Elephant Nature Park
Elephant Nature Park
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About
Elephant Nature Park, a unique conservation project set in Chiang Mai Province, Northern Thailand has been in operation since in the 1990's with a goal to provide a sanctuary and elephant rescue center. We have been involved in dozens of rescues and sustain a natural home for this endangered species. Mission: To protect and conserve elephants in a natural environment and to provide a healthy and fruitful life for all those creatures under our care
Chiang Mai, Thailand
Meets animal welfare guidelines
Awards
Travellers' Choice
2024
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5.0
11,545 reviews
Excellent
10,227
Very good
901
Average
275
Poor
71
Terrible
71
beansy1982
Aylesbury, UK15 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We were picked up at the hotel at 8:30 and joined some others in a nice air conditioned vehicle for the drive into the mountains, the drive took around 1hr 15 mins. The driver stopped off briefly at a service station, don’t worry too much about the state of the toilets here the facilities at the elephant camp are surprisingly good.
1st we helped prep the food for the elephants which including cutting melons and making balls of food up. Our guide (sorry can’t remember his name) was brilliant spoke great English and will answer all your elephant related questions regarding how they have been rescued, their treatment at other tourist attractions etc.
We fed the old girls a mountain of bananas and melon they were very enthusiastic then we walked through the jungle passing through a river all the while feeding them bananas.
We then stopped for lunch which had an amazing view, if I did have a small criticism it would be that we sat there for too long, could have been a bit shorter.
Then we walked our ladies back to the river where we bathed them. The old girls were then left to rest while we went off tubing down the river.
Tubing was good fun and we even had a beer as we went along and passed an elephant taking a drink.
The day ended with us touring the main camp where they have hundreds of rescue dogs and cats and of course elephants that have suffered varying degrees of abuse, some have trodden on land mines.
All in all we loved it and would recommend taking this tour, not sure you will ever get this close to these animals anywhere else and they deserve their retirement in the sun. We should all support more ethical sight seeing tours
1st we helped prep the food for the elephants which including cutting melons and making balls of food up. Our guide (sorry can’t remember his name) was brilliant spoke great English and will answer all your elephant related questions regarding how they have been rescued, their treatment at other tourist attractions etc.
We fed the old girls a mountain of bananas and melon they were very enthusiastic then we walked through the jungle passing through a river all the while feeding them bananas.
We then stopped for lunch which had an amazing view, if I did have a small criticism it would be that we sat there for too long, could have been a bit shorter.
Then we walked our ladies back to the river where we bathed them. The old girls were then left to rest while we went off tubing down the river.
Tubing was good fun and we even had a beer as we went along and passed an elephant taking a drink.
The day ended with us touring the main camp where they have hundreds of rescue dogs and cats and of course elephants that have suffered varying degrees of abuse, some have trodden on land mines.
All in all we loved it and would recommend taking this tour, not sure you will ever get this close to these animals anywhere else and they deserve their retirement in the sun. We should all support more ethical sight seeing tours
Written 7 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Pat C
3 contributions
Jan 2020
My group spent a whole day immersion at Elephant Nature Park, walking with the elephants, preparing their food, feeding them and bathing them. It even included a vegetarian Thai lunch perched high above the treetops. We learned so much about the humane treatment of elephants from our guide, Bancha, who was so knowledgeable, patient and entertaining. He explained how poorly elephants have been treated in the past and how Elephant Nature Park is turning that around with its rescue and education program. I highly recommend a visit that includes walking and interaction with these beautiful creatures.
Written 8 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jay H
9 contributions
Feb 2020 • Couples
We visited the Karen Retirement project and the Karen Serenity project on our month trip to Thailand, and they were the absolute highlights of our trip.
Our guide at Karen Retirement was Naew, and he was extremely kind and friendly. We arrived at the project after Naew gave us an overview of the day that had us feeding, walking, and bathing with three elephants. We had the pleasure of meeting one mother elephant with her 3 month old baby girl (belle, the cutest thing ever) as well as a 7 year old male elephant.
We fed the elephants and enjoyed their company as the little one ran in between us and back to her mother, then we walked over to the hillside with them. After that we had a delicious lunch, followed by some rice ball preparation for the elephants. We then got to go into the mud with the elephants, and bathe them in a river.
