Elephant Care + Sticky Waterfall Tour

This is the longest day Mae Rim Elephant Sanctuary offers, and it pairs two of the most popular things to do north of Chiang Mai. You spend the morning with the elephants and the afternoon at Bua Tong, better known as the Sticky Waterfall, where the limestone has so much grip that you can walk up the cascades barefoot. It suits families and anyone who wants a full day out without choosing between animals and water.

The day begins with an early hotel pickup and a drive of about 45 minutes to the sanctuary. You change into traditional mahout clothing, then meet the herd with a basket of bananas. The team explains how the elephants behave and where each one came from before you head into the mud spa and then into the water to bathe with them. Back at the camp there is a short Thai cooking session making noodle soup, and time to cool off in the swimming pool. Then it is a 30-minute drive to the waterfall, where you have three to four hours to climb, swim and explore the different levels before the drive back to Chiang Mai.

The sanctuary works without riding, hooks or chains: you walk beside the elephants, feed them and bathe with them, and nothing is forced. Bring a swimsuit and a towel, because you will get muddy at the camp and wet at the falls. The supplier lists pickup between 07:00 and 07:30 and a return to your hotel around 17:30.