While elephant rides and shows are on top of everyone’s list when visiting Thailand, why not opt for a different experience with these majestic animals and directly contribute to their survival as well? At the Elephant Nature Park, visitors are treated to a day full of fun and educational activities that can be only described as "special".
Visitors are picked up from their hotels in Chiang Mai around 8 AM for a picturesque hour-long drive to the Mae Taeng Valley where the park is located. Upon arrival, you will be eagerly greeted by dozens of dogs, most of them also rescued. A tour of the area then follows all the while learning about the life stories of each rescued elephants you meet as told by the park’s expert guides. Over the next couple of hours, you will learn about the plight of the Asian elephant and how the organization is addressing these issues.
One of the highlights is the bathing time. After learning how to properly and safely bathe an elephant, you get the chance to walk with them to the nearby river where you can give your new skills a try. If getting wet is not your thing, you can safely view the activities from the shore. Once bathing is over, everyone heads to the feeding platform where each elephant gets a big-basket full of fruits and vegetables hand-fed by you.
Day Visit. The price for a day’s visit is ฿2500/ $80 (Adult) and ฿1250/ $40 (2-11 yrs) and as a non-profit organization, the cost of every visit directly supports the elephants at the park.
For more information visit Elephant Nature Park