Review Author: Sammy Ayla

Review Date: 18 Jan 2026

Review Body: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ We had an unforgettable experience at ChangChill Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai! From start to finish, this was one of the most meaningful and respectful wildlife experiences we’ve ever had. The sanctuary’s commitment to elephant welfare is clear — the elephants roam freely in a beautiful, natural environment, and there’s no forced touching, riding, or other tourist interactions that could stress them. It was truly inspiring to see these majestic animals living comfortably and peacefully in their forest home.  Our guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about elephant care and conservation. We learned so much about the elephants’ daily lives, behavior, and the importance of ethical tourism practices — it felt educational and deeply rewarding. The observation decks offered breathtaking views, and being able to watch the elephants forage, socialize, and roam really made us feel connected to them and their habitat.  What made ChangChill extra special was how authentic the whole experience felt. We weren’t just spectators — we learned about the elephants’ diets, even helped prepare some natural food treats, and truly appreciated how much care goes into maintaining this sanctuary. If you’re in Chiang Mai and want an ethical, heartwarming elephant experience you’ll never forget, this is it! Absolutely 5 stars — we can’t recommend it highly enough.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Rob

Review Date: 20 Nov 2023

Review Body: We were travelling to Chiang Mai in a large group (5 kids, 8 adults including 2 elderly) and wanted to see an ethical elephant reserve in Chiang Mai. We did a ton of research because we knew that a lot of the so-called ethical reserves secretly used force against the elephants behind the scenes, and we didn't want that. We even emailed some elephant rights groups ahead of time to find out the best sanctuaries and this was one of the rare ones. We weren't disappointed! Everything was organised super smoothly including very comfortable pick up from Chiang Mai. And when we got to the sanctuary it was a paradise for elephants!! It's such a large space where they get to roam. You'll first do a short walk to find them in the jungle (easy path, kids from 3 years old and adults at 70 could do it), and you'll see them hanging out with their mahouts, very blissful. We loved the stories that we were told about the elephants and the relationship between them and the mahouts. One of the elephants stopped talking to his mahout for a month when he heard his mahout was going home for the holiday season! So the mahout had to cancel his plans. The kids loved making snacks for the elephants too! It's a great family activity and you can honestly tell how blissed out and loved the elephants are here, which is the most important thing.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Maxe

Review Date: 27 Mar 2026

Review Body: 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!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Alana

Review Date: 16 Mar 2026

Review Body: 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.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Ronan Murphy

Review Date: 16 May 2025

Review Body: It was perfect from start to finish a true 10/10 experience. Myself and my partner wanted to book a completely ethical elephant experience after hearing about some of the awful practices which take place in other sanctuaries and around Thailand. You could tell the staff members from ChangChill had a real appreciation for the elephants their safety and providing a true ethical experience to visitors. It is a no touch no hand feed facility where you are able to observe these incredible animals from a moderate distance ensuring they feel comfortable. Our guide Thong was phenomenal and very funny and provided great detail on the four elephants in the sanctuary. The food was amazing and the catered for my coeliac disease by preparing gluten free food for me which I did not expect but further enhanced our wonderful experience. I would recommend the ChangChill sanctuary to everyone it was amazing!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jia Lin Foo

Review Date: 22 Nov 2023

Review Body: A really lovely place to see elephant's ethically. Lots of sanctuaries claim to be ethical but then allow you to touch the elephants and bathe them. Not at Chang Chill! All the elephants here have been rescued from elephant riding etc. Here, we went on a hike to find the elephants wherever they were - which I really appreciated instead of them being there on show for us. It was really magical to see them just doing their own thing in the forest 🥺 There was also a feeding station where the elephants come for snacks - but we were not allowed to hand feed them. We placed their fave snack - bananas! Into the feeding post, and had to go back to the shelter where we were at least 3-5 metres from the elephants. All in all it was a really eye opening experience and I loved it so much! Also really love what Chang Chill is doing to protect these elephants :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Madelyn

Review Date: 27 Dec 2025

Review Body: Lovely trip to an ethical sanctuary with an enthusiastic guide. Many people are not aware that the most ethical elephant sanctuaries do not allow bathing, touching, or hand-feeding by visitors. Chang Chill's elephants are well cared for and allowed to forage for their own food, occasionally observed by guests. Before lunch, our guide took us on a short (but somewhat steep) trek around the property to they and observe the elephants while they were foraging. We then helped prepare sugarcane which was packed into enrichment tubes near an observation platform. The elephants were brought in by mahouts for an afternoon snack, and we got to watch elephants up close without disturbing them. The experience was well organized and our guide made it very fun. I highly recommend supporting Chang Chill as one of the most ethical sanctuaries in Chiang Mai!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Morgan White

