Review Author: Emily & Max

Review Date: 01 Jul 2026

Review Body: I dare say this was the highlight of our time in Thailand. We spent 2 days and 1 night at BEES, but we wished it was longer! A lot of research went into selecting this sanctuary to see elephants in an environment where their wellbeing comes before that of tourists. The first day involved a little road trip to the sanctuary. Our driver, Tan, was the best and made many stops along the way to show us all of his favorite spots including waterfalls, viewpoints, a fruit market, and a rice terrace (where we got to attempt planting seedlings!). When we arrived at the sanctuary, we were welcomed by Emily, who shared about the long history of setting up the sanctuary and their vision- which was helpful context to have especially regarding the complexity of elephants in Thailand. I have immense respect and admiration for Emily and Burm dedicating their lives to doing this work. Our on-site guides, Tea and M&M, were extraordinary and so knowledgeable about the elephants, region, and wildlife- and overall just super fun to hang out with! We played cards, sang songs, and chatted throughout the day trekking alongside the elephants. The accommodations were very comfortable too!! Overall, this was a very special experience that we will remember forever. If you’re on the fence about doing it, please take the plunge. We were certainly wishing we could stay another night upon leaving, which would’ve been convenient seeing as I left my phone there (oops, shoutout to M&M for saving me!). We look forward to continuing to support BEES’ hard work in the future and hope to return someday!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Eve Bennett

Review Date: 07 Mar 2025

Review Body: A Truly Ethical Elephant Sanctuary – An Unforgettable Experience Spending two days and a night at this elephant sanctuary was absolutely incredible. If you’re looking for a truly ethical experience—one that focuses on the well-being of the elephants rather than tourist interactions—this is the place to go. Unlike many other places that still allow touching, bathing, or close contact, this sanctuary prioritizes the elephants’ natural behaviors and needs. They have been rescued and are now cared for in the best way possible, given space, respect, and the freedom to just be elephants. It was amazing to observe them from a distance, see how they interact with each other, and learn about their individual stories. Beyond the elephants, the people running this sanctuary are wonderful. They are passionate, kind, and deeply committed to their work. As a guest, you’re treated with warmth, great hospitality, and delicious food. Supporting a local business like this one means you’re directly contributing to a future where elephants can live peacefully, without exploitation. If you care about animal welfare and want an experience that aligns with those values, this is the sanctuary to visit. I couldn’t recommend it more!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Marta

Review Date: 13 Feb 2026

Review Body: 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 & 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! 🐘💚

Review rating: 5

Review Author: John Chew

Review Date: 10 Nov 2023

Review Body: Had a full day experience at BEES but unfortunately couldn't stay the night. Emily and Burm were so accommodating with it and tried their best to involve us in as much activity as possible. I highly recommend this experience to anyone out there who wants an ethical experience that gives back to its' community. Em and Burm led us into the forest to follow the elephant's trail. The hike didn't feel long at all as they were so engaging and informative throughout. I now have a core memory of enjoying lunch with the elephants in the wild, sitting on a cliff that overlooks the valley of Mae Chaem. If only I had more stars to rate how meaningful this experience was to me.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Stefan Jurczyk

Review Date: 09 Jun 2023

Review Body: I visited bees sanctuary for an overnight stay and am more than thrilled with my experience there. Bum and Emily are very nice hosts who took care of everything. The elephants are treated very well. We prepared food for the elephants on the first afternoon and on the second day we were allowed to accompany them on a breathtaking tour through the jungle. Our two tour guides, Em and Tee, showed us many things in the jungle and were very accommodating and friendly. I've learned a lot. Tee and Bum also taught me a few words of Thai. Thank you for this great experience. I recommend them to everyone! copcunkrap and lagonkrap! Greetings Stefan

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lucía González

Review Date: 06 Nov 2023

Review Body: After some research to find a (real) ethical elephant sanctuary we found BEES, and it was a good choice! We stayed there for one night and I highly recommend it, even though I would have stayed at least three days! Burm, Emily and all the fantastic people working with them are all like a big nice family who really care about elephants, and animals in general. The three elephants are free in nature (with their mahouts) and only come back to eat and sleep. People can not touch them or bath them, but just observe them from some distance.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Katy Hughes

