A unique story

Ian & Donna were my first American tour participants and I couldn’t resist sharing their romantic background story.

They met at a Starbucks coffee-house… Ian was an expert in the Starbucks system as he studied there using their wifi and naturally had tried many of their products…Donna was a novice in desperate need of a caffeine fix. Ian walked Donna through her first Starbucks experience and the rest, as they say, is history.

On that first meeting, Donna was wearing a t-shirt with an elephant motif. Attention to detail is one of Ian’s strengths and he soon realised almost all her t-shirts featured elephants. When the time came to ‘pop the question’ Ian knew he wanted a unique ring to commemorate the occasion and sourced a wonderful double-headed elephant design that Donna would not be able to resist. Ian then set about finding his “trip of a life-time” and cemented his offer to Donna by booking a pre-honeymoon holiday with www.elephant-encounters.com so that Donna could experience her first hands-on contact with elephants. Irresistable!!

I wish them every happiness together.

 

 

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Celebrating National Elephant Day

The youngest mahout

Traditional blessings for all

National Elephant Day

March 13

I visit Thailand with a small group of tourists every year to celebrate this special day surrounded by people who value and appreciate elephants, who devote their daily lives to the care of these unique creatures in a modern setting.

Few who have had a close experience with an elephant could doubt they have great intelligence and complex emotions.

I like to pay my respects to the expertise and elephant knowledge built up over many centuries and the best way I can do that is pay for the experience, thereby ensuring elephants and their human carers continue to thrive.

Why I love Elephantstay…

Check out this great little endorsement: http://uncontainedlife.com/visit-elephant-stay-ayutthaya/

Elephant Encounters – August, 2015 newsletter

It’s World Elephant Day today – 12 August!

A day when all people and organisations around the world come together and unite to help save this incredible species from extinction…a newsletter seems fitting!

National Elephant Day in March was a highlight of our visit to Elephantstay.

Each elephant had its own celebratory table of delicious treats, seen here being carefully arranged by Merri and Lyn. School groups, families, monks and local dignitaries joined us to celebrate the unique place elephants hold in Thailand’s history and culture.

Elephantstay provides safe homes and incomes for many elephants and their breeding program to fight extinction is the most successful I’ve heard of. Barb enjoyed her chance to meet the latest newborn sleeping peacefully with her mother.

Awareness-raising and education are the keys to fighting extinction and social justice 

Highlights from this year’s visits to Khao Yai National Park have been very varied indeed. We’ve explored the area’s beautiful cloud forest, listened to gibbon songs, observed troupes of pig-tailed macacques, sighted Samba and Barking deer, Hornbills, Serows, micro bats and a huge variety of insect life. Our groups have joined in teaching sessions with children from International Schools and supported blind children from Thailand’s Orchestra for the Blind while they enjoyed swimming and even diving lessons.

Alongkot Chukaew continues to draw passionate people together intent on making
a better future for Thailand’s people and wildlife.

Snorkeling in Krabi at the end of our July trip was wonderful – great company, clear warm water and so many fish!

Diary dates

• Early October: Neil and Matt will be in Melbourne. If you’re keen to catch up with these dedicated Elephantstayers let me know!
• 8 November – pre Christmas fundraiser. Details TBC
• March 5 -21 Next trip to Thailand – filling fast so please register your interest asap

Warm regards Jenny Dickens m 0400 594 773

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