10 days across Thailand (2009) - and 8 more days (2011)

SS-Traveller · 16th July 2009, 11:26

And here are a few top views of sharks from a glass-bottomed boat

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- the pics are not too clear though.

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SS-Traveller · 16th July 2009, 12:11

The next stop of our encounters with underwater creatures was at the Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium. Not such a large variety of creatures as there were at the Siam Ocean World, but impressive nevertheless.

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Not many sharks here, but a huge shark's jaw was on display.

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SS-Traveller · 16th July 2009, 13:08

Here's a video of elephants playing football...

YouTube - Maesa Elephant Camp, Chiang Mai, Thailand

... and one more of an elephant competing with a tourist at target practice!

YouTube - Maesa Elephant Camp, Chiang Mai, Thailand

wanderernomad · 16th July 2009, 14:18

Excellent pictures mate. But in some pictures of the tigers there are people wearing shorts. are they of the same temple of tigers or some other place? And what was the cost breakup of your budget trip?

SS-Traveller · 16th July 2009, 14:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

Excellent pictures mate. But in some pictures of the tigers there are people wearing shorts. are they of the same temple of tigers or some other place?

The pics where you find a lot of tourists in shorts mingling with the tigers is at the Tiger Kingdom at Chiang Mai.

Quote:

And what was the cost breakup of your budget trip?

That's a question that's been asked before, and I was trying to sweep under the carpet, mainly due to phamilyman's comment...

Quote:

Originally Posted by phamilyman

first define a low budget

...but since you insist, the total cost, not allowing it to sound too large a figure, was about 700 USD per head (for 4 persons) - this included return airfare ex-Delhi via Kolkata, all hotels, meals, travel costs (including taxis, bus fare, 2 days' Avis car rental, and airfare from Chiang Mai to BKK) and entry fees to all places we visited. Obviously, the cost of shopping was not inlcuded in the calculations.

wanderernomad · 16th July 2009, 17:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

The pics where you find a lot of tourists in shorts mingling with the tigers is at the Tiger Kingdom at Chiang Mai.

That's a question that's been asked before, and I was trying to sweep under the carpet, mainly due to phamilyman's comment...

...but since you insist, the total cost, not allowing it to sound too large a figure, was about 700 USD per head (for 4 persons) - this included return airfare ex-Delhi via Kolkata, all hotels, meals, travel costs (including taxis, bus fare, 2 days' Avis car rental, and airfare from Chiang Mai to BKK) and entry fees to all places we visited. Obviously, the cost of shopping was not inlcuded in the calculations.

Fair Enough, mate, lolz. Phamilyman there you ahve your answer.

Seeing some of the tourists with Tigers, its good that they banned them at the temple. You never know what the tigers might do looking at them.

SS-Traveller · 16th July 2009, 20:45

The long-neck tribe was something I had read about in college, but up front, these ladies look far wierder than the pictures below describe. We went to this village, riding on elephant back for about an hour, andit was quite an experience to see these women in reality. The rings they have around their neck apparently cannot be removed without risking a broken vertebra and permanent disability/death. No menfolk of the tribe could be seen, just the women and little children (with the girls wearing those rings - boys are spared the torture).

Here are the pics...

The history of the tribe

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The village and a church in the middle of it

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Everytime they see a camera, the women would sit primly and pose

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The girls get those rings around their neck from a very tender age - the boys don't.

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Handicraft being sold by these long-necks. Frightfully expensive.

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SS-Traveller · 17th July 2009, 14:08

The Maesa Elephant Camp at Chiang Mai was by far the most expensive in terms of entry fees - 1500 THB per person. This included a 1-hour ride on an elephant, plus the elephant show where the animals play football and paint! Yes, the paintings are the most amazing thing I've ever seen any elephant do!

T_Girl · 17th July 2009, 15:40

Beautiful cats though the white cub is the cutest and takes the cake. Thanks for the pics. I went to Bankok in 2005, the pics remind me of the trip.

ankitahuja · 17th July 2009, 15:45

The Elephants are AMAZINGGGG!! Did they actually paint all those pretty flowers all by themselves?

Oh and I love this thread

suman · 17th July 2009, 16:36

Doc, just because I've been keeping quiet, please don't assume that I'm not reading the travelogue

.

Its just that I know I'll run out of superlatives if I keep commenting on each post!! Keep the pics flowing, this is excellent stuff

SS-Traveller · 17th July 2009, 17:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by T_Girl

Thanks for the pics. I went to Bankok in 2005, the pics remind me of the trip.

You're most welcome...

Quote:

Originally Posted by ankitahuja

The Elephants are AMAZINGGGG!! Did they actually paint all those pretty flowers all by themselves?

Oh and I love this thread

Yes, indeed! They actually did those paintings right in front of us. I had no idea elephants had such spatial and colour sense.

Quote:

Originally Posted by suman

Doc, just because I've been keeping quiet, please don't assume that I'm not reading the travelogue

.

Its just that I know I'll run out of superlatives if I keep commenting on each post!! Keep the pics flowing, this is excellent stuff

Thank you! Lots of pics and videos - over 2000 in all...

