Hug Elephant Sanctuary, located in the heart of Chiang Mai, Thailand, invites you to embark on a memorable journey with rescued elephants. Nestled next to De Chai Hotel on Thapae Road, our sanctuary provides a safe haven for these magnificent creatures while promoting awareness about wildlife conservation and ethical tourism practices. Join us for an immersive experience that fosters a deep connection between humans and elephants in a nurturing environment.
Welcome to Hug Elephant Sanctuary, a compassionate haven for elephants located at 6/1-2 Thapae Road in the Changklan Subdistrict of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Next to the beautiful De Chai Hotel, our sanctuary is designed to provide a peaceful and enriching environment for both elephants and visitors. Our mission is to create awareness about ethical elephant care while allowing guests to engage with these gentle giants in a respectful manner.
At Hug Elephant Sanctuary, we prioritize the well-being of our elephants. Each resident is a rescued individual, saved from harsh conditions and exploitation. Our sanctuary serves as a refuge where they can thrive in a loving, natural environment. We invite visitors to participate in experiences that foster interaction based on trust and respect, emphasizing the importance of understanding elephant behavior and needs.
When you visit, you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the unique stories of each elephant, gaining insight into their behavior and natural habits. Our knowledgeable guides are passionate about wildlife conservation and provide an engaging educational experience. This is not merely an attraction; it’s a chance to forge meaningful connections and gain a deeper understanding of these magnificent creatures.
In addition to unforgettable encounters, we emphasize the principles of sustainable tourism. Our sanctuary supports local communities by promoting responsible and ethical practices in tourism and animal care. By visiting Hug Elephant Sanctuary, you contribute to vital conservation efforts aimed at protecting elephants and their natural habitats.
We encourage guests to embrace the tranquility of our sanctuary, taking part in activities such as feeding, bathing, and walking alongside our elephants in a serene setting. As a visitor, you will leave with cherished memories and a greater respect for wildlife, enriched by the knowledge that you are supporting a sanctuary dedicated to rehabilitation and conservation.
Hug Elephant Sanctuary is your destination for heartfelt interactions and profound experiences with elephants while fostering a sense of responsibility towards environmental conservation. We look forward to welcoming you to our sanctuary where every moment spent with our elephants is a step towards building a brighter future for these incredible beings. Join us in creating a world where elephants are cherished and protected for generations to come.
Hug Elephant Sanctuary (เมืองเชียงใหม่, ไทย) - รีวิว - ThailandAgoda.com
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Hug Elephant Sanctuary is perched on a picturesque hilltop overlooking 6/1-2 Thapae Road, Changklan Subdistrict Next to De Chai Hotel, 50100, Thailand
We booked in for a full day visit with the elephants at Hug Elephant sanctuary not really knowing what our day would look like. We had a wonderful time visiting the elephants and would recommend this as a must do experience for anyone visiting Chiang Mai. We would recommend you book the full day tour if you have the time as it’s not much more in cost but you’ll thank yourselves later for having more time to spend with the gentle and graceful giants. We loved getting to feed the elephants and learning their names and stories from our wonderful guide Jay. Later on we walked with the elephants down the river before bathing them and then giving them a mud bath. The guides are careful to explain to you how to keep safe around the elephants and provided a yummy lunch and break in the middle of the day.
The whole visit was wonderful. With much respect and consideration shown to the elephants and visitors alike, you are given real access to these amazing creatures. The mud wiping and feeding were memorable and the swim in the waterfall pool was very refreshing. The catering was also excellent with a great Pad Thai served up on arrival.The closeness you feel to these animals within the sanctuary and the ability to literally embrace the hairy trunk of what quickly feels like an old friend (or family member) is a very fitting tribute to Hug and all its wonderful team.We could not rate this experience more highly and the memories will live with us forever.
The people and experience was wonderful. We learned a lot, made food and fed the elephants, washed and pet them. It was so fun and cool!!!
The sanctuary was a worthwhile experience with a chance to learn about how elephants can be supported. This would have been 5* … but the transport to/from the city was poor and seemed quite dangerous.
What an amazing experience. We went on a tour from Chiang Mai. Upon arrival we had a great briefing about the set up, the elephants and plan for the day. We then helped to feed the elephants, walked with them, went in the river to bathe them and then into a mud bath. They have a big wild space to roam around/ play etc in and as they have been rescued from circuses etc, they are too used to human contact to be released into the wild so you can touch them, but of course no riding or anything like that. A fabulous experience.
