Wild Elephant Valley
Wild Elephant Valley is located in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture and is a central gathering place for wild Asian elephants. Of the more than 300 wild elephants in China, about 250, belonging to over 40 elephant families, are active in the area around Wild Elephant Valley.
Wild Elephant Valley Guide Map (Image 2)
Our tour route: South Gate - Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway Phase I - Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway Phase II (round trip) - Asian Elephant Museum - North Gate, the whole journey is on foot
After entering from the South Gate, you will pass through the Snake and Lizard Garden, Butterfly Garden, and Hundred Birds Garden, etc. Our focus is on wild elephants, so we did not stay too long and went straight to the Elephant Viewing Walkway.
Phase I of the Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway, from the Hundred Birds Garden to the Asian Elephant Museum, is about 920 meters long and was constructed starting in 2010.
On the walkway, I saw the backside of a wild elephant (Image 3), and then it disappeared (I heard from people ahead that a group of elephants had just passed by, feeling very regretful and worried that I wouldn't see them today).
Wild monkeys on the mountain (Image 4)
Lazy monkey (Image 5), indeed lazy, didn't move at all for a long time, finally managed to capture a frontal shot
Suddenly discovered a solitary wild elephant, and felt that the trip was worthwhile (Image 6)
The first time observing wild elephants from such a close distance (Images 7~8)
Later, I arrived at the Asian Elephant Museum and carefully compared the exhibited photos of wild elephants, preliminarily identifying this solitary elephant as 'Bamboo Shoot Tooth'.
Phase II of the Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway, from the Asian Elephant Museum to the Elephant Viewing Platform, is 1360m long and was put into use in 2017.
Not long after walking on Phase II of the Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway, excitedly discovered a group of wild elephants (Image 9)
Counted them, it was a family of seven (Image 10)
Started the 'chase' for elephants on the walkway (Image 11)
The first batch of two leading elephants preparing to cross the river (Image 12)
Surprisingly, they didn't wade directly through the water but walked along a small path in the middle of the river (Image 13). Such a large size, walking so steadily, unbelievable.
The second batch, two adults and one juvenile, began to cross the river (Image 14)
The last batch, one adult and one juvenile, the little one seemed very playful, being chased by the adult (Image 15)
The little one fell into the water and was pushed up by the big one's trunk (Image 16)
The white-cheeked gibbon rescued and sheltered by Wild Elephant Valley (Image 17), has seen many tourists and is no longer afraid of people.
Asian Elephant Museum (Image 18), the museum covers an area of 800 square meters, with the theme of popularizing knowledge about Asian elephants, and has four exhibition halls.
Wild Asian elephants active in Wild Elephant Valley (Image 19)
Mangjing Ancient Village (Image 20), a Dai ethnic village, the temporary parking lot for Wild Elephant Valley is set up nearby. Due to time constraints, I didn't have time to visit this village.
PS:
1. Seeing wild elephants really depends on luck; many people come several times and don't see them. Generally speaking, January to March each year is the time when wild Asian elephants are most likely to appear, especially in the morning.
2. It is essential to walk the entire Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway, especially Phase II, where the chances of seeing wild elephants are even greater.
3. During the Spring Festival peak period, the temporary parking lot for Wild Elephant Valley is arranged at Mangjing Ancient Village (exit of Mengyang Highway), about 10 kilometers from Wild Elephant Valley, with free shuttle buses provided for round trips.
4. Personally, I think there is no need to take the sightseeing cable car in Wild Elephant Valley; if you do spot wild elephants, you can't stop anyway, so it's better to enjoy the freedom on the Elevated Elephant Viewing Walkway.
5. There are many other things to see and do in Wild Elephant Valley, depending on personal preferences. But it is recommended to visit the Asian Elephant Museum to learn a lot about Asian elephants.
Entering the north gate, there is a museum at the entrance, which popularizes various pasts of Asian elephants. The suspended plank road in the Wild Elephant Valley is quite long, and you can see the standing signs of various insects. The ropeway is expected to float on it for 30 minutes. There are performances at the South Gate at 12:00 and 14:00 Elephant Science Park, and the elephant will spray water at you.
