Anantara Vacation Club, is pleased to announce that Phanda, one of the 100 baby elephant sculptures from the world famous Elephant Parade® “herd,” will be making a year-long journey to Anantara Vacation Club resorts in Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui and Shanghai, China to raise awareness of the plight of elephants around the world and to delight and surprise guests.
“We are delighted to host Phanda at our resorts as a way to raise awareness of Thailand’s beloved national animal,” said Martin Tolan, Chief Operating Officer of Anantara Vacation Club. “Bringing the Elephant Parade to Bangkok and Phanda to our resorts will elevate awareness in a delightful and positive manner.”
Anantara Vacation Club, a sponsor of the Elephant Parade®, purchased Phanda through a charity auction, and plans to send the elephant on a journey of several of its resorts. Created by artist Note Dudesweet, Phanda is a 1.5-meter tall baby elephant painted to resemble a panda. Dudesweet was inspired by an artistic protest a decade ago by local Mahouts in response to the country’s adoption of Chinese pandas. To remind locals about the elephant’s plight, the Mahouts painted their elephants to resemble the giant panda.
When the Elephant Parade® leaves Bangkok at the end of January, Phanda will split from the herd and spend the rest of the year on a journey to discover Anantara Vacation Club resorts throughout Asia. All are welcomed to follow Phanda’s journey on Anantara Vacation Club’s Instagram @anantaraclub and simply share your photo with the Phanda and hashtag #PhandaJourney.
The Elephant Parade® is one of the world’s largest open air art exhibitions, featuring a herd of more than 100 painted elephants created by top local and international celebrities and artists. The Elephant Parade® was conceived by Marc Spits and his son Mike after a visit to the Friends of the Asian Elephant hospital in Lampang, Thailand. While there, they met Mosha, a seven month-old baby elephant who lost her leg after stepping on a landmine. She became the first elephant to receive a prosthetic limb. Each year, she is fitted with a new and must learn to walk all over again. The first Elephant Parade® was held in Rotterdam in the Netherlands in 2007 and has since been exhibited in cities across the world including London, Singapore, Amsterdam, Milan and Hong Kong. Bangkok is hosting the herd from December 2015 through January, 2016.
About Anantara Vacation Club
Launched in 2010, Anantara Vacation Club is a luxury Shared Holiday Ownership concept offering Club Owners stays in destinations across Asia and beyond with a flexible points system.
Anantara Vacation Club is part of Minor Hotels, a hotel owner, operator and investor, currently with a portfolio of 126 hotels and serviced suites in operation under the Anantara, AVANI, Elewana, Four Seasons, Marriott, Oaks, PER AQUUM, Tivoli, St. Regis and Minor International brands. Today Minor Hotels operates in 22 countries across Asia Pacific, the Middle East, Africa, the Indian Ocean, Europe and South America. Minor Hotel’s parent company, Minor International (MINT) is a global company focused on restaurants, hospitality and retail trading.
The Club Resort Collection at Anantara Vacation Club includes a Signature Club Resort in Phuket and luxury private villas on Koh Samui, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia; plus suites in Queenstown, New Zealand; Bangkok, Thailand; and Sanya, China. Over the next five years, the Club will add up to 10 additional resorts, including Anantara Vacation Club Chiang Mai in early 2016. In addition to the growing collection of Anantara Vacation Club Resorts, Club Points Owners enjoy an extended host of travel opportunities through the Club Escapes Programme, which provides Club Privileges access to experience luxurious properties at select Anantara Hotels & Resorts throughout Asia and the Middle East, Oaks Hotels & Resorts across Australia and New Zealand, and AVANI Hotels & Resorts in Asia. A newly established affiliation with Interval International® opens up access to over 2,900 resorts worldwide to Club Owners. Preview centres are found in Bali, Koh Samui, Phuket and Sanya.
Find out more about Anantara Vacation Club here.
