Hua Hin
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
Elephants are a very popular tourist attraction in Thailand. Unfortunately, most are treated very poorly for the sake of
amusing tourists. We wanted to see elephants, but we absolutely did not want to support an organization that was treating
them unethically. That proved quite difficult - after researching, we found only two organizations in all of Thailand
that we felt comfortable visiting. One was in Chiang Mai, a city in
northern Thailand, and the other was the
Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand in
Hua Hin, a city three hours southwest of Bangkok. Chiang Mai is a popular city for tourists to visit, and we wouldn't have been able to
spend the amount of time we wanted to there, so we chose to journey to Hua Hin.
Founded in 2001, WFFT's mission is to rehabilitate captive animals and release them back into the wild when possible. Many of
the animals at the sanctuary are elephants that had been forced to perform tricks or allow tourists to ride on them, which hurts
the elephant's back over time. But there were
other animals as well: gibbons, macaques, horn bills, parrots, bears, iguanas, orangutans, otters, and a cassowary. Some animals
are, unfortunately, permanent residents of the sanctuary: the otters
had been pets and couldn't learn to find their own food, and the cassowary had been brain-damaged by an owner and could no longer take
care of itself. But most are learning the skills they need to go back into the wild. Animals of a similar type are housed close
together so that the less experienced animals can learn from the
more experienced ones. While the animals are mostly in cages,
the enclosures are large, and have tunnels running between them so that the animals can wander around the sanctuary. The sanctuary
also had some pets: the chickens and cats wandering around the premises.
WFFT accepts volunteers from all over the world on a week-by-week basis, but you pay for the privilege of volunteering. As an NGO, volunteer fees, tour prices, and donations are how the sanctuary covers its costs. After Deb had left, Di, Cindy, John, Caitlin, and J did the full day tour, which costs ฿1300 (about $40 USD) per person, including transportation to and from Hua Hin. The first half of the day was a tour of the premises, where you learn about the animal residents and the work that the organization does. The second half of the day, you get to volunteer washing and feeding some of the elephants who are friendlier towards humans. The elephant we were washing gets anxious when her friend isn't around so they had to be washed as a pair. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Bar Indigo
Hua Hin is a charming and interesting city, and it's a shame that we only had a night there. With tropical storm Pabuk looming, we had limited time to wander before darting into places for shelter from the rain. During one of these downpours, we happened to be passing Bar Indigo, a small café where you can get a coffee or cocktail in a relaxed environment. It was a cozy place to wait out the rain.
Chatchai Market
While wandering through the city, we came upon Chatchai market, full of fresh fruits, vegetables, and fish. Built in 1926, the market is mostly indoors, although we largely stayed outside, admiring the vegetables and commotion.
Brasserie de Paris
Brasserie de Paris is a French restaurant in Hua Hin, overlooking some fishing piers and specializing in seafood. The owner, who is French, came and talked with us for awhile, explaining how he ended up in Hua Hin, and describing the setting when there isn't an incoming tropical storm. We got some wine and split the seafood platter. It was delicious.
Hua Hin Night Market
The main street in town was where we found the vibrant Hua Hin Night Market. Like other markets, it sold everything you need, plus some fantastic seafood. We had already had dinner when we went, and it was raining a little too hard for outdoor dining, so the lobsters, prawns, scallops, and snapper will have to wait until next time.