Half Day Elephant Experience

The half-day program gives you a full morning with the elephants and has you back in Chiang Mai by early afternoon, which makes it a good fit for families with younger children, anyone short on time, or people who want the elephants without a full day out. Nothing is cut from the elephant part; you just skip the long lunch break and the afternoon.

Pickup is early, between 07:00 and 07:30, followed by a drive of about an hour and a half south through the countryside with a stop at a local market. At the camp you change into a camp shirt and your guide explains where the elephants came from and how they behave. Then you get to work: rolling vitamin balls or tamarind treats, feeding the elephants from a basket of bananas and sugar cane, and spending time close to them while they eat and wander. Next comes the mud spa, so wear your swimsuit underneath, and a walk to the river to bathe and brush them. A buffet lunch of Thai dishes and fruit follows, you say goodbye to the elephants, and there is a stop at a waterfall to rinse off and relax before the drive back. You are at your hotel around 13:00 to 13:30.

The camp sits in a village in Mae Wang district near a national park. It has taken the saddles and chains off its elephants and does not offer riding; you walk with them, feed them and bathe them instead. The camp does not run to a fixed timetable; apart from pickup, the times are approximate. An afternoon version of the same program also exists; ask us if the early start does not suit you.