Tag: FamilyTravel

The Day a Baby Elephant Hugged Me!!!

On By jaganmayanand1 Comment

When my father went to Phuket for his company’s annual sales meeting, my mother and I joined him for the trip. One of the most exciting experiences during our visit was going to an elephant sanctuary. My father’s company had arranged this visit as a team-building activity for all the employees. 

As soon as we reached the sanctuary, I saw many elephants of different ages. Some were tiny babies, while some were very old. There were many caretakers looking after them with great love and care. A friendly guide accompanied us throughout the visit and explained everything about the elephants.

Feeding a Baby Elephant with Milk

Our first stop was the milk parlour. The guide told us that we would get a chance to feed baby elephants with milk. There were many bottles of milk available, and visitors could purchase one if they wanted to feed a baby elephant.

My father immediately bought a bottle for me.

Within a few minutes, the caretakers brought out four or five adorable baby elephants. I was so excited that I almost forgot to blink! I wanted to touch one of them, but my mother was a little worried because she wasn’t sure if it would be safe. My father has always loved animals, so he smiled and gently took me near one of the baby elephants.

The moment the baby elephant noticed the milk bottle in my hand, it came rushing towards me while happily wagging its tiny tail and moving its head from side to side. I had only seen baby elephants wWhen my father went to Phuket for his company’s annual sales meeting, my mother and I agging their tails in cartoons before. Seeing it happen in real life was magical!

The guide stood beside me and helped me place the bottle into the baby elephant’s mouth. It immediately started suckling the milk just like a human baby. It even made soft sucking sounds while drinking. Within a minute, the entire bottle was empty.

Then something very special happened.

The baby elephant wrapped its trunk around me and gave me a big hug! I truly felt as if it was saying, “Thank you.” When my father went near it, the little elephant also gave him a warm hug. My father laughed and said, “He is just a sweet baby.”

That became one of my favourite moments of the entire trip.

Feeding Sugarcane

Next, we went to the sugarcane cutting station. We all helped cut fresh sugarcane for the elephants. My father filled two large baskets with sugarcane, while I carried a small basket specially for the baby elephants.

Many of my father’s colleagues were feeding the bigger elephants, but I wanted to find another baby elephant. Soon I found one waiting patiently. It gently picked up each piece of sugarcane with its trunk and carefully placed it into its mouth. Watching the trunk work like a hand was amazing.

While I was feeding it, my father pointed towards its beautiful white tusks and explained, “The tusks are not used for eating. The elephant has teeth inside its mouth for chewing.”

I learned something new that day!

A Mud Spa for Elephants

After everyone had finished feeding the elephants, our guide announced that it was time for the mud spa.

I looked at my father and asked, “Elephants are so big… do they also go to a spa?”

My father laughed and explained that the elephants would be covered with mud to cool their bodies. The mud also helps protect their skin and is very relaxing. In the wild, elephants naturally enjoy rolling in mud for the same reason.

We were each given a bucket full of mud. Some of the elephants sat down patiently while we gently spread the mud all over their bodies. When I touched the elephant, I noticed that its skin was very thick and rough, and its body hair felt stiff like tiny brushes. The elephants looked very calm and seemed to enjoy every moment.

My father joked, “If someone gave me such a mud spa, I would fall asleep immediately!” My mother laughed and agreed with him. I think the elephants probably felt the same way.

Bath Time!

After the spa, it was finally bath time. The elephants walked to a large bathing area where there were few water hoses and sprinklers. We happily sprayed water on the elephants to wash away all the mud.

The elephants seemed to love it! They stood happily under the sprinklers while the cool water poured over them. Some even played with the water. Soon all the mud had washed away, and their skin looked shiny and clean again.

It was so much fun watching them enjoy their bath.

Finally, the guide thanked everyone and the caretakers gently led the elephants back to their resting area.

What I Learned

This visit taught me that baby elephants behave very much like human babies. They love drinking milk, make cute suckling sounds, enjoy cuddles, and even give warm hugs.

I also learned that mud baths are not just for fun—they help elephants cool down, protect their skin, and even heal small skin problems. Most importantly, I realized that elephants are gentle, intelligent, and emotional animals that deserve our love, care, and protection.

Meeting these gentle giants and spending time with them is a memory I will treasure forever.

A Journey Through Rain to a Hidden Wonder – Tirathgarh Waterfall

On By jaganmayanand1 Comment

When we went to Indravati last year, we had a return flight from Jagdalpur. My father searched for nearby places that we could visit before our flight. He found two waterfalls and planned a trip to see them.

I had never seen a real waterfall before except in YouTube videos. Since I always get excited whenever I see water bodies, my father told me, “You are definitely going to enjoy this.”

