Elephant shows in the North.

There are several sites which have daily elephant shows. The closest is at Mae Sae, only 12 miles north of Chiang Mai, about 45 minutes by car. Further north is Chiang Dao elephant camp, another 18 miles. About 45 miles south of Chiang Mai, is the 'Thai Elephant conservation Center', opened by Queen Sirikit. A large area of replanted teak forest has been set aside to be worked by donated elephants. The idea is to prove that elephants make more sense than vehicles; they do not damage the surrounding forest, they do not require fuel, and damage to the the soil far less than with vehicles. There is even a plan to manufacture teak furniture on the site in a few years. There is an excellent show three times a day. Reservations should be made at least a day in advance to insure the best seats. At all the camps, after the show, those interested can enjoy a ride on these "beasts of burden".		Gen Nilsen

	I once fell off an elephant. Fortunately, a very rare event. The beast did not have his usual trainer(mahout), and it was very hot. The elephant simply kneeled down to drink some water, my companion and I simply slid off. No one was hurt, but it was quite a shock. It’s a long way down! Most elephants in the north are owned by people of the Karen hilltribe, in fact many of the mahouts wear the traditional red shirts of Karen men. Be sure to plan your itinerary at least one day in advance.