Elephant Pride Sanctuary

This is a true ethical sanctuary. Many of the other ones are not. The sanctuary is very small and family run with the elephants being in the same family for over 60 years. Do your research, many of the big sanctuary’s claim to be ethical but have more than 300 visitors a day. This is very taxing on the elephants. If it has 2 tours a day , it’s not ethical.

We had a small group , 6 people and walked through their environment and followed the elephants. Baby Jojo is super cute and always trying to steal moms food.

An incredible experience at the elephant sanctuary! We were privileged to join the elephants in their daily routine, which included feeding, a refreshing walk, a mud bath for the health of their skin, and a rinse off in the river. The elephants are the top priority here, and you follow their routine and wishes rather than expecting entertainment. Even without tourists, this is their everyday life. The genuine love and care the staff show for the elephants make it a truly special place. I recommend booking directly through their website.

The BEST ELEPHANT SANCTUARY I’VE BEEN TO. I love how you can see that they really treat the elephants as their own family and it shows. It’s not at all crowded because they prioritize the elephants well-being because crowds also stressed the elephants it doesn’t feel commercialize and business based thats why you can feel the lovely atmosphere, they actually go by with love and it reflects on the elephants as well with their staff truly an unforgettable and authentic experience. I love how they raised awareness to people about the elephants. I hope more “ethical” sanctuaries see them a lead example. I pray that more and more people will book through them because I am confident that you will leave with a long lasting happiness and memory in your heart as it did mine. Thank you for this opportunity to meet your family! I love you guys keep being the wonderful family that you are! God Bless you! 🫶❤

Love,
Ann, 🇵🇭

Had an amazing day at the sanctuary, the elephants were well treated and were roaming freely. There was one baby elephant, one teenager and two older ones. Three of them approached the group while the teenager was somewhere else and didn’t feel like joining 😃.
The day was very well organised, after getting a lot of information on the elephants (which they consider as family) we slowly approached them and went on a walk. As we walked in the jungle, Chanchai, the guide/owner, pointed out medicinal herbs, flowers and other animals and insects of the area. On top of that we got to observe the elephants going about their walk, eating food from the trees, scratching, etc.

After the walk, we went back and had a lovely healthy lunch and could share the leftover food with the elephants and the chickens in the area. In the end we were allowed to mud scrub the elephants and then we all went together with the elephants to clean up in the river.

Chanchai and his wife were very nice, not only during the day, but they also helped us to find a place for the Yi Peng festival the next day and offered to drive us to the hotel as well. Such kindness and hospitality is very rare and we are very thankful to have met them.They are very invested in the wellbeing of the elephants and of their other animals.

Thank you again for everything!

what a wonderful experience 🩷🩷. the elephants are well loved and cared for. from pick-up to drop-off, the staff here are so kind. there is a good chunk of the drive where the roads are a bunch of curves, so if you have car sickness, definitely think about a motion sickness patch/meds. we got to spend a "day-in-their-life" and completed the elephants daily routine. we fed them, walked them, fed them, mud spa, fed them, bathed them, and fed them. lol! we learned so much about them, and we cannot wait to come back.

We actually had the best day ever at this sanctuary and I would highly recommend this tour to anyone thinking about visiting a sanctuary. Everyone is so friendly and you can see and feel how much they love their elephants.
Thank you chanchai and everyone for this beautiful day!! We will be back for sure.

Best regards, Papa and Sandra

Quite possibly the best excursion of my life. The staff were extremely professional and polite. Being around these amazing animals was magnificent. I have probably close to a thousand photos from my time. The staff genuinely care for the elephants and you can tell when they speak. This is the sanctuary to visit while in Chiang Mai. 10/10.

Really immersive experience!

Driver was on time for pickup and very friendly. He was also very good at navigating the streets despite driving a large vehicle.

It's about 2 hours each way and be prepared for mountainous windy roads, that being said don't let it stop you!

We got to spend so much time with the elephants and learned so much, the food was also delicious! Bring everything they recommend as you'll be glad you did.

Thanks for the wonderful time!

Had a great day out with Chan Chai & his family of elephants. We did only what the elephants wanted to do and enjoyed their company in a non-invasive way. Only later did i realize that Elephant Pride Sanctuary had been featured on Rainn Wilson's Geography of Bliss (Thailand episode, duh). Worth every baht!

An absolutely fantastic day!