We loved it so much that we decided to book a second project, Karen Serenity, for the following day!
At Karen Serenity, we got to hang out with another mother elephant and a 10 month old baby, as well as another nanny elephany that we found out was pregnant.
Our guide James, as well as the mahoots Nikorn, Jaan and Chai were all extremely informative, kind, and very funny aswell. They explained the realities that the projects face while transitioning to making sure these elephants get to live happy, healthy and away from the riding and work abuse.
We first got to meet the elephants while feeding them. The 10 month old baby (around 180kgs already) was very funny and was so cute as she would go from being rambunctious and running around to staying close to the mother and nanny elephants. We then got to walk with them and fed them sugar cane heading towards the nearby jungle.
Next we sat together and observed while the elephants got to roam free in the jungle, tearing down and breaking vines and displaying their unbelievable strength... and eating them! James and the mahoots explained the elephant's habits and just how much they eat in a day, and made you realize the importance and financial demand of these projects to be able to properly care for these magnificent animals.
After the walk we had a delicious lunch together, followed by rice ball preparations for the elephants. After feeding them the prepared food, we walked with them to the water nearby where we got to bathe them in the water. After the water they would cover themselves in dust to protect from the sun, and then followed them over to a big mud pit where we got to cover them (and inadvertently ourselves) in thick mud. After our mud baths, we had a chance to clean up with a shower, and then a bit more time with the elephants before departing back to Chiang Mai.
Naew, James, and all of the mahoots truly made our experience unforgettable, and had us already preplanning to come back again in the future.
Jay & Nicole
Our guide at Karen Retirement was Naew, and he was extremely kind and friendly. We arrived at the project after Naew gave us an overview of the day that had us feeding, walking, and bathing with three elephants. We had the pleasure of meeting one mother elephant with her 3 month old baby girl (belle, the cutest thing ever) as well as a 7 year old male elephant.
We fed the elephants and enjoyed their company as the little one ran in between us and back to her mother, then we walked over to the hillside with them. After that we had a delicious lunch, followed by some rice ball preparation for the elephants. We then got to go into the mud with the elephants, and bathe them in a river.
We loved it so much that we decided to book a second project, Karen Serenity, for the following day!
At Karen Serenity, we got to hang out with another mother elephant and a 10 month old baby, as well as another nanny elephany that we found out was pregnant.
Our guide James, as well as the mahoots Nikorn, Jaan and Chai were all extremely informative, kind, and very funny aswell. They explained the realities that the projects face while transitioning to making sure these elephants get to live happy, healthy and away from the riding and work abuse.
We first got to meet the elephants while feeding them. The 10 month old baby (around 180kgs already) was very funny and was so cute as she would go from being rambunctious and running around to staying close to the mother and nanny elephants. We then got to walk with them and fed them sugar cane heading towards the nearby jungle.
Next we sat together and observed while the elephants got to roam free in the jungle, tearing down and breaking vines and displaying their unbelievable strength... and eating them! James and the mahoots explained the elephant's habits and just how much they eat in a day, and made you realize the importance and financial demand of these projects to be able to properly care for these magnificent animals.
After the walk we had a delicious lunch together, followed by rice ball preparations for the elephants. After feeding them the prepared food, we walked with them to the water nearby where we got to bathe them in the water. After the water they would cover themselves in dust to protect from the sun, and then followed them over to a big mud pit where we got to cover them (and inadvertently ourselves) in thick mud. After our mud baths, we had a chance to clean up with a shower, and then a bit more time with the elephants before departing back to Chiang Mai.
Naew, James, and all of the mahoots truly made our experience unforgettable, and had us already preplanning to come back again in the future.