We did the full day tour at HUG elephant sanctuary. Bang was our guide, and he and the elephant handlers obviously love their jobs and the elephants. We hiked up into the jungle alongside these huge animals, and up a clearing were able to feed them sugarcane that had been caught up for them a few moments earlier. We got to taste the sugarcane, and it was delicious! we then hiked around the jungle with them while they fed on trees and bark and other vegetarian edibles. We took a break to enjoy a delicious pad Thai and fried chicken lunch. Then hyped out to a mud bath area where we helped give the elephants mud baths, and then swim in the river and wash them off. we hiked to a waterfall as well and then back to Chiang Mai. These elephants were very well taken care of. Would’ve liked to learn even more about them.
An amazing 2 day experience..our guide Kevin collected us from our hotel in Chaing Mai in a comfortable air conditioned truck. He took us to a local market enroute to the sanctuary to buy snacks etc for our stay .He and the Mahouts have so much knowledge and love of the elephant’s , the elephant’s wander freely , most days I imagine they get their daily spa treatments of mud baths and washing provided by the visitors what fun we had treating the elephants , we did get a bit mucky , who cares we washed clean .We fed and made medication balls for the elephant’s such an up close personal experience..The food at the sanctuary was one of the nicest meals we have eaten during our trip . Amazing food.Kevin our guide was the happiest , most knowledgeable fun man we’ve come across , he took us to the waterfall, he took us bamboo rafting and gave us sooo much info on the elephant’s and the area Our overnight stay was in a stunning wooden house in the jungle were we had two ladies come and cook another fabulous meal for us , we sat in the evening embracing the sounds of the jungle total bliss , they even brought us beer?a bucket list trip which exceeded expectations. This sanctuary is a run by the local people for the local people and their elephant family ..it is not a greed tour operator set up minutes made go back to the sanctuary and the elephant’s. We saw other set ups, fenced areas with no foliage or trees , the elephant’s didn’t have freedom to roam at their pace . these places are for profit primarily not elephant welfare 100% recommend Hug Elephant sanctuary and hope one day to return .Thankyou Kevin for the most amazing two days
Absolutely fabulous experience . The elephants were really well kept and they had lots of space to roam and be happy. This was so private as we were the only ones in the park on our trip. We saw surrounding sanctuaries , and they had probably 20 people to 1 elephant , we had 3 elephants between 2 of us . We got picked up from our hotel via a private taxi , the tour guide was also in the car ( Bruce) to great us and tell us about the tour and answer any questions . We were taken to the sanctuary and welcomed with water and offered a free of charge locker to store belongings . We were able to feed the elephants and stroke them and then we also bathed them in mud and then took them into a natural river to wash them . The Whole experience was amazing and we would not change anything. I’d definitely use this business again as the animals were so well kept and the people running the place were so caring towards them. As for the tour guide , his name was Bruce and he was amazing ! Extremely friendly and happy to answer any questions . He ensured we were safe and enjoying our experience , but also took plenty photos and videos for us on our phone free of charge . These photos are amazing and it was nice to not be forced to pay for photographs as many places take photos on there own devices and then try and charge you afterwards or they don’t release them. We had a nice dinner provided by them , right by a waterfall , which was brilliant. Thank you so much the whole team , but mainly Bruce ! Hope to visit again soon.
The tour operator, Ooy, is very sweet and helpful. They pick you up from your hotel and travel to the sanctuary. I did a ln afternoon half day tour and enjoyed the experience. The small group got to feed the animals and bathe them in the river . We also hiked to a beautiful waterfall at the mouth said the river. We received a home cooked meal at the end of the tour! I highly recommend this group!
DO NOT VISIT. After extensive research and a recommendation from our hotel, we booked this experience. We were told (on the website and brochure) that this was an ethical, free roaming sanctuary for rescued elephants. This could not have been further from the truth.When we arrived we were almost immediately led to a pen where a man carrying a machete was flinging sugar cane at a very large mother and her tiny baby. We were given no information about the animals and when I repeatedly asked where they had been rescued from I was given vague answers such as ‘eh from the north’ or ‘from some place else’. The elephants had ropes round their necks and we were given odd ponchos to wear and bags of bananas to feed them. It felt so bizarre because we were told they would be free roaming but this all felt rehearsed. We felt really uncomfortable and chose not to feed them. Then we were led up a sort of hill where another elephant could be seen rocking back and forth. I immediately questioned this odd behaviour and was told ‘it is a personality quirk’…? It was so disturbing. Two more men smoking what did not look like cigarettes (the ash from which went on the elephants trunk!!) and each carrying machetes arrived with two young male elephants who where groaning and seemed agitated. One of the men hit his knife off the pen three times and when I asked what that was for (because it seemed like a signal?!) I was told he was going to cut the pen to make it safe for us? Utterly bizarre. We immediately decided (after about 30 minutes out of what was supposed to be 8 hours…) that we wanted to leave. We felt threatened, sad, uncomfortable and unsettled. The whole experience was just awful. There are maybe no ethical ‘sanctuaries’ in this area. It was like a cowboy zoo.