Review Date: 20 Sep 2026

Review Body: After searching for a truly ethical elephant sanctuary, we are so happy we found Chang Chill! We had an amazing tour guide James who joked and laughed with us all day and made sure we were taken care of and supported throughout the day. We got to prepare the elephants lunch (hack up sugar canes) and watch them eat. The hotel pick up and drop off was so easy for us to manage, and they have loads of extra rain boots if you don’t have a good pair of shoes with you. They were accommodating about diet restrictions for lunch and ensured you felt a connection to all the elephants and their backstory. The elephants are so special and getting to be in their presence is truly magical. I would totally go back here and recommend people who want to ethically visit elephants to go only through Chang chill.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Patricia

Review Date: 22 May 2025

Review Body: Highly recommend if you respect and love elephants and want to see them in the most natural way possible in Thailand! We searched for weeks to find a place that was actually ethical, and Chang Chill is the perfect experience for observing these wonderful animals in a no touch, no bathing, no hand feeding true sanctuary setting (all other places only advertise as “ethical” when they actually aren’t). Highly recommend, Mr Nicky was knowledgeable and caring. Hotel pickup was easy, lunch was tasty, and our daughter 1.5 years old, enjoyed the experience with us. We wore get in baby carrier beside it isn’t safe for toddlers to walk around on the mountain where elephants can be walking.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Elisabeth & Nicolai

Review Date: 22 Mar 2025

Review Body: This was one of the greatest experiences we had in Thailand. If you love or care for animals this is a must. It was great not only seeing but also feeling how great the elephants live here. The employees take such good care of the elephants while letting them roam free on the premises. We had been searching a long time for an ethical sanctuary - and this is truly it. We booked the full day tour and would recommend everyone to do the same - you get to spend more time observing the elephants and the extra time makes it more relaxing. Our guide Song was excellent. He was very knowledgeable, down to earth and fun. He did everything he could to make sure everyone had a good time.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: David F

Review Date: 04 Nov 2023

Review Body: Well-treated elephants, very fulfilling experience This seems to be the only elephant sanctuary that truly prioritizes the elephants' well-being, not letting tourists touch or interact with them, only observe. You spend the morning hiking around looking for the elephants and their mahmout; this was the best part of the experience in my opinion, having the chance to see them going about their days. It was very rewarding and our guide taught us much about them throughout the trip. The afternoon part dragged on a bit but this experience was well worth it and I'm very glad to have booked with somewhere that actually cares for these animals.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Aleks

Review Date: 12 Jul 2025

Review Body: Amazing day with the kindest guide and magnificent elephants :) It took me some time to decide if I wanted to see elephants in Thailand as I am a Conservation Biologist and was really doubtful that ethical sanctuaries exist. But this place proved to be just that. You could really see how much our guide Mr. Song cares about these gentle giants and how free they are to roam across the area. We also did not touch, ride or bathe the elephants. We were only allowed to cut sugar cane for them and watch them come to much on these delicious snacks. I highly recommend this experience!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Steffi

Review Date: 18 Dec 2025

Review Body: Such a magical day. As we were drinking by we got to see all the elephant "sanctuaries" tat let you touch those elephants. After coming to this one I understand even more now why that is a big no no! You learn so much about the elephants living here and what they've been through. Also you get to observe them really up close. We were just a tiny group and we got to hike through the big Jungle typ property and look for them. It is magical seeing them to happy, well cared for and in their almost natural environment. I will treasure that experience, thank you so much!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Mary B

Review Date: 09 Oct 2025

Review Body: We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to ChangChill Elephant Sanctuary. Our guide, Thong, did a wonderful job explaining how this sanctuary truly supports elephants living freely and naturally. We observed the elephants in their forest environment and learned about their daily lives without any touristy activities like touching or bathing. It was inspiring to see an ethical, sincere organization that genuinely cares for the well-being of former working elephants. Highly recommend for anyone who wants to learn about elephants in a respectful and responsible way.

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Anna

Review Date: 27 Dec 2025

Review Body: The Chang Chill's name came up in my research for really ethical sanctuary and it really felt like it. I had an amazing time: after being picked up at our hotel, we hiked looking for the elephants and they were eating in the forest. It was really beautiful to see them in their natural habitat. We had lunch and then cut some treats for the elephants, which came after so another chance to see them. We booked the morning half day tour and overall had a really great time. Shout-out to our guide Big who was really enthusiastic! Definitely recommend it!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Kari

Review Date: 26 Dec 2025

Review Body: The day was super well organized. I also appreciated being able to be farther up in the mountains and getting to see a glimpse of the northern Thai Karen (pakagoyur) tribes community. Big was a lovely tour guide sharing information about the elephants. I enjoyed getting to see elephants in their natural habitat and taking part in cutting the sugar cane and then watching them feed on their snacks. This place is a truly ethical sanctuary with no direct interaction with the elephants, and truly cares for these majestic ladies on their land. :)

