Elephants, Goa

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I'm not a person who enjoys organised trips but I made an exception for this and it was well worth it! I was picked up from my hotel at 9:30am for a what turned out to be a very busy two days. Our first stop was a spice plantation, where we did the usual tour and had a pleasant lunch. Then it was on to the Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary in the north of Goa to the Shanti Nature Resort. Accomodation is in mud huts whose walls are covered with elephant dung (apparently it keeps the mozzies away), each hut has electricity, a western syle toilet and a shower. We then had an elephant ride and a walk into the local village and also to the Mahadeva Temple before a lovely evening meal and then an elephant show/lecture. A camp fire was lit and a sing-song began with some of the corniest songs that you could possibly imagine. At this point I beat a very hasty retreat to bed with the excuse that we were getting up at 5:30am for an early morning walk to the waterfalls. On our return from the walk we had an introductory yoga session in front of the 13th century temple. This was a fantastic setting and it allowed you to also appreciate the architecture of this temple (or at least I did once I had untied the knots from my body). After breakfast we watched the elephants in a working environment before moving off to the "elephant island". We reached the island via bamboo rafts and for me, this was probably the highlight of the trip as we got to watch the elephants play in the water, bathe them as well as having an elephant style power shower. Finally it was back on the coach and a return to the hotel at 5:30pm. A fantastic trip that I would recommend to anyone. If you don't fancy staying overnight they do a day trip called Elephant Jungle but not all activities are included and I would imagine that it could be very tiring.

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While on a trip to the highland area in the east of Goa we had a chance to help bathe some elephants, which was great fun. You can just stay on the river bank and watch, but it's more fun to volunteer to sit on an elephant's back. They love to shower the tourists with very cold water from their trunk - a good way to cool off on a hot day!

After the elephants had finished their bath we petted then and gave them a small treat, then returned to the river for a proper swim. If you want to do the same I recommend you take a light sarong as you may not get a chance to change afterwards and even if you do the sarong can double as a towel to dry off a little – the hot sun will take care of the rest.

ok, you have a few options here to see the elephants ranging in price.

1. If you really feel its necessary to sleep with mozzies in a tent near some stinky elephants then go for the Elephant Camp..hugely over priced, so do some research.

2. If like the rest of us you just want to see the elephant and maybe if you feel brave touch and sit on its back then you can go to one of our 3 local elephants.

Arpora - Rhukmani is usually found near Arpora, she is a medium size(my favorite)
Baga - Jayshri - the smallest one
Candolim beach road - laxmi the biggest elephant usually hangs out here.

You just need to approach the monk like elephant keepers and offer a donation. Please be reasonable, these guys walk miles and miles with the elephants daily (Laxmi lives at a temple near Mapusa), so offer them a couple hundren Rupees or more. I think this is the best and most affordable option.

3. Spice Plantation - you dont need to come here to do the spice tour (altho its really good), you can also just head to the back of the spice gardens and pay Rs 500/- to either sit on or wash with the elephants..beware: the elephants are really old and will go to the toilet in the water!! huge yellow craps are floating about..

we did an over night trip called Jungle Book with jewel in the Crown but I believe you can book it with other operators. They take you to an elephant sanctuary on the boarder with the next state via a spice plantation. You sleep in mud huts which was a great experience alone! The interation with the elephants was amazing, you get to ride them, feed them watermelon & bath one of them. The feeding was fantastic as you are right there next to them putting it in to their trunks or mouths.
You also see inside a local persons house & there is a temple a short walk away where there is optional yoga early in the morning - very spiritual. This was the most amazing experience of my life - much better than swimming with dolphins.
The tour guide had been working with the elephants for years & knew everything.
On the way back to the coast you stop at the dusagar waterfalls where you feed the friendly monkeys on the way & swim in the bottom of the waterfall - the water was very cold!
A very special & unique experience - highly recommended!

