We arrived at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Pattaya Camp 1 before 9 a.m. We were not aware that the first elephant feeding tour started at 10 a.m, so we had to wait. Fortunately, we could sit in the shade with coffee, cold water, and fans. Ahead of us was a fairly large group of tourists who had booked a half-day package. In addition to feeding elephants and making paper from elephant dung, this package also included bathing with the elephants and lunch.

Photo: Elephant at the sanctuary on the way from bathing to feeding

As we gathered for feeding time, each of us was handed a bucket filled with bananas, a favourite treat among elephants alongside sugar cane. When feeding them the elephants extended their trunks towards us, delicately sucking the bananas and arranging them neatly and with care on their tips. Once they had gathered a bunch, they put them straight into their mouths. Occasionally, they would also grab a single banana as a quick snack.

Photo: Helping an elephant arrange bananas on its trunk

An extraordinary experience was touching the elephants’ skin. We noticed that the oldest one, a 49-year-old elephant, had the softest skin. This was confirmed by the sanctuary staff, telling us that elephants’ skin becomes softer with age. Due to the heat and intense sun, Wiktorek had a hard time with feeding and after about 25 minutes, he and Marianka went back under the shelter and fans to drink water. We were also running out of bananas, so after a while, we joined them to cool down.

Photo: Family photo with an elephant

Here we met an American who sold his house and uses the money for trips and photography equipment. The suitcase for his camera with lenses was half the size of our checked luggage. He took a photo of an elephant from a very far distance… really impressive. We chatted with this American until eventually one of the staff came to take us to make paper. The piles of poop were already waiting for us. 😊 It was actually a mixture of poop, tree fibre, and something else, and basically, it didn’t smell like a poo. Only Marcel and I started breaking down the dung in the water and evenly spreading it on the sieve. We did it brilliantly. After a few hours in the sun, it will turn into a paper.

Photo: Marcel shaping paper from elephant dung

Finally, we all bought a little gift from the shop. Most of us went for handmade notebooks –it is nice to hear that the boys and Aliya would be using them to practice their writing skills. One of the staff members who helped us make paper gave us a big thanks for showing up and supporting the sanctuary. He told us how our money helps not just the elephants but also local community and farmers who provide food.

Photo: Bunch of bananas

We were really touched by how friendly everyone at the sanctuary was and very pleased with our interaction with the elephants. This sanctuary does not use elephants for carrying people, which also influenced our decision to come here.