Review Date: 19 Nov 2023

Review Body: We enjoyed everything about our one night at BEES - the only bad thing was that we weren't there longer! Our day walking in the forest with their elephants was just magical and we really loved that it was completely hands off experience. The whole team are lovely but a highlight was listening to Burm talk about his love for Thailand's elephants with such passion. The rooms are comfortable but basic (totally fine with us!) and the food was tasty. Had so much fun being introduced to different games after dinner too.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Mia Stott

Review Date: 18 Nov 2023

Review Body: Very belated review but BEES Elephant Sanctuary was honestly one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! Gorgeous, ethical sanctuary that really value the wellbeing of their elephants with a hands off experience. Being able to observe elephants behaving freely to naturally forage, roam and socialise is something I will cherish forever. Burm, Emily and their family were beautiful and very welcoming. Em and the rest of our guides were amazing and truly took us in as friends. I would come back in a heartbeat!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lina

Review Date: 21 Nov 2023

Review Body: This is a truly magical experience that brings you as close as possible to these magnificent animals with out putting them in distress. Perhaps the best part of this trips is all the knowledge you get from the wonderful hosts, Burm and Emily, about the lives of elephants and their status in Thailand. Having all the background information makes the experience of sitting in the jungle and observing their rescued elephants even more special.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Tess J

Review Date: 02 Mar 2023

Review Body: What a beautiful experience. It’s a shame that not more people know about what a great sanctuary Burm and Emily are running. Everyone at the sanctuary was so welcoming from day one and the people made the experience as much as the elephants. Seeing the elephants doing their thing was an amazing experience. It was also great to chill with all the dogs and cats in the downtime.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rosemary

Review Date: 12 Feb 2025

Review Body: I knew this experience would already be amazing because of the elephants, but the employees at BEES went above and beyond to make this stay incredible. We stopped at waterfalls, they offered us all this food I hadn’t tried yet, and they were so nice and funny. If you want an authentic Thai experience AND to see happy elephants I have great news for you, this is the place to be.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Eliza

Review Date: 28 Jun 2024

Review Body: LOVE THIS!!! So nice to just see the elephants munching away on leaves (and pooping them out), taking mud baths and just chilling. Burm, Emily and the rest of the guides were so so so friendly! They really made us all feel very at home. They also seem to care greatly for the elephants, and know a great deal about them so we know that the elephants are in really safe hands.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Nico

Review Date: 25 Mar 2025

Review Body: Great 2 days, amazed to walk alongside those old elephants with wonderful staff and elephant caretaker. So awesome to learn more and to help preparing the food to feed them too. Such an awesome experience and chance to have been there knowing those old elephants are living a good end of their long life.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Brett Eckroate

Review Date: 14 Feb 2025

Review Body: BEES was an absolutely extraordinary experience — it’s too hard to put into words how special and magical our time at Burm and Emily’s was. I’d recommend everyone that travels to Thailand (or is already here!) to take the adventure to see for themselves just how remarkable it is!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Marie-Christine Lavoie

Review Date: 01 Apr 2025

Review Body: It was an incredible experience! People who work there are so generous, kind and funny. We had a great time. The set up is amazing, all this nature, the elephants!!! I lived it so much.. one of my favorite experience in my travel! I would recommande it so much!!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Mylan

Review Date: 05 Apr 2025

Review Body: Had the most amazing time at the samctuary. People that actually seem to care for the elephants and give them a lot of space! Locals get involved in a fun and informative. Thank you for the amazing experience, worth every penny!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rebecca

Review Date: 24 Dec 2024

Review Body: Highly recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: MonikA

Review Date: 21 Dec 2024

Review Body: The dogs!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Lucy Dugan