THIS WAS PROBABLY MY FAVOURITE TRIP,JUST THE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS BOTH EYE OPENING &THRILLING,ALTHOUGH THE OTHERS TRIPS HAD THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL QUALITIES.WE SET OFF AT 7AM FOR DANDELI IN KARNATAKA WHICH IS INDIA.WE TRAVELLED OVER THE WESTERN GHATS AND LEFT GOA THROUGH SEVERAL CHECK POINTS.(THIS WAS THE MOST AMAZING JOURNEY IVE EVER BEEN ON ,WERE TALKING A GAME OF CHICKEN ON THE ROAD(WHO GETS OUT OF THE WAY 1ST)BETWEEN TRUCKS,COACHES,BUSES,CARS &MOPEDS)WE THEN STOPPED OFF AT A RESTAURANT FOR 1/2 HOUR. THEN CONTINUED OUR JOURNEY TO DANDELI(4 1/2 HOURS FROM GOA)TO CHECK IN OUR TRADITIONAL TENTS(WITH HAMMOCK).WE HAD LUNCH THEN IT WAS ON TO WHITE WATER RAFTING IN OUR JEEPS.THIS WAS AWESOME. WE HAD THE MAIN INSTRUCTOR WELSH ANDY, THIS GUY WAS JUST SO COOL AND MADE THE WHOLE THING SOMETHING WE WILL NEVER FORGET.TIME TO GET OUR BREATHES BACK &HEAD ON BACK FOR A CHANGE AND THEN DINNER FOLLOWED BY A SIT ROUND THE CAMP FIRE.NEXT DAY WHERE UP AT 5 & OFF FOR A JUNGLE SAFARI WHICH WAS GOOD AND LASTED 2 HOURS.IT WAS THEN BACK FOR BREAKFAST THEN ON TO WASH ,FEED&RIDE ELEPHANTS.AFTER THIS IT WAS BACK AGAIN,LUNCH AND THEN A CORACLE RIDE IN CROCODILE INFESTED WATERS WHICH WAS VERY GOOD.WE THEN CHECKED OUT AND HEADED BACK TO GOA WERE WE STOPPED OFF ON THE GHATS TO FEED MONKEYS. THIS IS ANOTHER TRIP WHERE YOUR CONSTANTLY ON THE GO,OUR GUIDE JERRY WAS BRILLIANT AS WAS HIS SIDE KICK I CANT REMEMBER HIS NAME HE WAS THE DRIVER.THE PEOPLE OF KARNATAKA WERE ALWAYS WAVING & SMILING & JUST DIDNT HAVE A CARE I GUESS THIS IS WHAT MADE IT SO SPECIAL!!!

HEAD OUT OF TOWN TOWARDS SPICE PLANTATION,THEN ITS ONTO RAFTS DOWN THE RIVER,AFTER ABOUT 30MINS YOU STOP OFF FURTHER DOWN STREAM,THIS IS WHERE YOU WASH THE ELEPHANTS THEN CLIMB ON THER BACKS &GET A POWER SHOWER!!THEN ITS LUNCH & FEED THE ELEPHANTS.AFTER THIS WE GET BACK ON RAFTS BACK TO SPICE PLANTATION,GET BACK ON THE COACH AND HEAD FOR SHANTI VILLAGE!WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT SHANTI,YOU THEN CHECK INTO YOUR MUD HUT (WHAT AN EXPERIENCE).YOU THEN GET AN ELEPHANT RIDE & A BULLOCK CART RIDE.ITS THEN YOU GET 20 MINS TO FRESHEN UP,THEN ITS A TOUR OF A TINY VILLAGE 10 MINS WALK FROM SHANTI.ITS THEN BACK TO SHANTI FOR ELEPHANT DEMONSTRATION AND THEN DINNER,THEN ITS A WALK TO THE OLDEST TEMPLE IN GOA BY FLAMING BRANCH LIGHT.AFTER THIS ITS A SING SONG ROUND THE CAMPFIRE WHICH IS FAB THEN ON TO BED BEFORE AN EARLY MORNING CALL @ 5AM FOR THE JUNGLE WALK.(YOU DONT HAVE TO DO THIS ITS UP TO YOU,CAN STAY IN BED UNTIL 8AM,BUT WE DID IT & IVE GOT TO SAY ITS BLOODY HARD WORK AFTER A LATE NITE ON BEER,MAKE SURE YOU TAKE PLENTY OF WATER WITH YOU AND HAVE DECENT WALKING FOOTWEAR)AFTER 2 HOURS DOING THIS ITS ON TO THE TEMPLE FOR YOGA,THIS IS A LAUGH.BACK TO SHANTI FOR BREAKFAST,THEN AN ELEPHANT SHOW.CHECK OUT OF MUDHUTS THEN ITS ON TO THE SPICE PLANTATION FOR A TOUR AND LUNCH(YOU JUST GOT TO TRY A PIRI PIRI CHILLI!!)AFTER THIS WE HEAD ON BACK. THERES A LOT TO THIS TOUR & YOUR CONSTANTLY ON THE GO,OUR GUIDE (THE APTLY NAMED HERCULES)WAS BRILLIANT. SO WE DEFINATLEY WOULD SAY DONT WHATEVER YOU DO MISS OUT ON THIS!!

This may be put on just for the tourists, but how else can you go on about 3 trips withing 2 days, and get to swim, shower and bathe with elephants? This was an experience in itself, nevermind the great time we had with the campfire, Spice Plantation and waterfalls.
There was plenty of time for interaction with the Elephants, a ride, feeding , washing and swimming.
A memorable trip.

Buy from your rep or get Independantly

Trip Includes Full board and evening stay with:
Visit to Spice Plantation and Lunch
Afternoon swim in the river.
Overnight stay at in Huts within the Wildlife Sanctuary.
Elephant Ride
Bullock Cart Ride
Evening show with the Elephants, feed the elephants..
Evening walk, Campfire and sing Song.
Morning swim with the Elephants
Visit to the Dugshar Waterfalls.