Welcome to the TravelPod forums

[kalifornier]

Here is my takeaway from Asia travel: DO NOT buy any ivory products. When I traveled around China I saw numerous such shops; a recent Nat Geo investigation revealed 90% of ivory used in China is coming from slaughtered African elephants and then smuggled into the country. Please don't be a part of this Blood Ivory trade. And please don't support the elephant back trek safaris either (Thailand and Vietnam in particular). Those unfortunate animals are captured, separated from the herd, tortured until they have no choice but to 'work' carrying tourists on their back all day. I was surprised so many 'educated' Western tourists had no clue. Opt for hiking/biking/cultural events. There are plenty of other fun options.
Abhi