Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp - Little Trip
A short jeep ride took us onto a dirt road. It was 5 p.m. in Chiang Rai. The weather was cool, and the sun filtered through the mist and clouds. We soon arrived at our destination. Hidden behind a bamboo wall was a lush green plant in the rice paddies. We walked through it, stepping on stones, venturing further inside, and discovered a tall platform sheltering a bubble-like structure. Beside it was a fence with three elephants roaming around.
The path to the Jungle Bubble
Spending a night with these gentle giants, gazing at the stars, and listening to it felt like a novel written for city dwellers. Recently, we had the opportunity to experience it at the Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort, which was incredibly exciting. The Jungle Bubble is one of the resort's newest additions to its strong experience lineup, guaranteeing accommodation beside the rescued elephants from sunset to sunrise, where we could observe them playing, eating, socializing, or swimming in a small pond. It was just elephants, just elephants.
The elephants were having a great time in the pond.
Dah, Pumpui, and Pluem were the three elephants that stayed with us that night. The resort’s elephant camp manager, Laddawan Yonthantham, explained how the elephants were paired. Some elephants had past traumas, while others were afraid to be alone. Staff eventually introduced friendly animals to each other and conducted multiple trials of the hawks to ensure the elephants could move freely within the entire fence. This was for the safety of guests and elephants.
Guests looking into the transparent room
450 square meters with a cabinet interior lined with low-voltage electric fence. The walkway separates the elephant's space and a person's “bubble”. Reaching the elevated platform, the bubble’s spacious deck allows you to appreciate the fence’s view. There was also a dinner basket waiting for us in the experience.
The low-voltage electric fence was lined in a row. It was safe for the elephants.
Standing outside the comfortable “bubble”, I felt like I was watching a giant snowball. Inside were two lounge chairs and a bed, so it’s ideal to observe the elephants before and after drinking coffee or sleeping. The bubble itself was strange, as I initially wanted a harder surface. Built with high-tech polyester, it felt like touching a blow-up castle, and in a sense, this place was a livable place.
Dinner
Chiang Rai goat cheese platter.
Later, we went out to enjoy dinner. Seeing all the biodegradable containers and tableware within the resort was surprising, as the resort was trying to minimize plastic. Our basket contained a delicious meal, a cheese platter, and our favorite Chiang Rai goat cheese. The dessert was also great.
The Jungle Bubble entrance was on the left, while the bathroom area on the right was an opaque zone.
As night fell, when entering the bubble inside, the transparent dome became very reflective, and all the lights inside were turned on, making the outside scenery blurred. Turning off all the lights was better. The sounds inside the bubble were strange at first, but we quickly adjusted. The sounds of fish, insects, birds, and animals lingered in our ears, and it was only at this time that we could feel the beauty of being in nature. Looking up at the stars, we could only see a small part, and we could only glimpse a few floating orange lights in the distance – they were really beautiful.
Shining with a glow, three elephants were sleeping under a tree. They would occasionally get up to see if the other elephants were okay and then eat some snacks before slowly falling asleep.
Morning came with the sound of birds. I woke up at 6 a.m., and the sky changed from pale purple to blue to begin brightening (forgive me for being engrossed in the beauty of the moment and forgetting to take a picture). Coffee is a start to the day. I drank local coffee with the sound of the water heater, nature's sound, and the aroma of coffee before I suddenly realized that travel is a process of finding that purity.
