantsandmahoutsmoseying particular such asublime stay. ButasIwatch these surely hangsinthebalance. the future of Thailand’s icon enduring way tosave adwindlingwildpopulation, forcaptive andthebestcaring pachyderms withthemostethicalmeansof grapple camps. As organizationscontinue to oncitystreets andatunprincipled fates served asbeastsofburden, andsuffered sad intobattlewithSiamesekings,ridden associated with Thai royalty, elephantshave I climb into an open-air jeep, opting for descending from heaven. a whiteelephantthatentered herwomb after been conceived whenhismotherdreamed of They’re thoughts, sobering especiallyafter When atlastit’s timetosay goodnight, www. . composure andcalm, andlong fortheir Buddhist scriptures in Thailand. Often praised in hereabout theirshared history village, it’s difficultnottothink paths leadingbacktothe make theirway alongjungle As themahoutsandelephants away.dreamscape whiledriving seattowatcha rear-facing the
(BATH) JOEL CENTANO PHOTO CREDIT 38 Virtuoso guestsreceivea$100 spacredit. From $2,188percouple,night; elephant camp, and area excursions. transfers, guest activities atthe beverages, aspatreatment, airport mealsand night packages include Triangle. The resort’s three- andfour- at Four SeasonsTented CampGolden antiques embellish15decadenttents Copper bathtubsandexplorer-themed complimentary 50-minutemassage. couple, pernight;Virtuosoguestsreceivea transfers. trip airport and round- tour; or a three-country Thai cooking class, a spa treatment, per day, mahout training, including a activity Opium; one resort to the Hall of room minibars; tickets and transportation coverResort meals, select drinks, and in- Golden Triangle Elephant Camp & All-inclusive at programs STAY Tented Camp, andabutler slipsthrough The Siam’s lobby inBangkok. Clockwise from top:AnAnantara Suite, “roughing it”at Four Seasons VIRTUOSO TRAVELER | VIRTUOSO.COM From $1,076 per From $1,076per Anantara Anantara Finding highadventureinThailand. Dream ItUp 2016; from$6,195. Departures: AnydaythroughJune 1, Virtuoso’s on-siteexperts. with oneof made tourcrafted by your travel advisor what’s possible ona Triangle. That’s justasamplingof from your baseatAnantara Golden Mai. ContemplateChiangSaen’s stupas Buddha. Visit ethnichilltribesinChiang home toa145-foot-long reclining Make meritatBangkok’s Wat Pho, TOUR sunset cruise. receive breakfastdailyandaone-hour Doubles from$460;Virtuosoguests hotel, setontheChaoPhraya River. highlight visitstothe38-suiteboutique through thecity’s historic Dusitdistrict massages atOpiumSpa,andrambles Authentic muaythaiclasses, Thai with stays at Bookend your GoldenTriangle travels The SiaminBangkok.
VT ten-day tailor-
(THE SIAM) JOEL CENTANO