PLAYING WITH ELEPHANTS – THAILAND

As well as visiting Bangkok in Thailand,  my friend Laura and I also went to Chiang Mai on our travels. While we were there, we knew we wanted to spend a day with elephants, both because elephants are one of my favourite animals and it’s a ‘once in a lifetime’ sort of event.

We researched a lot about which elephant reserve we wanted to visit before heading to Thailand as the majority of parks will perform cruel acts towards the elephants and only care about getting your money. We knew we didn’t want to go to a reserve that partook in elephant rides as this is one form of cruelty to the majestic animals. Basically, if you are able to ride an elephant it is because it went through torture to tame it when it was young which is obviously not okay. Also, their backs are not designed to carry heavy loads so over the time these rides are causing serious long-term damage.

If you care about these animals, I’d recommend visiting Elephant Nature Park. This park was established in 1900s by a lady named Lek whose mission is to save elephants from a life of abuse as well as rehabilitating them. The elephants found in the park today have been rescued from many walks of life such as tourist rides/shows, illegal logging and street begging.

There are a few different packages you can opt for, but we decided to go for the Single Day Visit. This allowed us to spend a full day at the park.

We were picked up from our hotel by a bus along with others who were to spend their day at the park (an incredibly, friendly American family and a middle-aged couple from England who took Laura and I under their wings). This was our tour group for the day and we were so lucky to be with such lovely people.

The journey consisted of a rural drive through the countryside while watching informative videos and hearing explanations about elephants themselves and the sanctuary. During this time, we were also given a safety briefing because they are wild animals!

On arrival, we were taken to the feeding platform where we had the chance in turn to feed the elephants fruit which just seemed so surreal and exciting. We really were here!

Once all the fruit in the basket was demolished, our guide took the group for a walk in the grasses where the elephants roam freely. We got to meet, take photos and pet the elephants while the guide would share the names and lives of each elephant. Standing next to these animals was a little nerve-racking but amazing more than anything.

After some decent elephant viewing time, we were walked back and treated to an Asian buffet. If Asian food isn’t your scene, don’t worry, they also served international dishes. We were given some free time during our lunch break so Laura and I decided to go and visit the enclosures of other animals that the sanctuary have rescued. As well as elephants, there are also rescued cats, dogs and even buffalo.

In the afternoon, we were taken on another walk. This time we went down to the river where we were able to see the elephants bathing and relaxing in the heat.

This was pretty great in itself but we then had the chance to get our feet dirty and head into the river ourselves. We were each given a bucket and had the chance to bathe an elephant. This was one of my favourite parts of the day, it was great fun.

The whole day comes in at 2500 baht, which is equivalent to around £57. This might seem slightly expensive but when you think this will go towards the care of the elephants, your travel and food for the day, it really isn’t that bad!

If you are considering going I suggest you bring suncream as you will be out in the open all day and also some insect repellent. As you might be able to tell from my arm in my first photo, I was bitten.

Overall, it was an amazing adventure and something I would recommend to anyone. The park itself is a great place for these elephants to heal and be treated the way they deserve. It really was a superb experience that I will never forget!

 

Would you like to go here? If you’ve been I’d love to know what you thought!

Thanks for reading,

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THAILAND ADVENTURES – BANGKOK

Last June, I took an incredibly exciting 2 week trip to Thailand with my friend Laura.

First on our travel agenda was Bangkok. Bangkok is the capital city and is more modernised than some areas of Thailand, yet still filled to the brim with Thai culture and history.

One of the first things we did was take a long tail boat down the Chao Phraya river which allowed us to see some stunning scenery and temples and get a real feel for Thailand. I do recommend getting a water bus though if you would like to travel by boat as it will work out much cheaper for you than hiring a private long tail boat like we did.

Thailand is home to many Buddhist temples and Bangkok is no exception with some breathtaking buildings to be viewed.

Wat Pho, also known as the Temple of the Reclining Buddha, is a temple complex and is one of Thailand’s oldest and largest in Bangkok.

Of course, this complex houses the 46 metre long, gold plated Reclining Buddha which is probably the main attraction of this temple. A reclining Buddha is said to be a representation of him reaching ultimate Nirvana in his last moments of life. This is a must see as the the immensity of this Buddha cannot be shown in photo form. It is massive!

Around the Buddha, there are 108 small bronze bowls to symbolise the 108 auspicious  characters of Buddha. For good luck, you can buy coins and drop one in each bowl.

Wat Pho grounds are scattered with chedis (Buddhist commemorative monuments usually housing sacred relics of Buddha) covered in bright, colourful tiles making the ground very aesthetically pleasing.

There are 4 maim halls, or viharas, to visit when you are here – all just as spectaular as each other.

