Chiang Mai#5 Mae Tang Elephant Farm

'Chang' or elephants farms are the main attraction in Chiang Mai. Very talented animals, they can dance, paint, play football, give you a ride and etc... As locals says, Mae Tang is a must go place. Chang is a sacred animal, and back then, only the royal families ride them as a means of transportation across the jungle. An elephant can live up to 80years old like normal human, but female elephants has to go through 2 years of pregnancy cycle.

The elephants in the farm can eat up to 200kg of food a day! Whoaa.. that's a lot.. The young elephants perform shows, which include painting and dancing. While the older ones carried tourists on their back.

This cute one smiling at the tourists =))

Ding Ding Ding~~ time for ART CLASS =)

Trainers leading the elephants to draw on the canvas. If any mistake done, trainer will knock the sharp tool on their poor head...

These elephant paintings are sold at 1000baht to support the farm expenses. 

If you never see the Elephant Show, you won't believe this painting was painted by a cutie chang.

Feeding time~

After the show, you're welcome to take pictures with these cuties~~ with a small fee of course...

P: Angie just can't close her mouth, she is so exciting!!

The bamboo rafting is around 30-45minutes long. But there is nothing much to see on the way. 

We got the Mae Tang elephant farm tour from our hotel which include a whole day program of elephant show, elephant ride, bamboo rafting, ox-cart ride, buffet lunch and transport. All this costs 700baht per person. Some tour may include white water rafting too, with additional cost. When booking for any tour in Thailand, negotiation is a MUST! Especially when you're in a group...

The farm operators train elephants with a sharp tool and hurt the poor guys, some still bleeding on their heads, so that elephant obey their instruction and entertain tourists. Is this the right way? We as tourist attending these elephants farms ultimately leads to more elephants being trained or abused =.=