Elephant friendly tourism

NDO - Dak Lak is not only the coffee "capital" of Vietnam but also known as the "land of elephants", because it owns many domestic elephants as well as a population of wild elephants.

However, over the past decades, due to many reasons, the most important of which is the exploitation of elephant riding tourism services, which has affected the health of elephants and the domesticated elephant herd cannot reproduce, causing the number of domesticated elephants to decline. Faced with this reality, Dak Lak province has taken many practical activities to preserve the domesticated elephant herd, especially the transformation of the tourism model from elephant riding to an elephant-friendly tourism model, which has had many positive changes.

Taking the lead in converting the tourism model from elephant riding to elephant-friendly tourism is Dak Lak 2-9 Import-Export One Member Limited Liability Company (Simexco Daklak). In order to join hands to protect the domestic elephant herd, on February 10, 2023, the company stopped elephant riding activities at Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center, replacing them with elephant-friendly tourism, creating a positive effect in public opinion, receiving praise from domestic and foreign tourists. Since then, elephant-friendly tourism activities such as: taking photos with elephants, feeding elephants, bathing with elephants, laughing with elephants... have taken place every day at Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center, attracting a large number of tourists to this type of tourism.

Below are elephant-friendly tourism activities at Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center:

At Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center, there are currently 5 elephants serving elephant-friendly tourism activities.

Every day, the elephants here are decorated, tourists come to see the elephants and learn about elephants.

The elephants here are always dressed in brocade to protect themselves from the hot sun and have beautiful patterns painted on their heads and trunks.

Elephant trainers guide elephants to the feeding area and take pictures with tourists.

The children loved feeding the elephants.

Many tourists, especially young people, are very interested in watching and feeding elephants.

Visitors to Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center have become accustomed to elephant-friendly tourism.

A young man takes a selfie with an elephant.

Since switching to an elephant-friendly tourism model, the elephants at Buon Don Suspension Bridge Tourist Center have been cared for better and better.

The elephants are well fed and much healthier than before.

Bathing with elephants.

Bathing with elephants is always a popular activity with tourists.

An elephant rider used his hand to splash water to cool the elephant.

After bathing with the elephants, the herd wades in the Serepok River for tourists to watch.

Elephant-friendly tourism is the right direction, contributing to the conservation of domestic elephants in Dak Lak and in line with the trend of humane tourism.

NGUYEN CONG LY - Nhandan.vn

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