Twinkle Twinkle Little Dream

Hands down my best experience happened a few hours outside of Bangkok. I was aware that animals were treated badly in Thailand – I saw monkeys, tigers and a leopard which definitely seemed doped up. But swimming with an elephant was the most incredible experience. I was amazed by how gentle this massive creature was. Unlike all the other animals I had seen, I was sure it was having fun. I splashed water over it, and in turn it would throw me off its back into the river, bucking bronco-style. I sat on its trunk in a Titanic pose and was reminded of what my Mum had told me before the trip: ‘Don’t let it stick its trunk where it isn’t welcome.’ I passed the baht to the elephant's trunk, who passed the money over to its owner. I'm not even an animal person, but this experience really touched me. I have the Snowdonia National Park in Wales on my doorstep, but I have never felt so close to nature as I did in Thailand.