In SE Asia, elephants are as much a part of the typical "tourist experience" as temples and full-moon parties. But for us animal-loving outsiders, it's a contradictory and confusing industry. In Thailand, we saw a lot of the bad side - over-tourism enabled by unethical operators who care about the almighty dollar (or Baht) more than the elephant's health or happiness. We also got a small glimpse of the good side - tourism, done right(ish), as a way to ensure an elephant's place in a society that has domesticated elephants for industry for centuries.

The stunning Elephant Conservation Center.

Still curious (and conveniently in Laos, the "land of 1,000,000 elephants"), we decided to go spend more time with our favorite gentle giants to get the scoop. Counter to Thailand, we had no problem choosing the "operator" we wanted to visit. The Elephant Conservation Center in Sayabouri Province, in partnership with Elephant Asia, is home to the first elephant hospital, breeding program and nursery in Laos and just opened its doors to tourists in 2012 as a way to monetarily support its efforts. The 180-acre sanctuary is set on some of the most beautiful land we have seen in Asia - and matches up to pretty much everywhere else. And, no one knows about it (yet). They don't advertise through the hundreds of travel agents in Luang Prabang, there is no shuttle that comes to fetch you in the city - it's a fend-for-yourself four-hour local bus ride out to the nearest town, a tuk tuk drive to a ferry dock and a boat ride across a glassy reservoir - and they are buried online behind the more popular elephant camps, ethnic trekking and tour opportunities in Laos. Some of that is on purpose - tourism is a means to an end for them, not a money maker. They want small groups (maximum of twelve, I think) and minimal impact for the elephants. And, some of it is just because they are new at this whole tourism thing.

We were searching for the truth, or at least a little insight, but after three days and two nights, we were still scratching our heads. Not because the ECC didn't give good information - they did - but because the reality is complicated and hard to swallow.

Elephants are bathed in the lake twice per day. Witnessing such beautiful animals play in the water with this as the backdrop is quite the memorable experience.

To start with, there's the staggering reality that Laos, once the land of 1,000,000 elephants is now home to fewer than 1,000, with nearly fifty percent of those domesticated and employed either in tourism or logging. And, the death rate currently exceeds the birth rate two to one. The simple fact is that if something isn't done now, elephants could be completely extinct in Laos in the next few centuries.

Which brings us to hard reality number two. The immediate solutions can't just focus on a better future for elephants in Laos. They have to make sure there is a future at all, which means living with a few things that seem counter to the cause. For example, the breeding program at ECC offers owners of domesticated animals - usually tour operators or loggers - the opportunity to breed their elephants with a male at the center knowing full-well that the baby will also be employed in those industries. They stipulate that the mother and baby stay at the center until they're healthy enough to leave and actually pay the mahout to live on site with their elephants during the late-pregnancy and early months after the birth. This process is groundbreaking in Laos, typically takes two years and drastically improves the chances of a healthy life for both mother and baby. But when the time comes, they are both back to work. It just doesn't seem right. Another example... The ECC provides mobile clinics and mahout training to remote logging villages in Laos, providing health care and best-practices in hopes the elephants' quality of life improves, but without changing its circumstances. Wait.. What?! These facets of the program were absolutely mind-boggling to us. How can ECC support logging? Domestication from birth? Don't they want the elephants to be "free"? Or at least retired from a life of forced labor?

The answer is of course, yes, ideally elephants would be frolicking freely in the wild without a care in the world outside of meals and mating. But, hard realities number three and four show why it's not that easy. First of all, there are people involved. Whole communities of people whose livelihoods depend on elephant labor. Families and children who would be without shelter, food and clothing if not for it. Secondly, there is currently no comparable alternative for the logging communities and the government has been unwilling to help change that fact, despite the hardship of logging on the elephants and the environment. In fact, the government seems to not only ignore, but actually impede progress, going so far as seizing NGO equipment for personal profit, limiting state contracts and funding to the bare minimum, and regulating private donation and grant receipts in the extreme. To complicate matters more, if the government were to wake up tomorrow and do what we're all thinking they should do - enact legislation against logging and provide new industry for the loggers - the elephants would be left behind in the "progress" with no where to go.

Guests at ECC get to ride elephants, but for no longer than an hour. After being taught the different ways to get onto the elephant, you ride the traditional way - bareback.

Which brings us to the fifth and final hard truth. The near-future alternative is tourism. Just like they've experienced in Thailand (where logging is prohibited by the government), land is in short supply, domesticated elephants are without skills to survive in the wild even if land wasn't an issue, and protected areas cost money. A lot of money. Without massive, most likely unrealistic support from both the government and the private sector, these elephants will have to earn their keep. And, as we've already discussed, the tourism industry is also riddled with complication.

Sunset view from our bamboo bungalow at ECC.

