Local history and culture Sauraha

Every day, the mahouts take their old elephants to the little East Rapti River for a bath, which they maintain with the money from tourists who come to interact with them. It's a moment of relaxation and play for the pachyderms, who squeal with delight. Visitors can massage him with a pebble (a sort of scrub to scratch him, he loves it) and then climb on (without a saddle) to get sprayed. The mahouts are members of a cooperative, the price is fixed per group, and it's a good alternative to an elephant safari without harming the pachyderms.