Patara Elephant Farm

This easily turned out to be the best day of my life! And may remain that way until I have children. I say that teasing Wojtek, of course our wedding was a close tie! But in all honesty, this was stuff dreams are made out of! Magical! After many hours of looking for the best place to see and spend time with elephants in Thailand, I found Patara Elephant Farm to be the best! I wanted to avoid dancing elephants, elephants that kick a soccer ball or paint as these elephants are made to do this day in and day out and I believe it's a form of animal cruelty. I wanted to see an elephant in a more natural environment doing what they love to do. I wanted to support work I could be proud of. The idea of giving money to people to watch an elephant walk on two legs would make me feel guilty by association. The owner of Patara, Pat, works with the University of Chiang Mai to adopt/rescue elephants that have the best chances of recovery and breeding to restore the elephant population here in Thailand. They have released 8 elephants back into the wild since their mission started. Most of the elephants they adopt have come from unfavorable conditions, and the rescue process starts on day one. Pat spends everyday with his farm, his team and is dedicated to his work. They also have the largest acreage per elephant in all of Asia. At Patara, you learn about an elephant's temperament, learn the signs of a healthy elephant, feed them, learn the rigorous skin care regimen, bathe them, learn the commands to help you communicate with them and most importantly build a friendship for life! After meeting an elephant once, they never forget you! If you're ever planning a trip to Thailand, I cannot recommend Patara Elephant Farm enough! If you're ever moved to donate money to help rescue elephants online, please don't before you do your homework.These sites are a dime a dozen, and most are fraudulent. They're usually showing pictures of elephants being abused or in poor living conditions and it's a ploy.

www.pataraelephantfarm.com