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Mark Corliss

Review Date: 27 Jan 2025

Review Body: I couldn’t imagine how I could spend a full day on this activity, but it was absorbing, fascinating and wonderful. We were picked up on time and had a comfortable ride to Chang Chill. During the day, we hiked to find the elephants in their habitat, cut sugarcane for their afternoon snack, enjoyed a delicious fresh lunch, watched the elephants as they arrived for snacks, and prepared additional fresh food for them. Entirely no-touch and ethical, which we appreciated. No hokey washing or feeding! Highly recommend!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Evelyn

Review Date: 21 Jun 2025

Review Body: Great tour for everyone who wants just the best for the Elephants. You will get to see the Elephants from close but safe distance to observe them while eating and in our case diving and swimming in a pool. There is no physical interaction in order the keep the elephants happy and stress free. Provided lunch was great, as well as the tour guide and the mahout who carried our 5 yr old daughter during the steep and slippery parts of the hike. In summary, great experience and really ethical tour!

Review rating: 5

Review Author: Jacek

Review Date: 31 Oct 2025

Review Body: It was great time, we truly recommend this place. Mr. Big, the guide, was charming, helpful, with smile on his face all the time, very expressive and positive. The elephants look happy and free what was the most important for us. We could observe them in their natural situations and it was wonderful. Thank you, Mr. Big, boys taking care for elephants, people who prepared very good lunch and drinks for us, the driver and all Canadian ladies who accompanied us during this trip. ♥️♥️♥️

Review rating: 5

Review Author: William K

Review Date: 04 Mar 2025

Review Body: We had the best time. From being picked up we were treated amazingly and with a smile by our super friendly and hilarious guide 'Big'. The sanctury took the safety and happiness of the elephants very seriously, this is a no touch no ride, no bath or directly feed spot. We were very happy to see these beauties up close, and see the passion of their minders. Highly recommend. The elephants walk a large area of steep sloaps, so just make sure you are able bodied enough.

Review rating: 5

Itinerary Day 1

Itinerary Summary: Elephant Experience in Chiang Mai

Itinerary Description: 7:30 – 8:30 AM: Pick-up from your hotel. After picking everyone up, it usually takes around one and a half hours to travel from Chiang Mai city to Chang Chill. 9:30 - 10:00 AM: Arrival and introduction to Chang Chill’s past, present and future and the program’s schedule. 10:30 AM: Visitors begin their elephant walk, and follow their guide into the forest to observe the elephants grazing, socializing, while observing from a safe distance. Visitors will learn about Chang Chill’s six resident elephants, learn some new facts about Asian Elephants, and meet the mahouts. While in elephant area, guests will be able to ask questions and guides will deliver a “live lecture” about elephant conservation, elephant behavior, and interesting facts about elephants like how much they eat, sleep, weight, etc. 11:30 AM: Visitors arrive at a rest station for traditional Thai refreshments – The rest station is above a mud pit, where on a hot day, the elephants love to bathe and play together. Visitors enjoy their refreshments and watch from above, trying to avoid getting sprayed with bits of mud being thrown around from down below. 12:00 PM: Visitors move down to the sala where they learn a bit about enrichment, and help fill feeding tubes with sugar cane. During and after lunch, visitors will be able to enjoy the view of the elephants eating through the treats that were stashed in the fencing from the elephant observation deck. 12:15 PM: Visitors will be served a Thai vegetarian lunch. 1:00 - 1:30 PM The day ends with a short discourse about what the guests learned about elephants and how they continue to help elephants even after leaving Thailand. The half day experience ends here and guests will depart back to the city. 1:30 PM: Varied Activities for Full Day Experience (Available as Add-on): (1) TRADITIONAL HERB LESSON. Visitors will gather around Chang Chill’s traditional herb garden to learn which plants, leaves, roots, and vines are used as medicine for healing both elephants and people. Visitors will collect several species of planted herbs, or wild growing species in the vicinity, and use them in their next activity. (2) ELEPHANT COOKING CLASS. Visitors will sit in a circle at the riverside sala and will prepare six servings of supplements for the six elephants. The guide will explain details about elephant health, diet, and the benefit of each of the added ingredients. Mahouts will join in this activity when possible, so visitors get to know the elephant that they’re “cooking” for and the mahout who cares for her. (3) MAHOUT CHAT. The mahouts will join visitors at the riverside sala to observe the elephants together and ask/answer questions with the visitors, giving the group a true understanding of a mahout’s role in Thai culture and why it is so significant to Thailand’s history. 3:00 PM: FINISH ONE DAY PROGRAM 4:30 – 5:00 PM: DROP YOU OFF AT YOUR HOTEL