The good news is that there are good people trying to do it right. Programs like ECC's focus on education and understanding versus cheap thrills and a quick pay check. And, it seems like travelers are becoming more conscious of how their choices can affect change. With continued efforts from both sides and some massive changes in government outlook and outreach, the future for elephants in SE Asia will not only be ensured, but look a lot brighter. Even without the rose-colored glasses.

With most of the crew heading back to the states, Brendan, Steph and I jumped a flight to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Counter to the beaches, sand and sun of the south, Chiang Mai promised mountains, culture and cooler temps. The city delivered on the first two in a big way. As for the weather, we are convinced that Thailand's "cool season" is the longest running international scam in history. If there is one, we haven't found it. Maybe they just keep that rumor out there to get you to book your flight. Once you're here, you'll fall in love with it despite the 99 degree days and 100 percent humidity and learn to live with it.

Steph had three requests for the North: elephants, trekking and "gritty" travel. While we did get fancy and fly to Chiang Mai from Phuket (expensive, but saves time versus the overnight train or buses through Bangkok), sitting on the floor of the Koh Lanta public ferry for three hours with luggage piled around us was a bit more in line with our typical "style" of transportation. First class, all the way. As for the other two, a day excursion booked through Trekking Collective gave us all that and more, thanks to our guide Chang (which also coincidentally is the Thai word for Elephant).

Chang is a Bangkok native, now living in Chiang Mai and working as a partner in the Trekking Collective, an ethical trekking company that puts custom treks together for private groups (we highly recommend it). He's probably about 60, but treks up to 6 days a week and has a childlike enthusiasm for nature, especially orchids. His excitement was contagious and his quirks - like talking to himself, scolding himself for taking a wrong turn or adding the Thai ending "kop" to every English word - were endearing and entertaining. And his stories were legendary. From trekking down from the Burmese border to raising wild cats in his Chiang Mai home, he is a fountain of random tales and tidbits. He picked us up in the morning in his Nissan 4-Runner (trust me, it was a 4-Runner, but not a Toyota) and after a quick stop at the market for ingredients for lunch, we headed out of town to the Mae Song Valley, about an hour outside Chiang Mai.

Thailand and elephants have a long history and tourism is one of the main modern industries for domesticated elephants. We, like many, struggled with the decision to visit an elephant camp. Is it ethical? Are we perpetuating the problem (supply and demand)? How are the elephants treated? Why can't they be free? Would they be if people like us didn't need to jump on their backs for a ride in the jungle? So many questions and conflicting feelings led to a long conversation with Trekking Collective on the the realities of life for elephants in Thailand, elephant tourism and the right ways (or at least not the wrong ways) to get involved. The fact is that without tourism, many of these elephants would be employed in hard labor jobs (logging is now illegal in Thailand, but was the main use for domesticated elephants for many years), would find themselves homeless or "begging in the streets," and would be unable to fend for themselves in the wild. Plus, there are people whose livelihoods rely on the work of an elephant (think farmers back in the day with oxen or horses), so there is an interesting human side to the story as well. However, and this is a big caveat, there are a lot of bad operators and companies out there who mistreat and misuse the elephants. They work them too long, too hard or when they are sick. All because there are people lined up at the door to see the show or take a ride. It is so important to find a good company, camp or conservation center to support if you want to spend time with elephants in SE Asia. The Trekking Collective uses Mae Song Elephant Camp who only work their elephants 4 hours a day and only offer full day programs during low season. Long story long, since we trusted Chang and Trekking Collective, we signed up for an elephant ride and, as you can tell from the pictures, loved every minute. There is something so sweet and special about these gentle giants and being able to spend even a brief time with them was so rewarding.

After the ride, we took a cage over the river (weird, but true... I felt like we were in Robinhood) and started our trek. It was hot. We were sweaty. But Chang's energy, constant stories and the beautiful scenery kept us going. And there were frequent breaks when Chang spotted a new orchid that he had not seen before or that was showing up for the first time this season. He would whip out his video recorder and capture the flower to investigate later (and then talk to himself about it for five minutes). After about 2.5 hours of walking uphill, we arrived at a village where Chang and the homeowner prepared us lunch over a traditional village stove, a clay pot with coals. Luckily for us, and despite the fact that he'll never admit it, Chang is an excellent cook. He says it only tastes good when you're really hungry, hence the trekking. But, his mother was a cook in Bangkok when he was growing up and his comfort in front of the fire is a dead giveaway that he has food in his genes. He even added some drama with, "Prepare your cameras!" before flames flew up from the pan. We ate in the family's kitchen/living room/ bedroom and then relaxed on the porch with panoramic views of the valley. The hike ended with a quick dip in the waterfall and a sleepy drive home to the city. We were beat, but happy from our time with Chang - the man and the elephants.

The Elephant in the Room

Trekking With Chang in Chiang Mai