Chanchai and his family are extremely generous and hospitable, lunch was fantastic and transportation to and from the sanctuary was effortless.
Most importantly, Chanchai and his family absolutely adore their family of elephants! It is very clear to see how much they care for these animals!
They are completely free to roam around the jungle, it is so amazing to see these giant creatures in their natural habitat.
I will recommend Elephant Pride Sanctuary to anyone who is looking for an unforgettable experience in Chiang Mai!
Thank you Chanchai and to your human and elephant family!

Amazing and ethical elephant experience. They truly care about these creatures. They have ample amount of land to roam and are constantly being fed and cared for. Also the lunch provided was delicious and I wish I could have finished it all. 5/5 would highly recommend to anyone wanting to hangout with elephants!

Friendly elephants and staff, what a wonderful day to spend time with them, you can booking them by website’s WhatsApp +66 82 226 5957. If you like their services also can reward them with tips. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 recommend.

Spent the day at Elephant Pride Sanctuary today and what a day it was! The best experience of my life. So glad we researched and came across this place. These elephants belong to a lovely family and are treated as part of it. They are free to do what they want to do and aren’t forced to do anything. You fit in to their routine. You can tell they are so happy and loved. If you are looking for an ethical elephant sanctuary to visit elephants in their natural habitat that are treated well, this is the place for you ❤

You simply MUST visit this elephant sanctuary when in Thailand. We booked directly on WhatsApp, and paid there. Koko was the main guide and driver and clearly takes such pride in his family’s farm and care of the animals. He picked us up in a comfortable car and drove safely through the jungle, no small feat given the windy roads! Once there, the views are simply stunning, as are the elephants!!! You have the whole day to feed them, walk with them, and bathe them. They were so gentle to the elephants who loved eating the snacks and were clearly at ease around people. They cap the group to 12 tourists so the elephants aren’t overwhelmed so it felt private. The lunch was tasty too. Koko made our day and was such a great guide, answering all our questions in perfect English. Honestly one of the best days of my life. The mama is pregnant, so I hope to return to meet her baby!!!

An amazing experience with a team and family who really loves there elephants.

Feeding them, eating local food prepare by the family, playing and protecting elephant skin in the mud and bath in the river (little cold at first, but you quickly forget about it to enjoy this unique moment)

This family take care about those elephants, its not an tourist attraction as we can see on the road. These elephant are happy and healthy!

An absolute amazing experience! During our time in Chiang Mai, Thailand, my family and I knew that we wanted to play/ interact with elephants, but definitely not support any kind of inhumane or unnatural acts for entertainment or pleasure. That’s when we found this wonderful organization that truly loves and cares for their elephants. All of the elephants there were either rescued, or nursed back to health due to animal cruelty or injuries. Our guide that day (Art) was very calm, patient, and helpful towards everyone on the trip. A truly unique, and special place to visit!

We had the best time with Coco and his family. From the pick upon a comfortable van to the sweet people and the amazing elephants everything was so special. There were about 10 in our group coming from all over (Japan, Brazil, Netherlands, Belgium, US). We all had so much time to play, feed, bath the three elephants a grandma, pregnant and and her 9 year old male calf. The drive is about 1:45 mins to the mountain camp.

We had an amazing time! All of those 4 elephants are so sweet,super happy and chill. We feed them, walk them and bath with them. I had a feeling that the family really love and care about the animals. Of course the elephants are trained, because they are living with humans. But at the same time they are being part of the family— we saw how the little one keeps trying to play with them, so cute!

Coming to Chiang Mai, my husband and I knew we wanted to play with some elephant but definitely did not want to support any kind of elephant harm for entertainment and we are so happy we found this place! It’s a well sized sanctuary tucked into the jungle so the elephant have plenty of room to roam and eat their leaves. The owner is well experienced with how to care for his little family and you can tell they have a bond. We had an amazing day filled with feeding, playing and bathing these beautiful creatures. It was one of the best days on our trip and recommend it for everyone!

What a great experience! The most important thing I was looking for was to experience elephants without them being forced to entertain me or perform, and that goal was totally met here. The elephants are free to come and go and guests follow them through their daily routine which is dictated by what the elephant wants to do and how much time they want to spend doing it. Very very ethical. I got to feed them, walk with them, mud bathe and river bathe them. The guide picked us up at our hotel and also provided a very delicious lunch. The elephants are amazing and loving and I learned a lot. I want to come back and bring my grandkids. See you soon!