Koh Samui Elephant Trekking

Elephants on the Isle of Samui - Trekking Adventures

Now you have landed on the tropical island of Koh Samui and you’re wondering what you can do for some nature entertainment.
Well, believe it or not, there are elephants on the island!

Now despite the fact that elephants are incredible swimmers, they would under no circumstance challenge the idea of swimming to a remote island. Yes they do indeed swim!

Their mammoth size is completely buoyant and their huge legs are very powerful under the water, propelling them at a leisurely speed, but swimming is a pastime, not a sport for these creatures. So how did they get here?

Were they separated from the mainland during some cataclysmic land division? Was there a peninsula in the history of the planet that existed that allowed them to travel back and forth? Were they always here?
No.
They took the ferry.

There are two locations on the island of Koh Samui that have these great beasts trained for riding and trekking through the jungles. They are at the Namuang waterfalls 1 & 2, and at the Wanorn waterfalls. The scenic yours are a definite must see.  For a very low fee you can climb aboard, and ride along with the masters of the largest mammals that walk the face of the earth.

There are even a few babies, tagging along, holding onto their mother’s tail. If you’re very lucky, the master may even allow you to drive!

The trekking varies in length, averaging about an hour as the elephants climb and manoeuvre their way up the mountainside towards the waterfalls. This is one day to make sure that your batteries for your camera are fully recharged!

Sitting on the massive head and tucking your legs in behind the elephants ears is an experience that you will indeed remember for the rest of your days. Be sure to have the master take a photo for you.

Some Details on the Asian Elephant:
The Asian elephant, Elephas Maximus, has an enormous domed head with relatively small ears, an arched back and a single finger like protuberance that is located at the tip of the trunk. An Asian elephant has five toes on the front of the feet and four on the back. 

A large bull could typically weigh six tons and is ten feet high at the shoulder. As with gorillas, there is a large degree of sexual dimorphism between males and females in Asian Elephants where adult females are about half the size of the largest males. 

The males have tusks and the females have tushes, which are second incisors that just stick out beyond the upper lip. However, it is important to note that on occasion females sometimes have longer tushes than described.
The gestation period is between nineteen and twenty-two months. Periodically, it is noted that male infants typically have a slightly longer term than females.

Quick Physical Statistics

• Elephants typically reach puberty at thirteen or fourteen years of age.
• They may live seventy years or possibly more.
• A cow produces a single calf and in very rare cases twins.
• The interval between births is between two and a half to four years.
• An elephant’s trunk, a union of the nose and upper lip, is a highly sensitive organ with over 100,000 muscle units.

Interesting Facts

• Elephant trunks can get very heavy. It is not uncommon to see elephants resting them over a tusk!
• Elephants cry, play, have incredible memories, and laugh!
• Elephants are sensitive fellow animals where if a baby complains, the entire family will rumble and go over to touch and caress it.
• Elephants have greeting ceremonies when a friend that has been away for some time returns to the group.
• Elephants grieve at a loss of a stillborn baby, a family member, and in many cases other elephants.
• Elephants don't drink with their trunks, but use them as "tools" to drink with. Filling the trunk with water and then using it as a hose to pour it into the elephant’s mouth accomplishes this.
• Interestingly, the Asian elephant is more closely related to the extinct mammoth than to the African elephant.

So while you make your way around the tropical paradise island of Koh Samui, be sure to make a stop in to see the elephants. Some of these on Samui are very talented by the way, and if you ask, they may even paint a picture for you with their trunks!

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