SkyWalk (Elephant Nature Park)

SkyWalk is the longer, fuller version of a day at Elephant Nature Park. It starts earlier than the standard visit and adds a separate area of the sanctuary where a herd roams entirely hands-off and is viewed from an elevated boardwalk, before you spend the rest of the day in the main park. It suits people who want a whole day with the elephants and prefer watching them behave naturally to feeding or touching them. All ages are welcome.

Pickup is early morning in Chiang Mai city, and on the drive north your guide talks about the history of elephants in Thailand. The first part of the visit is the SkyWalk itself: a raised walkway from which you watch the herd below move, feed and interact without any people among them. You then move to the main sanctuary for a walk around the park with your guide, meeting elephants in their chosen herds and hearing their stories. You help prepare food and watch the mahouts deliver it. Lunch is a vegan buffet of Asian and Western dishes. In the afternoon you watch the herds at the mud pits and bathing in the river before the drive back, arriving in Chiang Mai around 4:30 to 5:00 pm.

Riding is not allowed anywhere at the park. Wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a hat and sunscreen, and keep luggage to one small daypack. Strollers are not allowed on site.