Review Date: 26 Sep 2022

Review Body: If you're looking the real deal, this is it. Any other elephant "sanctuary" or "retirement home" that offers activities where humans interact with the elephants, means the animals must be medicated, which is just another case of abuse. BEES is dedicated to ensuring elephants that have previously been mistreated or exploited can finally rest in peace at this beautiful sanctuary. BEES is the ethical choice here as, while you spend time every day with the elephants, they operate a no-hands policy. That said, you still get to spend quality time with the elephants. Daily activities include: following the elephants on a beautiful walk in the surroundings of the sanctuary, along the river and up into the bush; preparing their food and harvesting the corn, bamboo, papaya, bananas, etc., required for this; cleaning their sleeping quarters; and helping out with other miscellaneous work around the living quarters. They are also very good and sometimes organise little trips to the local waterfall for a swim, the local town of Mae Chaem, or to the Don Inthanon National park to see the highest point in the Thai Kingdom. It's a very fun experience to volunteer here. All the money that tourists who act as volunteers bring goes directly into the maintenance of the project and it is noticeable how they depend on this to continue to save more elephants so please support causes such as this. They explain what goes on behind closed doors and it is pretty eye-opening. They also rescue and heal many stray cats and dogs, so be prepared to cohabitate with other animals. I stayed for the 4-day programme and this was an optimal amount of time, I felt. One of the highlights was simply getting to know the staff and their stories and, as a lone traveller, this made for very pleasant and welcome company. Got, Ngae Ngae, Ten, Em & the boys, Diana, and of course Burm & Emily are all are very lovely people and all very chatty and friendly. Thank you all for opening your doors to us and having me.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Caitie

Review Date: 01 Jun 2025

Review Body: BOOK THIS TRIP! You will have the time of your life supporting a truly ethical sanctuary run by the most wonderful people you have ever met. From the second we were picked up we were treated with so much kindness and spoilt with a trip to an incredible waterfall and picnic lunch. The sanctuary itself is rural but beautiful, hidden among the trees beside the jungle. The staff are phenomenal - Ty was the best group leader ever, she made us smile every time we spoke to her. Ty facilitated the entire experience which included hikes to watch the elephants, observations of their return to the sanctuary at night, preparation of salads, cutting banana trees and more. Expect to get dirty as you immerse yourself in the jungle experience - but you won’t notice because you’ll be having so much fun getting to know the elephants. The evenings were also lovely, playing cards together and singing. We were in a group of 4 which was perfect. The sleeping quarters are rudimentary but comfortable. The food, cooked by La, is outstanding! There were a lot of other surprises I won’t mention, but best of all was the chance to marvel at the elephants who have been given a safe retirement from hard labour and pain. The experience felt personal, as if we were welcomed into the family (the staff are all from the local village). Just book the trip and see for yourself - thank you BEES!

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Waterfall visit, mountain drive, meet rescue animals, prepare treats & dine at sanctuary

Itinerary Description: Pick up at 8.30-9am from your hotel inside the old city/moat square of Chiang Mai Take a scenic drive through the mountains, stop at a waterfall, a market and have lunch along the way Arrive at the Sanctuary around 2pm and be greeted by the many rescued cats and dogs See Accommodation and meet at the dining area for safety chat and fill in Waiver Forms. Around 3pm go to prepare supplemental treats for the elephants and place in the enclosure for their return from the forest Watch the elephants return from the forest and enjoy their treats Free time to shower and relax, play with the rescue animals in the communal areas Thai Cuisine Dinner around 6pm Free to play Card Games, Play the Guitar and swing in the hammock before bed

Itinerary Day 2

Itinerary Summary: Thai breakfast, forest hike, picnic, community activities, depart in late afternoon

Itinerary Description: [Day 2] Itinerary 08:00 Enjoy a Thai breakfast provided at the sanctuary 09:00 Participate in a full-day hiking adventure through the forest as part of the Observation Walk 12:00 Have a picnic lunch in nature during the hike 14:00 Join community activities and assist in salad preparation 16:00 Depart from the sanctuary between 4:00PM and 5:00PM