An elephant back ride is as essential to an authentic South-East Asian travel experience to most people around the world as a trip to Chandni Chowk is to any Dilli shaadi. It's one of the biggest tourist attractions on this side of the world. And while a slow tour on the back of gentle giant seems like a lovely, fairly harmless prospect, there's a dark torturous secret behind every elephant ride out there.

Owned by Sangduen Chailert, commonly known as Lek, the Elephant Nature Park is a sanctuary to scarred elephants from not only the tourism industry but also from illegal but still rampant logging torture.


The park has volunteers in plenty from all over the world, who have dedicated their time to the rehabilitation of these beautiful beasts and developed deep emotional bonds with them in the process.

Together, Lek's organisation have rescued several elephants with big and small traces of mental and physical abuse. Apart from about 16 elephants blind from their time in captivity, Elephant Nature Park is home to Kabu, who broke her leg in a logging accident and nobody ensured she healed properly.