Jay & Nicole
Written 25 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Nancy from Cape Cod
Orleans, MA4 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
Kerem Elephant Experience is a full
Day trip 1 1/2 hours south of Chiang Mai, up into the jungle, on a hill side high up
A dirt road hill. Our driver and tour guide Kevin was knowledgeable, personable, nearly fluent in English, and certainly paid attention to each of the 5 of us - warning when we needed it and always offering a helping hand and a genuine smile. But the stars of the day were the 4 elephants and their very attentive keepers. Each elephant has her/her own keeper, and respond to verbal commands. Amazing. I have a well trained German Shepherd who shows me loyalty and love- and these enormous elephants have much the same affection for their human and with each other.No chains, no harsh words. It was wonderful and intimate to feed them, walk with them up the hills then down to the mud pond and finally down to a
Lovely waterfall. In the water and mud with them, putting corn directly into their mouths, getting splashed and breathed on, making eye contact and rubbing their skin. Simply magical. I also loved watching their friendship with one another as two would go forehead to forehead and intertwine their marvelous trunks. I loved every minute
Day trip 1 1/2 hours south of Chiang Mai, up into the jungle, on a hill side high up
A dirt road hill. Our driver and tour guide Kevin was knowledgeable, personable, nearly fluent in English, and certainly paid attention to each of the 5 of us - warning when we needed it and always offering a helping hand and a genuine smile. But the stars of the day were the 4 elephants and their very attentive keepers. Each elephant has her/her own keeper, and respond to verbal commands. Amazing. I have a well trained German Shepherd who shows me loyalty and love- and these enormous elephants have much the same affection for their human and with each other.No chains, no harsh words. It was wonderful and intimate to feed them, walk with them up the hills then down to the mud pond and finally down to a
Lovely waterfall. In the water and mud with them, putting corn directly into their mouths, getting splashed and breathed on, making eye contact and rubbing their skin. Simply magical. I also loved watching their friendship with one another as two would go forehead to forehead and intertwine their marvelous trunks. I loved every minute
Written 10 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steph W
New York City, NY101 contributions
Mar 2020 • Friends
Pick up at 8am and at the office by 8:30. We visited at the end of February and our van had a party of 8. An introductory video about the park was played in the van which was both informative and interesting. We arrived around 9:30. Upon arriving we paid for the cash deposit. Immediately, we went into the feeding two elephants with a bucket of fruits. Taking turns along our group, I felt there was ample amount of fruit and time to take pictures and enjoy the experience. Afterwards, our guide, Andy, who was very informative about the park and its elephants, led us on an one hour walk through the park ground. We had several opportunities to take pictures and touch the elephants at multiple stops along the way. We were given more food too give to the elephants. At noon, was lunch time! The vegetarian buffet was expansive in choice and amount you wanted to eat. There had to be over 15 different dishes, fruit, salad, noodles, fried foods, coffee and tea. We had a break to browse the suyvenior store, read about the park, read about the history of each elephant, and see the plenty dogs and cats roaming about. At 1, all the groups attending the park collectively left to watch the elephants bathe by the river. This made it very populated with hoards of visitors when viewing. Once the batheing time was over, the groups split back up for a final walk around the park.
Overall, I loved that the park is ethical and the staff was very informed to educate us. They take care of elephants that have been orphaned or have some sort of disability or hardship. There's over 30 (I might have heard 50?) elephants tended to here so you will see plenty of them. Amazing experience and highly recommend for anyone visiting Chiang Mai.
Due to the coronavirus scare, I originally booked for a party of 8 for my family, which included senior citizens. I requested a refund less than a month away and they kindly processed it with no questions asked!! I appreciated their efforts and chose them with my personal travel.
Overall, I loved that the park is ethical and the staff was very informed to educate us. They take care of elephants that have been orphaned or have some sort of disability or hardship. There's over 30 (I might have heard 50?) elephants tended to here so you will see plenty of them. Amazing experience and highly recommend for anyone visiting Chiang Mai.
