Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai

Recently we took a few days off to head over to Chiang Mai. On the top of our list of things to do was visit the elephant sanctuary!! Many elephant tourism companies in Thailand are very harmful and cruel to the elephants. Riding them with a strapped on “chair” is especially harmful and causes long term damage which shortens their lifespan. Asian elephants are endangered and should be protected, not exploited for tourism.

The elephant jungle sanctuary cares for rescued elephants in a humane way. They do not allow riding of any kind, but instead allows tourists to come and help care for them. We loved how much time we got with the elephants, and had so much fun just playing with them. Our day consisted of feeding them, giving them a mud bath which helps improve the quality of their skin, and giving them a bath and playing with them in a nearby river. It was AMAZING!! Because the elephants are so well cared for, this was one of the most amazing experiences of our life!! All the elephants were free to roam and do as they please. They were so happy and playful and it was so amazing to be with them in the jungle. It really felt like a day in paradise!! We were too busy having fun that we didn’t take too much video, but here’s a little glimpse into our day!!!

For anyone interested in visiting the sanctuary while in Chiang Mai, here’s the link to their website:

https://www.elephantjunglesanctuary.com