Trunk driving - Thailand

A HEAVY morning mist lingers over the mighty Mekong river and spills on to the lush jungle foothills of Thailand and Laos. I am at the confluence of the great Ruak and Mae Nam Khong (Mekong) rivers, home to the Anantara Resort and Elephant Camp in northern Thailand's Golden Triangle.

My day begins in luxury at this exclusive rural hideaway overlooking the rugged hillsides, but I pull on my old clothes. They may be inviting, but I have no intention of visiting the spa or the infinity pool.

I have a big day ahead '“ it's my first day's training as a mahout, or elephant driver. John Roberts, the resort's director of elephants, who hails from deepest Devon, loves his job so much that, when he's not hanging out with his four-tonne friends, he is writing about them on his daily blog.

In September 2003, Anantara developed the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, which rescues elephants in distress and offers them and their mahout families a better life in a secure and natural environment.

"Since logging was banned in Thailand there has been a decline in work for elephants, forcing their owners to beg on the streets or work in illegal logging camps," says Roberts. "In a previous life, one rescued elephant was fed whisky and forced to perform drunken tricks on city streets. Others were subject to abuse, including being fed amphetamines to keep them working long hours. This treatment eventually leads to addiction and death."

Working closely with the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre, the foundation has more than 24 rescue elephants and their mahout families living at the camp, made up of rustic huts on stilts and designed along the lines of a traditional northern Thai mahout village.

As I talk with Roberts, a flash of grey darts across the camp. It's 17-month-old Pui (aka Chubby) '“ the fun-loving baby elephant is curious about everything and wants to know who I am and, more importantly, what's in my bag. I distract her with bananas to prevent her from using her powerful mini-sized trunk to empty the contents of my bag on to the muddy ground .

"Pui's naughty, but she's just too young to know better," says Roberts. "And, having been hand-reared, she thinks she's human or that we're elephants '“ either way, she doesn't really acknowledge the difference between four legs and two. She can often be seen trying to climb into the small golf cart used to ferry passengers around the resort."

There are seven young elephants at the camp, all under ten years old: Pui, who is small for her age as she had no milk for the first three months of her life; 21-month-old Lynchee; four-year-old Plai Tawan, who was hit by a car when on the streets; two five-year-olds, Nong Dah and Nam Chok; a seven-year-old recovering alcoholic called Lamyai; and the youngest member of the gang, six-month-old Nam Khong, the first baby born at the camp.

Today, they are well cared for; they receive quality food, regular health checks and plenty of tender loving care. The older elephants still work, but their chores are less demanding. They carry guests on rides of one or two hours, taking in the surrounding countryside before heading to the Mekong river or nearby lake for a refreshing dip to end their day.

First I am introduced to Sompong. A mahout who has lived here for two years, he is to be my trainer. He sends me off up a bamboo-covered hillside to look for elephants that were left out overnight to sleep and graze. Elephants need very little sleep '“ only three to four hours a night '“ and even that they do standing up.

Before the heat of the day, it's an enjoyable walk. We find them in the mist and escort them back to camp, their large, round bottoms swinging from side to side as they plod along in front of us.

Next I meet Plume, a docile 11-year-old rescue elephant with dreamy eyes, who will be my trusty steed for the duration of the course. My second task is to hose her down and brush mud from her rough, baggy skin, while we check her for any wounds or skin infections. She stretches out on the ground enraptured by the pampering, occasionally reaching out for a trunk-load of bananas or sugar cane to chomp on. A fully grown elephant can eat between 250kg and 350kg of food a day '“ up to 10% of their body weight. This lifestyle is a far cry from her previous one on Bangkok's tough streets.

Bath-time over, class begins. After several attempts I manage to clamber on to Plume's back and we set off slowly towards the top of a nearby hill. Spectacular views of Laos and Burma stretch for miles in front of me and the Mekong flows like a silvery ribbon below.

Elephants are vegetarian and particularly enjoy bamboo and sugar cane. They know when they have a novice mahout on board, and as we ramble slowly through dense sugar cane and bamboo forests, Plume strays off at every chance. One minute she's calmly strolling along taking in the view, the next she's heading towards a delicious-looking bamboo patch. I call out a few carefully rehearsed commands but fail miserably to gain control of her. Fortunately, she never wanders too far from the safety of her fellow elephants.

When we arrive at a lake, Plume strolls straight in and disappears into the depths of the murky brown water, while my head just sticks out above the surface, the only evidence of our presence. Every now and then she sits like a dog, leaving me to hang on to her ears to stop myself sliding back into the muddy play pool.

After half an hour she clambers out and heads back to camp, looking for more food on the way, with me soaked yet exhilarated by the experience. So far I have only spent a day at the camp, but during that short time I've become attached to Plume, even though she ignores my every command. I am reluctant to say goodbye, but know I'll be back tomorrow for another dunking.

The day ends as it began, in the luxury of the Anantara resort. Cocktail hour at the elephant bar beckons, but first I need a soak in the double-sized bath. It's big enough to hold a small elephant.

FACT FILE: THAILAND

Kuoni Travel (01306 747008, www.kuoni.co.uk) offers five nights at the Anantara resort and Spa Golden Triangle Chiang Rai (www.anantara.com) on a room-only basis in a deluxe room, including flights from Edinburgh and transfers, from 1,250 per person, based on two sharing.

Elephant driving courses are open to all ages and a three-day course costs 175 per elephant. For more information on the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, log on to www.helpingelephants.org '“ the site has a live webcam link.