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Unshackling gentle giants
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 07/05/2018
» After trading our sneakers for knee-length boots, we trotted down to the riverbank where a boat was waiting for us. It was a short crossing to the other side of Nam Khan River to meet the elephants that happily approached us for bananas and sugar cane. They had no chains around their ankles. The mahouts stood nearby, keeping watch with no hooks in their hands. Later, they guided the gentle giants to walk along with the humans trailing nearby on muddy ground. The atmosphere was very friendly and calm, with a picturesque landscape of jungle, river and sky surrounding us.
Carrying the weight of uncertainty
Life, Melalin Mahavongtrakul, Published on 09/02/2015
» Under the purple and orange hue of dawn, our bus arrived at the base of Phu Kradueng National Park in Loei province. We had our tents, sleeping bags and backpacks as we got ready to trek one of the most gruelling uphill climbs in the country — a steep slope of 5.5km to the top of this popular mountain destination, which takes anywhere from four to eight hours.