Surin Elephant Round Up

Month : November
Place : Surin, Thailand
Famous For : Cultural Festival
Attractions : Elephant Hunts, Elephant football, Tugs of War

The Surin Elephant Round-up is an event displaying the strength and skills of elephants. It's held every year on the third weekend of November in Surin province of Isan, Thailand. From ancient times, the people of Surin had an excellent talent of capturing elephants in Cambodia and then training them as working animals. The highlights of Surin Elephant Round-up are the elephant events like demonstration of traditional elephant hunts games and other games like football and tugs of war.

Major Attractions

During the Surin Elephant Round-up, over 300 elephants start marching through Surin city from the railway station area toward the Elephant roundabout at the south end of the city on the Prasat road. Friday morning marks a small event of 'Elephant Breakfast'. The long procession includes local school children and teachers in traditional dress, dancing and playing music along with elephants. The giant animals carry dignitaries and also some tourists who dismount their steeds on arrival. The elephant keepers or 'mahouts' are dressed in battle outfits from the Thai - Khmer - Laos battles. On Saturday, the elephants and 'mahouts' congregate at the Elephant Stadium . The main highlight of this event lies in a show performed for culminating in a re-enactment of the battles of a past century. The Surin Elephant Round-up is an unusual cultural event which provides an amazing opportunity to appreciate the intelligence and agility of one of the world"s most impressive creatures.