Weekend With Elephants in Sebelat, Bengkulu

Rain still made an impression on the muddy road, the path leads to the Nature Park, Elephant Training Center (ETC), Sebelat, North Bengkulu, Bengkulu Province.

Towards this location of the city of Bengkulu takes about four hours can use the vehicle car and motorcycle. Sukabaru is the last village before reaching the area of ​​the site. Right at the end of the village there is a river that separates Sebelat settlements with elephant training area.

Linking the training with final settlement population is a bridge, a pity since 2006 bridges were cut off by the abrasion of the river and the overflow of the river. So as to cross to the elephant training site prepared one ferried by boat or assisted elephant handler course.

Tired of driving a vehicle immediately disappeared when the eyes are pampered with a stretch of the River Sebelat clear and swift, while across the river seen some tame elephants who have been trained by the handler under the auspices of the Natural Resources Conservation Center, Bengkulu Province.

To get into this area visitors certainly have to register and pay an administration fee. If you want to spend the night there were some empty mess if lucky, but it's good camping equipment is also prepared.

"Tourism here visitors can bathe, play with elephants indeed benign, or feeding the elephants," said Nainggolan, one elephant handler.

The elephant handler will be happy to take you around the forest in the region along with elephant, if requested. An exciting adventure.

Nature Park Elephant Training Center, has an area of ​​7735 hectares of forest area reaches, has 15 tame elephants, Sumatran tigers and two were still undergoing rehabilitation period due to conflict with humans.

"For animals Sumatran Tiger could not be bothered because they are still in the process of rehabilitation, as minimal as possible not to frequent contact with humans. Located in the cage rehabilitation," said another elephant handler, Sugeng.

In this area there is electricity only at night using Jenset that illuminate the mess area, there is a TV, meeting rooms to a common kitchen. Actually, this facility is for 30 elephant handler who work interchangeably.

Been in this area would be incomplete without an overnight stay, enjoy the night in this area is really fun punctuated by a whiff of elephants sometimes quite surprising.

Satisfied explore this area in the village Sukabaru before leaving this region so would you stop at home Anang Widyatmoko, he was a painter painting the base material instead of paint but from elephant dung.

If lucky, you can bring home a collection of paintings that sold well Anang booked by many parties outside Bengkulu.