We had booked a day trip online in the UK and paid a deposit with the total settled on the day. It cost £50 each but was worth every penny and genuinely does help sustain the charity. You can also walk into their office to book in Chiang Mai and organise a day trip or stay for longer as a volunteer which looked really tempting when you see the location and the accommodation. This is a great way of seeing Thailand’s elephants while learning more about their history and current conservation projects as opposed to seeing them begging in the street or hauling tourists around and doing tricks. The day trip was very well organised with structure but also allowed time to relax and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and incredible view of elephants wandering around the surrounding landscape. You are picked up from your hotel and the drive takes about 1h15 from Chiang Mai and you watch a video about the park en route. You get right up close to the elephants who all have names and stories. Visitors can feed them fruit then go into the river and wash them which turns into a big water fight! There are lots of opportunities for taking photos and the tour guides who really seem to care about the animals can answer any questions. The reality of the plight of some of Thailand’s elephants is made clear in an interesting if at times distressing documentary and the hope is that visitors will help spread the word. There is a fantastic fresh buffet lunch as well as free tea, coffee and water during the day and snacks in the afternoon. I would highly recommend the experience to anyone who loves elephants or wants to experience ecotourism at its best.

www.elephantnaturepark.org/
209/2 Sridornchai Road, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand
+66(0)53 818754
Google map: bit.ly/h5pItu

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If you love elephants, animals and care about the environment then visit this wonderful elephant sanctuary.

Over 30 elephants live here free from work and they live a natural life in social groups. There is no riding but that doesn't matter because you can feed and bath them in the river. Just watching them interact with each other is really special.

They give you lots of information about elephant conservation and the whole day is great.

Highly recommended.

eleaid.com/index.php?page=elephantnaturepark

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I wanted to spend some time with elephants but felt uneasy about the usual tourist trips to see them. We found the elephant nature park and although it's more expensive we went with them. I was so glad we did, you spend a whole day with the elephants, feeding and washing them, and receive a real education on how elephants are treated elsewhere in Thailand.

It was one of the highlights of our three week trip and I'd return in a second.

You can visit for a day or stay overnight.

www.elephantnaturepark.org/

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EleAid has been supporting the Elephant Nature Park since its earliest days. Originally we signed up for their two-week conservation volunteer course in 2002. We ended up working with them for a whole year and rescuing 3 elephants and rehousing them at the Park.

The Elephant Nature Park has undergone many changes since then and has grown and is now home to 28 elephants of which 5 were rescued by EleAid.

It is still possible to sign up for the excellent two-week course, stay for a couple of nights or visit for an elephant conservation day. The elephants are allowed to live as natural lives as possible and watching them will take your breath away.
The best elephant experience for visitors to Thailand.

www.eleaid.com/index.php?page=elephantnaturepark

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There's a certain formula to most of the treks and tours available from Chiang Mai travel agents: drive to the jungle; do a bit of walking; visit a couple of tribal villages; do a little bamboo rafting; ride an elephant.

All well and good, but for something a bit different, try the Elephant Nature Park. This is one of the few (if only) camps where the elephants run the show and are treated with the care they deserve - some of the others leave a lot to be desired. And it's also a great place to get up close and personal with the elephants themselves, all of which were rescued from far less salubrious conditions.

From $68 for a day trip to $260 for a week - not cheap, but consider that all the money goes towards looking after the elephants.
Addresses and telephone numbers at www.elephantnaturepark.org/office.htm

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