Chiang Mai offers an excellent opportunity to spend some close time with the gentle giants.
Elephants are treated as holy animals in the Thai culture. So, it comes as no surprise that the country is abode to a lot of elephant sanctuaries here and there. In these places, the "gentle giants" live freely and are taken care of with utmost love and affection. However, to get the best experiences, you have to go to the north, more specifically the Chiang Mai city. Here, there are numerous such sanctuaries where you can visit and interact closely with the elephants. You can bathe as well as feed them and spend hours seeing the animals play in their natural habitats. Also, their friendly behavior will provide you memories to cherish for lifetime.
As there are many, here we have listed down the five most popular elephant sanctuaries in the city of Chiang Mai.
Elephant Nature Park: Elephant Nature Park is one of the oldest and most ethical elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai. The park is home to a number of elephants who have been rescued from the tourism and circus industries. Here, along with spending time with the Thai elephants, you also get to learn a lot about their history, psychology and more.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary: This is another popular sanctuary which provides shelter to the elephants rescued from the logging and tourism industry of Thailand. There are over 30 of these animals living in the laps of nature. It also offers some packages which allow you to spend the night with the elephants.
Happy Elephant Home: Happy Elephant Home is located in the Mae Taeng District, Chiang Mai. The sole aim of this sanctuary is to provide a happy life to all the elephants who have been mistreated for years in the tourism industry. On arrival, you'll have to change into the traditional Karen clothing. Getting a mud spa with the amazing animals is the best activity to do in Happy Elephant Home.
Patara Elephant Farm: Patara Elephant Farm offers you a great opportunity to learn about the history as well as anatomy and lifestyle of the elephants. Also, it provides you with lots of information about the importance of elephants in the Thai culture. The sanctuary is also an amazing picnic spot for the tourists.
Into the Wild Elephant Camp: Into the Wild Elephant Camp is a large sanctuary which offers one of the best elephant tours in the entire world. Here, you will really learn about the lifestyle of the elephants as well as the volunteers working at the sanctuary. On the other hand, it also supports the local Karen community in various ways.
Apar from these, you can also visit Hug Elephant Sanctuary, Kanta Elephant Sanctuary, Maerim Elephant Sanctuary etc.
