The Thai island of Koh Chang boasts a wealth of travel treasures for tourists. White sand beaches and lush tropical rain forests are just a couple of these gems. However, visitors to Koh Chang cannot leave without trying the island’s most popular tourist activity: elephant trekking.
Elephant trekking is, in fact, what draws a significant percentage of the island’s international tourists each year. The name “Koh Chang” even means Elephant Island, so named for its shape, like that of a sleeping elephant. Elephant trekking is considered a major sustainer of the tourism economy in Koh Chang.
Elephant trekking is especially popular among North American and European tourists. This is likely due to the fact that most tourists from these locations have only seen an elephant from behind a fence in a zoo. Some have never seen a live elephant at all, much less rode on one. Most developed countries prohibit this kind of contact with elephants, either for moral or liability reasons. Elephant trekking, for this reason, is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most foreign tourists to Koh Chang.
The idea of riding an elephant is a strange concept to many foreign tourists. However, elephants have long been a significant source of transportation for native Thailanders. Many Thai natives, in fact, still rely solely on elephants to travel and work. The elephant trekking industry seeks to preserve this piece of Thailand’s culture and educate visitors on the history of working elephants.
Visitors to Koh Chang have a number of choices in elephant trekking tour packages. Koh Chang has two major elephant trekking companies. The Chang Chutiman Tour Company is located near the tourist center of Klong Prao and offers two short treks. Tourists can take either a one or two-and-a-half hour tour. Both elephant trekking tours lead visitors through a pomelo orchard (one of Koh Chang’s major agricultural products.) The longer trek takes visitors deep into the rain forest for up close views of wildlife and native trees and plants.
Koh Chang tourists who are game for a longer elephant trekking adventure may choose the Ban Kwang Chang Tour Company. This group is supported by the Asian Elephant Foundation, an organization dedicated to rescuing elephants and public educaion. Elephant trekking tours are a half-day long experience and include an elephant show/demonstration and public feedings.
Elephant trekking is a major promotional tool in Thailand’s efforts to promote Koh Chang as an eco-tourism destination. Since the designation of much of the island of Koh Chang as a national park in the year 2000, it has become almost synonymous with elephant trekking.
Many foreign tourists to Koh Chang rate elephant trekking as their favorite Thailand experience. It is more than just a mere novelty. Foreigners report coming away with a deeper appreciation for this magnificent animal and the role that is has played throughout Koh Chang’s and Thailand’s long, rich history.
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