Morgan Charollois
Morgan Charollois is a French freelance travel photographer who currently lives in Bristol. His photos and stories have an undeniable touch of charm to them, with the same allure as any good travelling tale - but with more humanity. There is something undeniably endearing about each photo - made sweeter still by the stories that accompany them.
Morgan talked to us after his recent trip in Thailand, showing us his favourite moments and why they rank where they do.
“I went to an elephant sanctuary on my first day in Phuket. There are different places in Thailand where you can interact with elephants; some are respectful towards the animals, some are more sinister. Needless to say that I chose the respectful one to go to. We went to this huge place in the jungle where elephants roam freely and get plenty of attention and care. The money you pay is used to get them the food and medicine they need.”
“Okay, I wanted to share the story of Irma, the 48 year old elephant rescued by the founder of the sanctuary. She was forced to carry logs for over 16 hours a day and was clearly in a bad condition - both mentally and physically - when she arrived. The team, and especially her ‘Mahout’ (which means carer), took really good care of her, looked after her wounds and helped her regain confidence. Every elephant has only one ‘Mahout’ and they have a connection that is so strong; they don’t even need to communicate verbally, they can speak through body language. I was so amazed when I saw it.”
“This was my surprise from a very hot and humid jungle trek. Heavy backpack, water, camera around the neck, full sweat mode…. And then she was just there, popping out with her bright colour. The Centrosema Floridanum! She just caught my eye and I couldn't pass without capturing her beauty. So here it is.”
“In the dark streets of Phuket, this stall really caught me. The man was taking so much care in making sure it was perfectly presented. It does make you want to buy his fruit, doesn't it?”
“How could I not share a picture of a typical longtail boat! The traditional longtail boat (Reua Hang Yao) has become synonymous with Thailand. Adopted and built by locals from around 1937, these traditional and distinctive boats are made entirely by hand, with techniques handed down in person from father to son, or apprentice.”
“I don't know the name of this beauty but what I know is that cats are treated well in Thailand! They are fed and loved. This one was the star of his street. Tourists were petting him and taking photos of this poser - so I did as well!”
“One of the many pretty views of PhiPhi islands! It is well known because of the famous movie " The Beach " with Leonardo Di Caprio.”
“I saw this kid when I wanted to take five minutes of rest during a bush walk towards Long Beach in PhiPhi. We were playing hide and seek in between two kayaks. I waited for the right moment and framing, then took it. Then we played this incomprehensible game with plastic coins. I was very surprised by his knowledge of english considering his age.”
“This lady is the sweetest restaurant owner I've met. Not only is she the sweetest, but she is also the best cook! This place is known for miles and miles for having the best Pad Thai! I tried it and I already miss it!”
“We often complain about our life, work, or situation. We don't have enough of this or that; we want a bigger car, a better phone, a larger apartment... One thing that I've learnt in my years of travel is that no matter how hard you think your life is, there will be someone in a much worse situation than you. Just think about it when you're about to give up or complain.”
Words and photos by Morgan Charollois