This includes the Ordination Hall, surrounded by large Buddha statues.

Inside the Ordination Hall is wonderful, just like every temple I came across on my travels. Intricate detailing from roof to floor make Buddhist temples the most amazing buildings I’ve ever visited. The Ordination Hall displays a gold plated Buddha for Buddhists to worship and make offerings to.

Close by is the Grand Palace, where the Kings of Siam/Thailand lived from 1782 – 1925. Although, this is no longer the King’s residence, the palace is still used for official events and royal ceremonies. The palace grounds is quite substantial with lots to be viewed.

In the palace grounds you will find the Wat Phra Kaew or Temple of the Emerald Buddha. This is a royal chapel found within the walls of the palace and is regarded as the most important temple in Thailand. Here, the Phra Kaew Morakot (Emerald Buddha) is enshrined. The Buddha figure is made of a single block of jade, hence the name.

 

Like other temples, you must have your shoulders and knees covered upon entry to the temple. Since this is regarded as the most important temple, these rules are even stricter.

The Royal Pantheon, which was originally meant to house the Emerald Buddha but was disregarded due to its size, can also be found in the palace grounds. Surrounding this building are large statues of mythical guardians called Kinnarees.

So there are some of the highlights of my travels. My time in Bangkok, Thailand was a very educational one and an adventure I will remember forever. I would go back to visit in a heartbeat!

On my holiday, I also went to Chiang Mai and Koh Samui so keep an eye out for a post on my adventure there!

Have you ever been to Thailand? Do you want to go?

Thanks for reading,

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Collective Beauty Haul

After a lovely couple weeks in Thailand then a stressful week or so moving house, I’m finally able to sit down (at my new desk YES) and show you what beauty bits I have purchased recently.

MAC Matte Lipstick, Honeylove, £15.50. I decided to treat myself at the airport on the way to Thailand and I’m very glad I did. This is a matte lipstick and I’d describe the colour as a light beige/ peachy nude which I think is perfect for summer. I wore this most nights when I was away and it is a lovely colour to add to my collection.

SRICHAND Loose Powder, roughly £1. While on the topic of Thailand, I picked up this loose translucent powder from a local department store in Bangkok. This is a pale pink loose powder designed for oily skin. I wouldn’t normally pick up an item for oily skin, however with the Thai heat I was finding my face to be a shiny mess. This product really helped battle shine and kept my face looking matte all day. I loved it so much I went and picked up a second pot because I don’t think I’ll be back in Thailand any time soon unfortunately.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Brush. I can’t remember the price of this one but I’d guess a couple pounds. I picked this up from a street market in Thailand so it is a fake brush but the quality is lovely considering. The bristles are very soft and the shape of the brush fits perfectly on my face giving me the perfect contour.

Bobbi Brown Powder Brush. Another street market purchase was this powder brush. Again, I’m not 100% sure how much I paid for this but I’d say a few pounds. I was on the hunt for a powder brush as I forgot to take mine away with me. For being so affordable, the quality is great. It is large in size making it perfect to dust a thin even layer of powder all over the face and the bristles are incredibly soft on the skin.

 

L’Oreal Paris Infallible Matte Foundation, £7.99. I went to Boots to pick up my favourite foundation L’Oreal Paris Infallible 24H Foundation  and noticed they had a ‘3 for 2’ offer on L’Oreal cosmetics so thought I would give this a go. I’ve used it a couple times so far and I am really enjoying it. I prefer the matte look so it’s surprising I haven’t tried this before. This foundation, teamed with my SRICHAND powder, will be superb for tackling the greasy, fast food conditions I work in.

L’Oreal Paris False Lash Sculpt Mascara, £9.99. I chose this as my third item for the Boots deal. I’ve never tried it before and picked it up thinking it had the large brush I prefer using for mascara. I was wrong. The brush with this product is unlike anything I’ve seen. It has two rows of bristles on one side of the brush. That’s it. I’m unsure how this will work and if I will achieve my desired lash look but I will remain positive until I try it out.

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick, Kitten Heels, £6.50. I’m ending this haul on a slightly negative note but when I saw this colour, I knew I had to purchase this. A matte red in one colour I lack in my collection and I love the liquid suede formula so what could go wrong? Well, the formula apparently. I have 4 other liquid suedes and they are my favourite liquid lipsticks hands down but in the colour, I find the formula never dries and remains wet on the lips making this a very messy lipstick – it transfers everywhere! I’m so disappointed but I do love the colour so I will try make  it work for me by wearing it when I don’t plan to eat, drink or be around anything white.

Have you tried these products and how did you get on with them?

In the next few weeks, I’ll have a Makeup Geek Z-Palette collection and What I Got For my Birthday posts, so keep your eyes peeled for those!

Once again, thanks for reading.

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