A natural forest park covering an oversized area, it is a matter of pure luck to encounter wild elephants in such a large park like a needle in a haystack. If it is purely for negative oxygen ions, strolling on the uneven plank road is another experience that must be physically good and legs strong! Parent-child herd elephants are worth recommending. Take the children and follow the two elephant mothers and daughters for a walk, listen to the nurses introduce their living habits and increase their knowledge. Take a photo with them, and at the end of the end, each person will be fed a basket of carrots. The child is very excited!
A natural forest park covering an oversized area, it is a matter of pure luck to encounter wild elephants in such a large park like a needle in a haystack. If it is purely for negative oxygen ions, strolling on the uneven plank road is another experience that must be physically good and legs strong! Parent-child herd elephants are worth recommending. Take the children and follow the two elephant mothers and daughters for a walk, listen to the nurses introduce their living habits and increase their knowledge. Take a photo with them, and at the end of the end, each person will be fed a basket of carrots. The child is very excited!
Wild Elephant Valley is really super fun, you must play carefully, it is recommended that the south gate go in to watch the elephant show first, feed the elephant for 30 yuan a small cucumber, you can touch the elephant at close range, there is an elephant called Wang Wang special special relatives, It will also give you a special special cute dance twist. After feeding the elephant, it is recommended to take a one-way cable car and take the plank road back to the south gate. There is a chance to see wild elephants. We saw two super lucky. The boardwalk is also very good, there are various insects introduced, there are various photos of elephants, and wild monkeys are seen. Not tired at all, you can go to the Orchid Valley for a turn at the exit, you can also take pictures with peacocks at the door, and then go forward to the butterfly garden. Going forward, you can see robes, deer, snakes, small animals, and then the south gate, about 5 hours of play.
I was very lucky to see the elephant group in Yuyang Town. I took the ropeway car and just met the elephant group along the river and passed the valley. When I came back, I walked to the observation deck and saw the elephant group. I was very happy. I think there are a few points to pay attention to this time to go to the Wild Elephant Valley: 1. It is not easy to take a taxi during the Chinese New Year. The location of Wild Elephant Valley is relatively remote. If you are not traveling with a group or self-driving tour, don't play too late, otherwise it is a bit difficult to find a car back to the city. You can take a taxi to Xiaoyuyang Town, or go to the passenger station to take a bus or take a taxi. During the Chinese New Year, the taxi fare has doubled four or five times than usual; 2. You can take a ropeway up the mountain. It is recommended to walk down the mountain. The distance is not far. If you go up and down the mountain is a ropeway, you may not see the elephant. It is a pity that there are 58 tickets for the scenic spot. Pay special attention to the half price for the elderly over 60 years old. The 70-year-old is free. The ropeway is 50 yuan a way, no half price or free order; 3. It is recommended to see the elephant at around 2 pm. It is when the weather is hot. The elephants drink water and take a bath. The opportunity to see is large. In the morning, the elephant group is basically resting. 4. Some combination tickets and the like, treasures should not blindly buy, for example, some charges are very expensive names, in fact, it is a high price to buy some fruit to feed the elephant activities, personally feel that it is not cost-effective, the national government has new regulations to ride elephants is to abuse elephants is prohibited...End this profit model... 5. Come to play during the Chinese New Year. It is recommended to bring your own snacks and snacks. The food here tastes very light and the price is expensive. The treasures who like to eat heavy mouths may be disappointed. I specially bought a barbecue. There is no other taste except spicy. There is no satisfaction in eating;
I entered from the north gate. It takes about 40 minutes to walk the boardwalk to the cable car point to walk up and down the high and low 3 kilometers. Then this cable car route is so long, 35 minutes a way, 50 yuan is worth it, the cable car is flat after coming down, and it takes 10 minutes to the south gate. Finally, there is a free China-Pakistan delivery to the north gate at the south gate of the south gate, but you have to wait, about 15 minutes.
Happy end of the day, thank you Xiao Yan, I feel good! I didn’t eat elephant food. I didn’t see wild elephants in Wild Elephant Valley, but I saw a group of cute little monkeys. It was also very cute, but there was a training elephant performance. The singing and dancing in the small theater was not bad. The Jino cottage increased my understanding. I didn’t know this before I came to Banna. After shopping, I felt very interesting. The descendants of my uncle, if there is no uncle, you have to worship the big tree or the ant hole for your uncle. You can get married with the consent of your uncle. I asked the tour guide a lot of questions about the Jino people, and they all answered them one by one. The service is very good and a happy day. Thank you for the warm service of the guide!