One Day Trekking + Whitewater Rafting & Elephant Care

Bamboo Elephant Family Care is a small family-run camp about an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai. It was started in 2016 by Burin Ampai, known as Bank, and his father, after a young elephant called Noi was passed to the family. The camp says it uses no chains or hooks and lets its small herd roam freely. There is strictly no riding. This is the most active day the camp offers: a two-hour trek, a white water rafting run and a hands-on session with the elephants. It suits fit travellers who want a full day outdoors and are happy to get wet more than once.

Pickup is between 08:00 and 08:30 from your hotel, and the drive north takes about two hours. The trek comes first: around two hours on forest paths to a waterfall, with time to relax before lunch. Then you head to the river for the rafting: about 40 minutes over 4 km with the rafting crew. The afternoon belongs to the elephants. At the camp you change into traditional Karen clothing and hear about the history and behaviour of Asian elephants. Then you meet the elephants: you feed them by hand and spend time close to them, learn about the traditional organic herbal supplements the camp prepares for their diet, and finish by bathing and brushing your elephant in the river. You are dropped back at your hotel around 18:00.

Transport, lunch, fruit, drinking water, insurance, an English-speaking guide and a Karen-style shirt are included. Bring walking shoes for the trek, slippers or strapped sandals for the river, a swimsuit, a towel, sunscreen and mosquito spray, plus a full change of clothes. The tour runs as a shared group.