Discover the heartwarming mission of Chiang Mai Elephant Friends, a sanctuary dedicated to the well-being and rehabilitation of rescued elephants in Thailand. Visitors engage in meaningful interactions that promote awareness and support for these majestic creatures while exploring the beauty of Chiang Mai’s natural landscape.
At Chiang Mai Elephant Friends, located at 202 Moo 9, 50360, Thailand, we are committed to creating a safe and nurturing environment for elephants that have faced hardship. Our sanctuary prioritizes the health and happiness of these gentle giants, allowing them to roam freely in a spacious, natural habitat. We invite you to immerse yourself in the experience of feeding, bathing, and observing elephants up close, all while learning about their stories and the importance of ethical wildlife tourism. Our dedicated staff are passionate about elephant care and education, ensuring that each visit deepens your understanding of these incredible animals. Join us to witness firsthand the transformation and joy of elephants as they live in harmony, promoting conservation efforts and a brighter future for them in Thailand.
Chiang Mai Elephant Friends (แม่วาง, ไทย) - รีวิว - ThailandAgoda.com
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Chiang Mai Elephant Friends is perched on a picturesque hilltop overlooking 202 Moo 9, 50360, Thailand
We did the full day experience (hiking, rafting, feeding and bathing the elephants) and stayed one night in the bungalow. We loved every second of it!
We did the one day elephant experience & stayed overnight in one of the bungalows. Elephant Friends is extremely well organised and the stunning countryside was a welcome break from the hustle & bustle of Chiang Mai old town.We’d previously stayed at Elephant Hills in Khao Sok and thought Elephant Friends was a more hands on fun experience, as we were able to walk with the elephants. Plus you can see them from where you’re staying & buy bananas to feed them, including the baby ones.?Noah was a nice pleasant guide & took lots of photos for us on my phone.Food at both restaurants was great. Even the packed lunch on the waterfall visit was tasty (chicken pad thai). There are some friendly stray dogs by the waterfall. Take some dog treats for them if you can, they have puppies.Although Elephant Friends are up front about chaining the elephants overnight – I didn’t realise until after I’d booked it. However the elephants look very well cared for. We saw a bull elephant chained near the koi pond, but apparently that’s because he can’t mix with all the females in the group or he’d end up breeding with his offspring.Later on our holiday whilst in Phuket we were saddened to see elephants being forced to give tourists rides, on our way to see Big Buddha nr. Kata. Elephant Friends, though not a “sanctuary” treat their elephants far better than that. The elephants seem fond of their handlers, not scared. The elephants have a better life than when they were used in the logging industry & aren’t ridden.
Wow what can I say, this was the highlight of our holiday. We stayed here on 22nd February. We paid to feed, trek and bathe with the Elephants as well as the bamboo rafting. This was the most magical experience, our personal guide brought our Elephants which was a mother and 2 year old baby and we had the opportunity to feed them bananas, trek with them in the jungle and finish off bathing in the river.Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and his english was great which helped us to really learn how they care for the Elephants. You could tell the staff really cared for them and we especially liked that noone was able to ride them which we disapprove of. The Elephants are trained to give kisses which feels like a hoover sucking your face and spray water at you. The only thing that was sad is that they chain the Elephants up at night so they don’t roam into neighbouring villages but felt this could be resolved with a parameter fence which would allow them to roam freely as they would in the wild.After our experience, we did the bamboo rafting which was a great experience and worth doing.AccommodationWe stayed in one of the log cabins within the grounds which was basic but comfortable. Had great views and you could see the Elephants roaming around with their keepers. We also opted for the early morning breakfast with the Elephants and had a large bag of sugar cane to feed our elephant.FoodWe did have some dinner at the restaurant which was nice, no complaints. Nice, friendly service.Overall we had an amazing time here. There was also a dog that lived here, I named him Benji. He helped guide us in the dark all the way to our room and stayed outside to make sure we were safely inside. This place is highly recommended and would definately return back.