SS-Traveller · 17th July 2009, 18:17

Once the show was over, there was an interaction session between the elephants and the tourists. One could buy 20THB worth of sugarcane and bananas and feed it to the elephants, as this lady below did. The elephant she offered one banana to, decided to take it all! What's surprising is that they don't grab the stuff where it's displayed at the stalls...

10 days across Thailand (2009) - and 8 more days (2011)-maesa-54.jpg

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Then it was time to ride the elephants. And what a rock-and-rolling ride it was! Off-roaders par excellence, the truck-sized animals took off along narrow muddy and steep tracks that would take the wind out of the best dirt-bikes. Nearly an hour of trundling along those tracks, while it drizzled incessantly, was fun as well as scary. Rains are a constant feature here, and all the elephants came equipped with umbrellas and plastic sheets. No ABS though, but then the giants never appeared to skid in the thick mud either!

10 days across Thailand (2009) - and 8 more days (2011)-maesa-59.jpg

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prince_pervez · 17th July 2009, 18:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by SS-Traveller

Not many sharks here, but a huge shark's jaw was on display.

Ahhh!! Sea life. Always had a thing for that. By the way, get a load of those jaws. Man, anyone trapped in those has had it!!
Beautiful pictures again! Thanks for sharing.

SS-Traveller · 17th July 2009, 19:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by prince_pervez

Beautiful pictures again! Thanks for sharing.

Thank you, prince_pervez. Encouragement like this and the others keeps the travelogue going!

We met the meanest, largest elephant with the biggest tusks I've ever seen, at the Chiang Mai Zoo the next day.

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And the cutest was this little one who came up to my daughter and kissed her on the nose with its trunk!

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And here's one more that was in "musth", rocking away to glory...

16th July 2009, 11:26	#46
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,144 Times View My Garage	And here are a few top views of sharks from a glass-bottomed boat - the pics are not too clear though.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 12:11	#47
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,144 Times View My Garage	Aquarium at Chiang Mai The next stop of our encounters with underwater creatures was at the Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium. Not such a large variety of creatures as there were at the Siam Ocean World, but impressive nevertheless. Not many sharks here, but a huge shark's jaw was on display. Last edited by SS-Traveller : 16th July 2009 at 12:25.
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 14:18	#49
wanderernomad Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Chandigarh Posts: 2,534 Thanked: 1,276 Times View My Garage	Excellent pictures mate. But in some pictures of the tigers there are people wearing shorts. are they of the same temple of tigers or some other place? And what was the cost breakup of your budget trip?
	() Thanks

16th July 2009, 20:45	#52
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,144 Times View My Garage	Long-Neck Village, Chiang Mai The long-neck tribe was something I had read about in college, but up front, these ladies look far wierder than the pictures below describe. We went to this village, riding on elephant back for about an hour, andit was quite an experience to see these women in reality. The rings they have around their neck apparently cannot be removed without risking a broken vertebra and permanent disability/death. No menfolk of the tribe could be seen, just the women and little children (with the girls wearing those rings - boys are spared the torture). Here are the pics... The history of the tribe The village and a church in the middle of it Everytime they see a camera, the women would sit primly and pose The girls get those rings around their neck from a very tender age - the boys don't. Handicraft being sold by these long-necks. Frightfully expensive.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 14:08	#53
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,144 Times View My Garage	Elephants at play The Maesa Elephant Camp at Chiang Mai was by far the most expensive in terms of entry fees - 1500 THB per person. This included a 1-hour ride on an elephant, plus the elephant show where the animals play football and paint! Yes, the paintings are the most amazing thing I've ever seen any elephant do! Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 15:40	#54
T_Girl BHPian Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Mumbai Posts: 68 Thanked: 3 Times	Beautiful cats though the white cub is the cutest and takes the cake. Thanks for the pics. I went to Bankok in 2005, the pics remind me of the trip.
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 15:45	#55
ankitahuja BHPian Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 921 Thanked: 94 Times View My Garage	The Elephants are AMAZINGGGG!! Did they actually paint all those pretty flowers all by themselves? Oh and I love this thread
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 16:36	#56
suman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Kolkata Posts: 4,589 Thanked: 279 Times View My Garage	Doc, just because I've been keeping quiet, please don't assume that I'm not reading the travelogue. Its just that I know I'll run out of superlatives if I keep commenting on each post!! Keep the pics flowing, this is excellent stuff
	() Thanks

17th July 2009, 18:17	#58
SS-Traveller Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: New Delhi Posts: 8,164 Thanked: 27,144 Times View My Garage	More elephants - time to ride... Once the show was over, there was an interaction session between the elephants and the tourists. One could buy 20THB worth of sugarcane and bananas and feed it to the elephants, as this lady below did. The elephant she offered one banana to, decided to take it all! What's surprising is that they don't grab the stuff where it's displayed at the stalls... Then it was time to ride the elephants. And what a rock-and-rolling ride it was! Off-roaders par excellence, the truck-sized animals took off along narrow muddy and steep tracks that would take the wind out of the best dirt-bikes. Nearly an hour of trundling along those tracks, while it drizzled incessantly, was fun as well as scary. Rains are a constant feature here, and all the elephants came equipped with umbrellas and plastic sheets. No ABS though, but then the giants never appeared to skid in the thick mud either!
	() Thanks