Overnight Elephant Nature Park (2 Days + 1 Night)

Staying overnight is the slowest and most immersive way to visit Elephant Nature Park, the sanctuary north of Chiang Mai that gives a home to rescued elephants living in their own chosen herds. It suits people who find a day visit too short and want to see the herd in the evening and early morning, when day visitors have gone. All meals, a night's accommodation and transport from Chiang Mai are included.

Day one starts with a morning pickup in Chiang Mai city and the drive north. At the park there is an orientation video and talk about the herd and the sanctuary, then lunch. The afternoon is spent with the elephants: walking with your guide, watching the social groups interact, play and bathe, and learning from the staff how they communicate with the animals. Dinner is at the park, and you sleep in a fan-cooled room with a mosquito net, so you can leave the windows open and listen to the elephants rumble and snore in the dark. Day two begins with breakfast, then a morning walk to watch the herd in the open pasture. After a second lunch you leave the park, arriving back in Chiang Mai around 5:00 to 5:30 pm.

The park says overnight stays do not follow a strict timetable; the point is to spend time with the herd. All meals are vegan buffets, prepared in Western and Asian styles. Riding is not allowed. Solo travellers share a room with a guest of the same gender. Luggage is limited to one small daypack plus one carry-on-size bag per person, and you need your passport or a copy of it at check-in.