Due to the coronavirus scare, I originally booked for a party of 8 for my family, which included senior citizens. I requested a refund less than a month away and they kindly processed it with no questions asked!! I appreciated their efforts and chose them with my personal travel.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
siobhanstewart
Edinburgh, UK93 contributions
Jan 2020
We spent 2 days, 1 night in this park/ sanctuary and we absolutely loved it. There are about 80 elephants but also hundreds of cats and dogs. The atmosphere is really nice and so are the volunteers of the park. We arrived and after a short briefing we went straight to “feed” the elephants with some fruits. I know it could seem stupid but it was really relaxing, observing and getting close to these kind giants. It is a calming experience indeed. After that we went for a tour of the park, listening to common stories of the elephants, some rescued from circuses and logging, and learning with some shock that most of them are blind due to camera flashes,sunlight or circus light. We met also Yai Bua an 104 year old elephant and her Belgian and inspiring carer. The day concluded with us going to an unexpected luxurious room just in front a small night retreat for some elephants, so we could enjoy observing them more. The lunch and dinner (vegetarian with vegan options) were tasty and satisfying. After dinner we saw a hill tribal dance concluded with 1 hour of massage for a very small fee. The day after again we spent time with the elephants and actually prepared some protein food for the eldest of them before feeding them. Absolutely an amazing experience that I would recommend to everyone.
Written 23 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sandra D
Cheshunt, UK45 contributions
Feb 2020
We booked the Sunshine For Elephants single day tour.
We were picked up from our hotel in Chiang Mai on time. The guide explained what would happen on the day and we watched a short safety video on the minibus on what to do and what not to do once we arrived at the sanctuary.
There were 3 elephants at this sanctuary one of which was blind. These animals are so beautiful and I felt it was a privilege to spend time with them (the day went too quickly).
When we arrived we were given bottles of water in a carrier to put over our shoulders.
We began to wash the watermelon and then cut off the skins while the elephants made their way to us. Once they arrived we could fill the plastic reusable baskets to put the watermelon in to go and feed the elephants. To get this close to an elephant was just amazing. Once the elephants had their watermelon we were handed each a bag full of bananas. These were to feed the elephants as we walked with them. They were so gentle when taking the food - you had to put the bananas into the curve of their trunk. They soon lost interest though when you didn't have any bananas left! They were left to their own devices when we were walking and stopped in the jungle for a break. It was great to see them go off and do whatever they wanted. We managed to get some great photos on the day and this is a trip I would do again in a heartbeat. Thank God for these great santuaries that actually do look after the animals in their care.
Elephant Nature Park - we will be back!
We were picked up from our hotel in Chiang Mai on time. The guide explained what would happen on the day and we watched a short safety video on the minibus on what to do and what not to do once we arrived at the sanctuary.
There were 3 elephants at this sanctuary one of which was blind. These animals are so beautiful and I felt it was a privilege to spend time with them (the day went too quickly).
When we arrived we were given bottles of water in a carrier to put over our shoulders.
We began to wash the watermelon and then cut off the skins while the elephants made their way to us. Once they arrived we could fill the plastic reusable baskets to put the watermelon in to go and feed the elephants. To get this close to an elephant was just amazing. Once the elephants had their watermelon we were handed each a bag full of bananas. These were to feed the elephants as we walked with them. They were so gentle when taking the food - you had to put the bananas into the curve of their trunk. They soon lost interest though when you didn't have any bananas left! They were left to their own devices when we were walking and stopped in the jungle for a break. It was great to see them go off and do whatever they wanted. We managed to get some great photos on the day and this is a trip I would do again in a heartbeat. Thank God for these great santuaries that actually do look after the animals in their care.
Elephant Nature Park - we will be back!
Written 22 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
alloutnomad
Auckland, New Zealand12 contributions
Dec 2019
First of all, I would definitely recommend coming to this Elephant park as it's very clear that they take care of the elephants there. We heard a lot of stories about each elephant, including the potentially oldest elephant in Thailand. It was very entertaining to be surrounded by animals like water buffalos and elephants. However, it wasn't much of an 'experience' to be frank. You just walk around from one elephant to another really. No, we're not expecting to ride or bath the elephants at all. Other activities (whether involving elephants or not) could easily be organized to make it more worth it, especially given the price people pay.
If you're expecting an 'experience' you might be left disappointed.
If you're expecting an 'experience' you might be left disappointed.
