Make a difference in Chiang Mai! Support true ethical sanctuaries, verified by international elephant welfare bodies.

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Rescue & Conservation in Chiang Mai

Make a difference in Chiang Mai! Support true ethical sanctuaries, verified by international elephant welfare bodies.

If you are looking for a truly respectful and seamless way to experience Thailand’s majestic elephants, Chang Chill Elephant Camp is an absolute must-visit. From start to finish, the professionalism was top-notch; our booking was confirmed within a day, and our guide, Thong, was incredibly efficient, reaching out the night before with a helpful checklist and ensuring a punctual, comfortable pickup from Chiang Mai.

Thong was a standout guide throughout the day. His excellent English and subtle humor made learning about the unique characters of each elephant a joy. During our one-hour trek, he skillfully located all four elephants and gave us ample time for questions and photos, never once making us feel rushed. After the hike, he prioritized our safety while teaching us how to chop sugarcane, which we later watched the elephants enjoy after our own delicious vegetarian lunch.

What makes Chang Chill a "highly raved" experience is its 10/10 commitment to being a non-contact, observation-only camp. You get to witness these creatures in a natural setting without the ethical compromises of riding or bathing. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to support a genuine cause while having a thoroughly enjoyable day in nature—I will definitely be back!

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See Happy Elephants in Paradise

If you are looking for a truly respectful and seamless way to experience Thailand’s majestic elephants, Chang Chill Elephant Camp is an absolute must-visit. From start to finish, the professionalism was top-notch; our booking was confirmed within a day, and our guide, Thong, was incredibly efficient, reaching out the night before with a helpful checklist and ensuring a punctual, comfortable pickup from Chiang Mai.

Thong was a standout guide throughout the day. His excellent English and subtle humor made learning about the unique characters of each elephant a joy. During our one-hour trek, he skillfully located all four elephants and gave us ample time for questions and photos, never once making us feel rushed. After the hike, he prioritized our safety while teaching us how to chop sugarcane, which we later watched the elephants enjoy after our own delicious vegetarian lunch.

What makes Chang Chill a "highly raved" experience is its 10/10 commitment to being a non-contact, observation-only camp. You get to witness these creatures in a natural setting without the ethical compromises of riding or bathing. I highly recommend this to anyone wanting to support a genuine cause while having a thoroughly enjoyable day in nature—I will definitely be back!

Great experience! Happy with guide and driver

Great experience! Happy with guide and driver

One of the most ethical elephant experiences you can book in Chiang Mai! It’s amazing to see the elephants up close and make treats for them, though sometimes you do get maybe a bit too close. However they’re all retired work elephants, so they’re used to people.

The full-day tour isn’t really necessary unless you want to keep watching them eat the medicine balls you make (most of the day you are essentially watching them eat haha). Keep in mind, it’s a large operation with multiple tours at once, and there’s some hiking through muddy, slippery areas, so wear proper shoes and long pants.

Our guide was friendly and funny, but guides are freelancers (meaning they don't specialize in elephant tours), so the information is fairly basic. If you’re new to elephants, it’s great, but if you’re hoping for deeper knowledge it may fall short. The language barrier also made it hard to ask detailed questions, especially since none of the Mahouts speak English, or even Thai is some cases.

Overall, still 5 stars because it’s one of the better ways to see and support elephants in Chiang Mai, though there’s room for improvement.

One of the most ethical elephant experiences you can book in Chiang Mai! It’s amazing to see the elephants up close and make treats for them, though sometimes you do get maybe a bit too close. However they’re all retired work elephants, so they’re used to people.

The full-day tour isn’t really necessary unless you want to keep watching them eat the medicine balls you make (most of the day you are essentially watching them eat haha). Keep in mind, it’s a large operation with multiple tours at once, and there’s some hiking through muddy, slippery areas, so wear proper shoes and long pants.

Our guide was friendly and funny, but guides are freelancers (meaning they don't specialize in elephant tours), so the information is fairly basic. If you’re new to elephants, it’s great, but if you’re hoping for deeper knowledge it may fall short. The language barrier also made it hard to ask detailed questions, especially since none of the Mahouts speak English, or even Thai is some cases.

Overall, still 5 stars because it’s one of the better ways to see and support elephants in Chiang Mai, though there’s room for improvement.

We waren aangenaam verrast door de organisatie! Logistiek was alles in orde! Vooral de gids (Nicha) maakte deze ervaring extra top. Interessante informatie in duidelijk engels, zorgde voor een aangename interactie. Voor ons klopte deze hele beleving, de etisch filosofie achter de organisatie en de manier waarop de medewerkers omgaan met de dieren. De goede luch maakte alles af!

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We waren aangenaam verrast door de organisatie! Logistiek was alles in orde! Vooral de gids (Nicha) maakte deze ervaring extra top. Interessante informatie in duidelijk engels, zorgde voor een aangename interactie. Voor ons klopte deze hele beleving, de etisch filosofie achter de organisatie en de manier waarop de medewerkers omgaan met de dieren. De goede luch maakte alles af! 

