A forest camp on the banks of river Kaveri located in the district of Kodagu, Karnataka is known for its elephant. My roommates and I hit the road at 6:45 AM to start out our adventure. Our first destination was the Dubare Elephant Camp. From Mysore to Kodagu, it took roughly around 2 hours to 2 1/2 hours. The ride was long but the view and the weather was amazing! It was an overcast day with a bit of rain. The air was crisp and very fresh. That day, I wore a T-shirt, a sweater, and a rain jacket with leggings but it was still very cold but I love it! I rather have cooler weather than staying in the summer heat.
Once we arrive at our destination, we have to cross the river in order to get to where the elephants are. The river current was quite strong that day with its murky brown water. We crossed the river safely via a motor boat. As eager as we were to see the elephants, we were also quite disappointed and sad when we saw the big chains on the elephants front feet and back. Some of the older elephants know the routine where they needed to go near the fence so that people can take pictures and touch them. However, there was also a baby elephant there too. They tied the chains to the fence so the little elephant couldn’t go anywhere. Luckily, some people brought bananas so the baby elephant was more willing to stay.
Despite the shocking experience, it was really fun to be able to see and touch the elephants. Some of them are very playful while some are just chilling and possibly taking a nap while the tourists are all over them! Overall, I really enjoyed it and hopefully, the trainers are treating the elephants nicely! Afterall, they are one of the sacred animals in India.

































