Where to see elephants? A zoo is too boring; the wild is too dangerous; a circus can attract children only. The Indochina Voyages Team recommends you the most interesting place in the world to see elephants – Thailand holidays. Elephant symbol has not only played a significant role in Thai culture but also been recognized as a typical characteristic in history of Mekong River region. Thai Elephant Festival or Surin Elephant Round-up Festival is the biggest festival on Earth in which elephants take part.
Elephant Breakfast Show
Elephant Breakfast show starts the festival. Hundreds of elephants march from the railway station area and move through Surin city towards the elephant roundabout.
On the back of these elephants are dignitaries, mahouts and tourists.
Mahouts dress authentic battle outfits from the Thai – Laos -Khmer battles. The banquet for elephant is well-prepared with many varieties of fruits and other favorite elephant foods.
Elephant’s sport event
If elephants’ talent at a circus makes you admire, you may get shocked of what more than 300 elephants in Surin Elephant Round-up Festival can do.
First, they show their skill and talent in a soccer game. Yes, this worldwide sport is also love by elephants. The elephants are ridden by elephant jockeys who control the animals with reigns. With different participants, the rules are not exactly the same: No trampling while the ball is in play, no piercing the ball with your tusks, no “trunking” (no blocking the other players and using the trunk as an arm to hold back the opposing side), no stepping on the ball.
The next game is as much interesting as the previous: ‘elephant versus man tug of war’.
This game is not really fair: one elephant takes on over 100 men. The elephant usually wins. Yes, it is not fair for the over 100 men because this animal is extremely strong.
Re-enactment of Past Century Battles
The important part of the festival is re-enacting a battle. You think only horses can join the battle field? Now you know so do elephants. The whole troop, gloriously bedecked in full war regalia. These elephants and their mahouts will assemble at Srinarong open-air stadium to re-enact the past century battles of Thailand-Laos-Khmer.
What do you think about being carried by an elephant, watching elephant soccer game or participate in elephant versus man tug of war? Are those events interesting enough for you travelers to pack up to Thailand? Let’s do this thing right away!
The Indochina Voyeges team.
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