Elephant Sanctuary @ Kuala Gandah, 21.10.2010

Wah liao eh, my blog is like turning into a travel blog :|. I really hate the fact that I do not have time to update my blog, but only post up photos of our trips. Sigh.

I was on leave last Thursday & Friday, supposingly go to Frasers Hill, but Daddy couldn’t find his golf shoes, so in the end we head for plan B, yay!!! I was already cursing if we gonna spend 3D2N at Frasers.

Thursday morning at 830am, Lawrence, Angie & Jayden came to our house. Park their car and load their stuff into our MPV and off the road to Kuala Gandah.

We stopped at Duta Toll to pump petrol as well as top up TnGo card. To get there, the fastest is probably use Duke Highway. From Duta exit, use the Duke Highway to head towards Genting/Karak. Then you will eventually end Duke. Join the Bentong/Bukit Tinggi Toll and soon join the East Coast Highway heading towards Kuantan.

Take the exit at Raub/Kuala Lipis/Lanchang. Once after the exit, you will see sign to Kuala Gandah, which is turn right. But since we were quite early, we decided to have an early lunch as we were not sure if there’s food at the Elephant Sanctuary.

Hence we turned left and drove towards Mentakab. It’s about 15-20mins drive when we finally hit a row of shops and had our lunch at Restoran Weng Look. Not a famous restaurant, but since Angie’s biz trip sometimes comes here, she informed us that she usually eats here. That’s how we ended up at this restaurant.

Curry Wild Boar

Zah Yoke with black fungus

Fried veg

Stir Fry wild boar spare parts with garlic & dried shrimp

A typical Chinese Restaurant serving home cooked food. We ordered 4 dishes. Fried rice for Vyktore & Jayden, wantan mee for Faythe.

Faythe at the restaurant, well rested

Didn’t rest, looks a bit tired

Ipad time

Faythe & Daddy

Vyktore & Daddy

Lawrence & the family. Look at Jayden, so grumpy LOL

After lunch, we left Mentakab and head to Kuala Gandah. The road signs are rather OK, didn’t get lost :P.

There’s also a Deerland & Petting Zoo, to the right of Elephant Sanctuary. Recommend to go here first, then only the Elephant Sanctuary, as this place closes at 4pm, and the 1st interaction with Elephants only start at 2pm. We missed the Deerland as we arrived there at 4.15pm.

fruits for the Elephant

The thing about this place, the admission is free. You just have to register upon arrival, inform them how many people will be feeding the jumbo, and how many people will be riding the jumbo. They will give you different colour stickers as indication.

Then they put on some video in the video room at interval of 15mins to show you how this place started, and the whole she-bang.

Vyktore with the giant metal Elephant

Telling Faythe how is it like sitting on the elephant

Jayden & Vyktore

Don’t know what’s up with the hands

We waited for a while and got bored eventually until 2pm, finally we went to an open area where they bring the Elephants in and introduce them to the crowd.

This poor ele, his tail got bitten off by the tiger

First they bring the elephants to the river for a quick shower. This is because in the morning, they bring the Elephant out for walk etc.

Smashing & eating the papaya

Kiss for the elephant? Yucks!!

After that, each baby elephant is chained to the ground on their leg and guard by their penjaga, while you may freely feed them, touch them. We brought RM60 worth of fruits for them LOL and they simply enjoy all the food. You may also purchase the fruits/peanuts there as well if you wish.

Vyktore *screams*

Running away from the Elephant

Then they introduced the older elephants, there’s 1 as old as 72 years old!!

Enjoying the papaya

One for the Elephant. Look at Faythe how to pose, she’s so afraid of the elephant LOL

Who’s B-U-T-T bigger?

After all the feeding frenzy session, you can take a ride on the elephant (without the seat, just hang on to it real tight). It’s just a short trip around that area, but fun enough for the kids.

Vyktore initially reluctant to go, but I told him I’m going up, in the end he followed. After that he was not afraid of the elephant anymore. He even went to touch the baby elephant.

Youngest in the place, weighing 400kg!!

Vyktore touching the baby elephant

Then it was the last activity. Where you can ride on the elephant, and it will lie down on the river and dump all of you into the river LOL.

Of course I didn’t opt for this. Daddy & Faythe went into the river straight, without waiting for the elephant. I hope they don’t get neck acne after swimming in the river.

Mr. Hon swimming

Faythe & Mr. Hon

Don’t ask me how clean the river is. During the bathing session, I saw the elephant pooped in the river :P. But Daddy says that since the river is flowing down, so the poop gets carried away pretty well, so no chance of swallowing any poop woh.

Everything was done by 3.30pm and you can hang around there as long as you want. They close at 530pm.

A short trip that the kids enjoy for sure, getting up close and personal with the jumbos. More photos on FB.