Absolutely wonderful! Excellent experience from start to finish. Everything was very professional & organized, A+++
One of the memorable trip of our family. We took full day visit and one night stay. If you like elephants , this is place where you can enjoy it. Walking, bathing, playing with elephant family was fantastic.
We stayed in room 22 with the plunge pool. The room itself was as described, definitely not a 5 star room but it was cute and cozy, cold air conditioning and beautiful balcony with a view. They had 2 onsite restaurants, we used the restaurant at the top that was opened for breakfast and dinner. The staff were absolutely amazing and food was cheap and tasty. We did the elephant day experience which was phenomenal. Leo was our tour guide and he was so informative and patient and the elephants were so beautiful. We felt blessed to have that interaction with them. Ground and rooms were clean, well laid out. All staff were so helpful and efficient in everything they did. We would definitely return!
Stayed here with our 2 young children (11 + 8) and had a wonderful experience. Bathed the elephant in the afternoon then had the elephants wake us up in the morning so we could feed them. We also did the bamboo rafting the second morning which was good but unfortunately the river was very low due to no rain. Stayed in the fan family bungalow which was fine and we swam for ours in the creek below. Excellent stay well worth the visit.
What a great experience! We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in this ethical elephant sanctuary. Amazing setting, right by the river. It was lovely to wake up to the sight of elephants feeding nearby. We booked the full day trip (feeding and bathing elephants, walking with them through the jungle with a guide, a bamboo raft trip and finally a visit to a nearby waterfall). It was expensive but worth it and we were reassured that the money goes towards maintaining the centre and caring for the elephants, who can no longer be released into the wild. Staff are very warm and welcoming – they even arranged a taxi to pick up an item we’d left at a previous hotel and they didn’t charge us! The on sight restaurant boasts outstanding views over the valley and an excellent menu. We enjoyed some of the best Thai dishes we had tried so far. Would recommend a stay here, but pack your mozzy spray!
A great place to visit. It’s rustic. Great staff. Make sure you reserve ahead to take part in the activities you want . The elephants seem happy and well take care of. Food was good
One of the highlights of our trip to Thailand was our stay at Chiang Mai Elephant Friends. The entire staff was extremely personable and always smiling! Bungalows are cozy with window views and an outdoor balcony and the beds were very comfortable. And yes, the bathroom could use an update but that’s a minor inconvenience compared to the overall experience of just being there. The two on-site restaurants serve excellent Thai cuisine and delicious smoothies! And you can also pick-up cute souvenirs and clothing at the gift shop. But above all, the interaction with the elephants – feeding and bathing them – truly a memorable experience of a lifetime one will always cherish!
Whilst the elephants do look healthy, and they seem to be cared for there are some very bad aspects about this place which they desperately need to get rid of. Firstly, we HATED the tricks and photos in the river with the elephant, we were so uncomfortable with it and eventually the guides understood we wanted to stop because we didn’t like it. Please get rid of this, it’s so so tacky and simply observing or gently washing the elephant (if the elephant wants to go in the water) is enough for tourists. Secondly is the chaining up at night. Whilst I understand given the space they can’t freely roam, they could at least be given some slack on the chain to allow them to step about to stretch etc. If you don’t have the space for this then I would suggest donating some of the elephants to a sanctuary? Obviously it is a business, and I have no doubt a profitable one – so I’d like to see these profits re-invested in given the elephants a better enclosure. And maybe get rid of the horrid tourist Souvenir shop and change it into an educational area where people can be educated about these amazing animals. We feel guilty for coming here to be fair. Whilst i wouldn’t say it’s unethical there are much better places to visit which equally contribute to preserving and breeding these awesome animals. We certainly will be visiting a more ethical place next time. In conclusion: until they make better ethical choices GO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
The view the people the whole experience was out of this world I don’t want to read about elephants chained at night .there is a reason . This place has my heart. Ethical experience No hitting or any thing eles happens here .