One of the highlights of my last trip to Thailand was a visit to the Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai. A sanctuary for abused and sick elephants, it's a beautiful and heart-warming place. There are few tourist gimmicks here - no elephant-riding, no elephants painting pictures - just the chance to see these magnificent animals at their leisure, feed them bananas and wash them in the river if you don't mind getting wet.
Elephants have long been a central part of Thai culture, but they aren't always treated well. Guides at the Park told us sobering stories of how elephants are frequently beaten or given amphetamines to make them work longer at illegal logging camps in remote areas. The rescued elephants at the Park can recover and live peacefully as elephants should, eating, playing and sleeping. We were warned not to approach an elephant if the mahout was not present - some of them had learned to be wary of humans and could lash out, which was understandable.
I would definitely recommend a visit next time you're in the area!
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