I have learnt that there are a similar number of wild and captive elephants in Thailand, about 4000 of each. The 4 female elephants at Chang Chill are all rescued from a life of hard work in the logging and tourist rides industries. These Elephants, like all those you will see in ethical sanctuaries, are not able to be returned to the wild, they have been raised for so many years as trained animals. So at a no-touch sanctuary like Chang Chill the Elephants are looked after and allowed to just do what elephants do: eat, sleep, play in the mud… 
 This type of sanctuary look after only around 7% of Thailand's domestic elephants. A further 40% or so are in ‘ethical’ sanctuaries where tourists can still hand feed and bath the elephants but not ride them, and the rest are still being used in for full tourist interaction. Although the use of elephants in the logging industry has been banned for 40 years, this tourism use is still allowed.

I gave this tour only 4 stars not 5, because it is a long drive and a long slow day just to see 4 elephants. I have seen elephants before and so perhaps if you have not ever seen an elephant in the flesh this would be a 5 star experience for you. The guide speaks good English and is passionate about the elephants. The pick up service is seamless, and I think it is important to choose a no-touch elephant experience. (Don’t worry, you will see them quite close up and take many cute videos)

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I have learnt that there are a similar number of wild and captive elephants in Thailand, about 4000 of each. The 4 female elephants at Chang Chill are all rescued from a life of hard work in the logging and tourist rides industries. These Elephants, like all those you will see in ethical sanctuaries, are not able to be returned to the wild, they have been raised for so many years as trained animals. So at a no-touch sanctuary like Chang Chill the Elephants are looked after and allowed to just do what elephants do: eat, sleep, play in the mud… 
This type of sanctuary look after only around 7% of Thailand's domestic elephants. A further 40% or so are in ‘ethical’ sanctuaries where tourists can still hand feed and bath the elephants but not ride them, and the rest are still being used in for full tourist interaction. Although the use of elephants in the logging industry has been banned for 40 years, this tourism use is still allowed.

I gave this tour only 4 stars not 5, because it is a long drive and a long slow day just to see 4 elephants. I have seen elephants before and so perhaps if you have not ever seen an elephant in the flesh this would be a 5 star experience for you. The guide speaks good English and is passionate about the elephants. The pick up service is seamless, and I think it is important to choose a no-touch elephant experience. (Don’t worry, you will see them quite close up and take many cute videos)

Incredible experience at Burm and Emily’s sanctuary. We were looking for an elephant related organisation to support during our Thailand trip and wanted a strictly hands-off adventure. This was exactly it! The elephants here have been bought off privates who were using them for work (i.e. riding, carrying, logging), and have been given a chance to retire in a peaceful and magical place. They have the freedom to roam around the forest every day, bathe in the river, and eat whatever they want to eat. Burm and Emily are doing fantastic work, not just for the elephants, but also for the countless rescued cats &amp; dogs on their property, as well as for the people of the community. By joining their program you also sponsor and contribute to their work. 

A massive shoutout has to go to the staff, and especially Thee for being wonderfully professional and knowledgeable. 

Thank you for the fantastic experience! 🐘💚

2D1N Inside a Real Elephant Sanctuary | No Riding, No Tricks

Incredible experience at Burm and Emily’s sanctuary. We were looking for an elephant related organisation to support during our Thailand trip and wanted a strictly hands-off adventure. This was exactly it! The elephants here have been bought off privates who were using them for work (i.e. riding, carrying, logging), and have been given a chance to retire in a peaceful and magical place. They have the freedom to roam around the forest every day, bathe in the river, and eat whatever they want to eat. Burm and Emily are doing fantastic work, not just for the elephants, but also for the countless rescued cats &amp; dogs on their property, as well as for the people of the community. By joining their program you also sponsor and contribute to their work. 

A massive shoutout has to go to the staff, and especially Thee for being wonderfully professional and knowledgeable. 

Thank you for the fantastic experience! 🐘💚

Here is a truly ethical experience - you don't get to wash, touch or play with the elephants, you simply observe and learn about them. I had a good time taking the time to watch them eat, walk, etc. It's slower paced with some light trekking over the multiple acres of land where 4 elephants get to free roam. The road up is bit windy hence bring some travel sickness meds if you're prone. I loved the elephants, they are super cute and makes me happy to see them happy :) Host provided good explanations about the elephants and were friendly.

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Here is a truly ethical experience - you don't get to wash, touch or play with the elephants, you simply observe and learn about them. I had a good time taking the time to watch them eat, walk, etc. It's slower paced with some light trekking over the multiple acres of land where 4 elephants get to free roam. The road up is bit windy hence bring some travel sickness meds if you're prone. I loved the elephants, they are super cute and makes me happy to see them happy :) Host provided good explanations about the elephants and were friendly. 

A really fun and informative experience. Pim was such a wonderful guide and it was nice to observe the animals, rather than force them to engage in any activities.

A really fun and informative experience. Pim was such a wonderful guide and it was nice to observe the animals, rather than force them to engage in any activities.

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