Written 29 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jorusi
Warsaw, Poland9 contributions
Jan 2020 • Couples
Be very careful! There are loads of „Elephant rescue/experience/fun/whatevers” around Chiang Mai. The ONLY place worth visiting and supporting is this one. This is one of only 15 elephant rescue sanctuaries in the whole of Tahiland. They care for old, sick and injured elephants. They buy them out from their owners, treat them and let them live in (relative) peace far from human abuse. I say „relative” because the small groups of visitors is something that the elephants have to deal with daily, yet we only give them snacks and are allowed to look at them having food or a mud bath and can pat them on the back if we want to. Ten, our guide was amazing - very informative, with great sense of humour and we learned loads from him. The water buffalo gave us a shower from a sprinkler (thanks, that was nice in the heat of the day ;) This is also a dog and cat rescue sanctuary so you can pet the cats and stroke some puppies. Please, support this place and never-ever go to places that offer riding on elephant backs or tricks or bathing them in waterfalls.
Written 22 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
kpfigment
Glendale, CA16 contributions
Feb 2020 • Solo
I visited Karen Elephant Retirement, one of the “saddle off” projects sponsored by Elephant Nature Park (ENP). There are 3 elephants at this project, which are owned by the Karen family that runs the project. The Karen people are one of the hill tribes in Northern Thailand who traditionally owned elephants. ENP is helping many Karen families who want to bring their elephants home from riding/trekking and adopt ENP’s practices (no riding, no bull hooks). Karen Elephant Retirement is a full-day visit and you are picked up at your hotel (or at the ENP office in Chiang Mai). There is a 1.5 hour drive to the project site and the road is quite curvy at the end, so make sure to take some motion sickness medicine if you are prone to motion sickness. Once you arrive at the project, your guide will explain basic safety rules for being around elephants (very important!) and provides traditional Karen clothing for you to wear (so your own clothes don’t get dirty from the ellies). Throughout the day, you get to observe and interact with the elephants, feed them, walk with them through the forest, watch them bathe/take a mud bath, and make yummy rice balls for them to eat. The day is fabulous, and the elephants are lovely and obviously well cared for. There were only 6 people on the tour when I went, which means only 2 people per elephant which is great! Lots of opportunities for interactions with the elephants and amazing photo ops without having a bunch of other people in your pix. If you want to learn about Asian elephants and get up close and personal with them, you can’t go wrong with the Karen Elephant Retirement project!
Written 9 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
I"m planning on doing a week volunteer at the Chang Mai Elephant Nature Park within the next year. I have some respiratory issues and dust can be very aggravating to me so I'm wondering if there is a time to go when the air quality is reasonable?
Thanks in advance
Dar
Written 18 November 2024
Buongiorno, mi chiedevo se devo per forza fare un tour con una agenzia, non posso andare direttamente io in scooter e pagare l ingresso?
Written 14 October 2024
I had booked for an overnight stay. For pickup I was asked to wait from 8am to 8.45am , 45 minutes wait at the lobby . They refused to reply my question if they are able to text when they are about to reach or let us know a better specific time closer to the day . Am staying within the designated area . Anyone able to provide insights on your waiting time please .
Written 8 July 2024
Where is the actual park? How far is it from their office in the city and how did you get there? Or is it a tour? I can’t find it on a map
Written 31 August 2023
I’m confused. A lot of the reviewers say bathing and feeding is not allowed in order to allow the elephants space and dignity. But a few (including from last month) say that they did bathe the elephants. Which is right?
Written 23 August 2023
Hi, if we are staying at Khum Phucome Hotel Chang Mai, are we in the pick up area to be collected for the day trip? Thanks
Written 18 July 2023
With the overnight stay. If you are in a couple do you get a private room? Or is it a shared dorm?
Thanks
Written 20 June 2023
Bonjour, je suis intéressée par la journée de visite de l’Elephant Nature Park mais j’ai vu qu’il y avait également des chiens sur place. Sont-ils en liberté avec les éléphants ou peut on les éviter ? Ma fille de 15 ans a été mordue il y a quelques années par un chien et elle a maintenant une peur terrible des chiens…je ne voudrais pas gâcher sa journée…par ailleurs, y a-t-il beaucoup de touristes tous les jours ? Ça ne fait pas trop usine à touristes? Merci!
Written 11 September 2022
Hello!
I was hoping someone can help me out from their experience. For those who done the programs such as "Care for elephants", "Elephant Highlands", and other programs that include bathing with elephant. Did you notice the elephants were given the option to bathe if they wanted to with the humans? Or was it in a way of being forced on them?
Written 13 June 2022
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