After spending 3 weeks backpacking in Thailand, my favorite activity by far was visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai. This was high on my Thailand bucket list before visiting the country, but after doing some research I was disappointed to find that a lot of the elephant sanctuaries in Thailand (and around the world) are not really ethical and encourage forced interactions with the elephants. After digging a bit deeper I was able to find an amazing ethical sanctuary near Chiang Mai and had the BEST day there. In this guide, I’ll share how to find a truly ethical elephant sanctuary and my experience at Chiang Chill.
Planning a trip to Thailand?
Check out my other Thailand blog posts:
The Best 3 Week Thailand Itinerary from South to North
6 Things to Do in Thailand for an Unforgettable Trip
Elephant Sanctuaries in Thailand
Elephants are sacred in Thai culture, but sadly they have been exploited for centuries by the logging industry and more recently for entertainment and tourism. Even now, most places that call themselves “ethical” sanctuaries use unethical practices and focus more on creating instagram-worthy interactions than on rehabilitation and rescue.
Although it’s common knowledge these days that riding elephants is harmful and unethical, many travelers still choose sanctuaries with forced interactions, like bathing with or petting elephants. Bathing and petting elephants may seem harmless, but it is unnatural for elephants to interact with humans in this way. The elephants may not be chained but they were still be trained to behave in certain ways that are not natural for them.
So, I decided to look specifically for a no-bathe, no-touch sanctuary in Thailand, where I could observe these beautiful animals living as naturally as possible, while supporting a truly ethical organization. That’s how I found Chiang Chill, and my visit ended up being my favorite day on my entire trip to Thailand.
Read More: 6 Best Things to Do in Thailand
What Makes an Elephant Sanctuary Ethical?
When trying to decide which elephant sanctuary to visit in Thailand, these are a few rules you should follow:
- No riding – Elephant’s spines aren’t built for riding and it can cause long-term injury.
- No bathing – Elephants don’t need our help to bathe and forcing them to do it with humans is especially unnatural.
- No touching or hugging – Elephants should not have to be lured with food so they can be touched and take selfies with humans.
- No chains or bullhooks – Elephants should be allowed to move freely and should not be forced into performing for humans.
- Freedom to roam and forage naturally – Elephants should be able to roam, graze and socialize with other elephants like they would in the wild, and not be confined to small enclosures.
If you want to learn more about how to be an elephant-friendly tourist and see the 10 ethical sanctuaries throughout Thailand (yes, there are only 10 that are truly ethical!), then check out this article from World Animal Protection.
About Chiang Chill Elephant Sanctuary in Thailand
If you are in Chiang Mai, Thailand, I highly recommend visiting the sanctuary Chiang Chill, which is on the World Animal Protection’s list of ethical elephant sanctuaries. It’s located about an hour outside of Chiang Mai in the hills of Northern Thailand, surrounded by picturesque rice fields .
Chiang Chill is home to 4 rescued elephants who were previously used in the logging industry or tourist shows. Since they’ve been domesticated for most of their lives, they can’t survive in the wild on their own. A sanctuary, especially one like Chiang Chill, is the best place for them to live out the rest of their lives. They are cared for by the elephant keepers and are able to roam freely on protected land.
My favorite thing about Chiang Chill is that they clearly prioritized the well-being and comfort of the elephants over tourist entertainment. There were no tricks, photo ops or forced interactions. Of course we were about to take as many pictures as we wanted of and with the elephants, but from a distance. I didn’t feel like the experience was lacking anything. Simply getting to observe these animals in the most natural environment possible was truly incredible.
Chiang Chill Half-Day Tour Itinerary
Chiang Chill offers half-day and full-day visits that depart from Chiang Mai. As budget travelers with limited time in Chiang Mai, we decided to just book the half-day tour.
In the morning, we were picked up in a comfortable minivan from our hotel in Chiang Mai and driven about 1 hour through the scenic countryside. On the way, the guide gave us some information about the sanctuary, what we could expect from the day, and told us lots of interesting information about Elephants in Thailand. Our tour group was small with only about 8 people total.