We went directly to Tirathgarh Waterfall after checking out of our hotel in Jeypore. The previous day, we had visited Deomali Hills and enjoyed a wonderful adventure there. The waterfall was about 120 km away, and it took us around 4-5 hours to reach by road. When we arrived near Tirathgarh Waterfall, there was no sign of any waterfall. My father even asked the driver if he really knew the place and whether the waterfall was actually there. Driver Uncle smiled and said that it was one of the most visited and beautiful places in the area.

We saw many vehicles parked on a muddy ground. The weather was cloudy, and the sky was covered with dark clouds. My father took his backpack, which contained snacks, water bottles, and a small umbrella, and we all got down from the car. We had to walk through a small market area. There were lots of monkeys there. Small shops were selling snacks, fruits, local handicrafts, and food. I noticed that people seemed scared of the monkeys, and the shopkeepers were carefully protecting their goods. Many shops were selling umbrellas. Since the weather looked uncertain, my father bought a large umbrella because the one in his backpack was quite small.

There was a small ticket counter at the entrance. As soon as we entered after buying the tickets, it started raining heavily. We moved forward and found a small shed where many people had already gathered. We rushed inside and somehow found a place to stand.

The rain became even heavier. The shed was not in very good condition, and water was leaking through the roof in many places. By then, I was very hungry, and there was not much food available nearby. Most people inside the shed were already wet, but everyone was patiently waiting for the rain to stop. Seeing my condition, my father decided that we should leave. Using our umbrella, we managed to reach the car.

My father asked the driver to find a dhaba because there were no proper restaurants nearby. Since it was the Dussehra season and the festival was only a couple of days away, many dhabas were closed. Finally, we found a small roadside hotel. It looked more like a mud house with just a few tables. The owner told us that some people had ordered country chicken in the morning, but they had not arrived yet. If we agreed, he could serve it to us. My father immediately agreed. Soon, we were served rice and country chicken. It was so delicious! My father said that such a taste is difficult to find even in big restaurants.

By the time we finished lunch, the sky had become clear. We were thinking of returning to the hotel, but Driver Uncle strongly suggested that we should not miss the waterfall. Even though we were not very interested anymore, he convinced us and drove us back to the parking area.

We walked towards the waterfall once again. When we reached near the shed, my father said, “Let me go ahead and quickly check whether it is worth visiting. If not, we will return because the journey back to the hotel is long.”

He went ahead quickly. After a few minutes, he came running back with a huge smile on his face.

“What a beauty! It looks like heaven on earth! Come fast, come fast!” he shouted excitedly.

The moment we saw the waterfall, our hearts almost stopped. Just a few seconds earlier, everything had looked ordinary. Then suddenly, we were looking at something extraordinary. It was a wonderful feeling.

From a distance, we could see the magnificent waterfall. We could hear the roaring sound of the water and the excited voices of people below. To reach the base of the waterfall, we had to walk down a long staircase. Because of the rain, the steps were slippery. We carefully made our way down. As we reached the bottom, I was amazed. There was so much water, so much noise, and so many people enjoying themselves. We could hardly hear one another.

My father told us to hold hands while going closer to the waterfall. The falling water looked like streams of white milk as it crashed against the rocks. It was beautiful, but also a little frightening because of the powerful force of the water.

Taking careful steps, we entered the water and moved towards a raised rocky area from where everyone seemed to be enjoying the best view. Water was falling directly onto that spot, and people were happily standing under it.

My father went there first. Then he helped me climb up, and we took some pictures together. When he stepped down so that my mother could join me, he slipped and fell into the water. Thankfully, he quickly got up and warned us to be very careful because the rocks were extremely slippery.

While my father was taking pictures of us, a lady came from behind and called his name. He turned around and was surprised to see one of his school teachers.

His teacher hugged him warmly, and it was such a lovely moment. She had come with her son and some relatives. They wanted to talk, but the sound of the waterfall was so loud that they could barely hear each other. So they decided to meet later near the parking area.

We took some photographs with my father’s teacher. After spending more time enjoying the waterfall and playing carefully in the water, we slowly made our way back

At the parking area, everyone talked for a while and exchanged phone numbers. My father’s teacher was very happy to see him after nearly 25 years, and my father was equally happy to meet her at such an unexpected place.

Soon, we said goodbye and started our journey back to the hotel.

Tirathgarh Waterfall was one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited. My father later said that Driver Uncle was absolutely right. He had tried so hard to convince us not to miss the waterfall because he knew how special it was.

This trip also taught me that we should always be careful while visiting natural places. A small mistake can lead to an accident.

Most importantly, I learned that we should always respect and value our teachers. They work hard to help us learn about the world and guide us throughout our lives.