When we arrived at the sanctuary, we settled in and then went on a short trek into the forest to find the elephants, who were freely roaming and grazing around the property. We eventually found one of the elephants, who was walking towards us on the trail. We moved over to make room for it, as it just walked on past us. I was in awe – I had never seen elephant just casually walk past me like that! All the sudden the other elephants starting appearing through the trees and we could see all four of them standing around us. We were able to take lots of pictures of the elephants and even got these great pictures with them.
Two of the elephants happened to be a mother and daughter duo who were brought to the sanctuary together. Observing them, you could see their close mother-daughter bond. They never left each other’s side, and the daughter always followed after the mother. If you want to read more about the interesting lives of the elephants at Chiang Chill, check out this article on their website. All the elephants are over 35 years old and have worked in multiple industries across Thailand.
After the trek to see the elephants, we enjoyed a delicious vegan Thai lunch. Then we prepared the elephants’ afternoon meal, which was fresh sugar cane. We took turns chopping the sugar cane stalks, which was actually very difficult. I think the staff ended up cutting up most of it!
We headed down the hill a bit to wait for the elephants to come get their lunch. And at exactly 1 pm (they know their lunchtime!), we saw the elephants walking down the hill to come snack on the fresh sugar cane. We were only 10 feet away from them and were able to watch them eat for about 30 minutes.
Since this was the half day tour, we were brought back to Chiang Mai after lunch, at about 1 pm. If you choose to do the full-day visit, it will include a lesson about traditional Thai herbs and an elephant cooking class, where you get to prepare more food for the elephants.
Chiang Chill Elephant Sanctuary Logistics
How much does the visit to Chiang Chill Cost?
The half-day visit to Chiang Chill costs 1900 baht, or about $60 usd. It was one of the most expensive things we did in Thailand, but for everything that’s included and the amazing experience we had, it was worth it. And I loved getting to support an ethical organization.
What is included in the half-day visit?
- Round-trip hotel pickup from Chiang Mai
- An english-speaking guide
- Guided nature walk to see the elephants
- Vegan Thai lunch
- Elephant feeding experience
Where do I book the tour?
Book your visit to Chiang Chill directly on their website using this link. We were able to book our tour just a few days in advance, but it may book up fast during busy times of the year.
What do I wear and bring to Chiang Chill?
- Lightweight, breathable clothing (I wore long pants to protect from mosquitos)
- Comfortable walking/hiking shoes
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Sunscreen
- Insect repellent
- Reusable water bottle
- Camera (I really wish I had a better camera with me on this excursion – it would have been awesome to be able to capture the elephants from a distance with a zoom lens)
Final Thoughts
If you’re wondering just how much I loved my visit to Chiang Chill…. I literally got an elephant tattoo a few hours after our visit!
Now this is a tattoo that I had been wanting to get for many, many years (I have a similar one saved on Pinterest from when I was 15). I was thinking of getting a tattoo somewhere in Thailand, and had a highly rated, fine line tattoo studio saved in Chiang Mai, called Alice Tattoo Studio. While looking for a place to eat dinner that night we happened to walk past the studio and I felt like it was fate. I decided to go in and get a tattoo of a mommy and baby elephant, inspired by the mother-daughter duo at the sanctuary (and inspired by my own relationship with my mom). The tattoo and the memories from that day are my favorite Thailand souvenirs!
If you decide to visit Chiang Chill or another ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand, I hope your experience is as memorable and impactful as it was for me!
What a great experience. And one I’ve done myself. They are so wonderful to watch.
I’ve always wanted to see elephants in Thailand, and I’m so glad to hear there are reputable, ethical options. It must have been memorable if it merited a tattoo!
I’m so glad to hear about your experience with the elephants and it’s true there is still so many unethical ones! Thank you for sharing one which is ethical and how good the tour was 🙂
Hello! There’s so much to do in Thailand. Local nature is so diverse. I’m glad that travellers can find some optimal ways to meet wild nature there.
I love this! I went to the elephant jungle sanctuary while I was in Thailand. Next time I will look for a place where the elephants are not in chains and are freer to roam.