This elephant sanctuary provides a caring home to elephants now retired from a life of arduous work in the logging industry and elephant riding. The elephants living here now get to spend much of the day doing what comes naturally – wandering through the jungle, foraging for wild vegetation, swimming in the river, giving themselves a mud bath, scratching against trees, and socializing with each other. At this project, an emphasis is placed on providing visitors with insights into caring for elephants, their habits, and how to interact with them respectfully.
The program offers day trips where a small group of visitors accompanied by a tour guide has the opportunity to walk through the jungle in the presence of relaxed elephants and experience being close to these enchanting animals. Guests spend time with the elephants feeding them fruit and vegetables, observing them in nature while they forage in the forest and cool off in the river.
On days when project owner, Ben walks with visitors he will take professional high quality photos of guests which will be available for download. A link will be sent to each person’s Instagram account and visitors will receive photographs of themselves or their group as part of the program.
The tour includes a visit to Elephant Nature Park at the end of the day where you can enjoy watching the resident herds relaxing in the late afternoon. It is hoped that over time, a growing number of people will embrace the opportunity to spend time with elephants interacting freely with each other and enjoying a more natural life in their jungle home.
Ethical Elephant Sanctuary
Activities at Care for Elephants
Prepare Fruit for the Elephants
Feed the Elephants
Make Banana Rice Balls
Walk with the Elephants
Observe the Elephants
Lunch Overlooking the Valley
Watch the Elephants in the River
Visit Elephant Nature Park
Venture into the jungle and walk with elephants while feeding them and observe instinctual elephant behavior
Schedule of the Day - Care for Elephants
08:00-08:45 – Pick up from your hotel in Chiang Mai
08:45-09:45 – Travel to Care for Elephants with a safety talk along the way
09:45-10:00 – Arrive at Care for Elephants
10:00-10:15 – Greeting and introduction to the project and the rescued elephants
10:15-10:45 – Wash and cut fruit and vegetables and feed the elephants (*Seasonal fruits watermelon, banana, pumpkin, mango, cucumber)
10:45-11:00 – Prepare healthy rice banana ball treats for the elephants made from banana, maize, rice husks, tamarind, rice & salt
11:00-12:00 – Walk with the elephants in the forest, feeding them bananas along the way and observing their behavior as they take a mud bath, scratch their bodies on trees and forage on native plants
12:00-13:00 – Vegetarian buffet lunch at the top of a hill in the forest with great views of the valley below
13:00-13:30 – Watch the elephants in the river
13:30-14:15 – Walk with the elephants back to the project, feeding them bananas along the way
14:15-14:45 – Buy souvenirs, provide your details to receive photos from the day and say goodbye to the elephants
14:45-16:00 – Visit Elephant Nature Park to observe the rescued elephants interacting in their choosen herds
16:00-16:20 – Travel back to Chiang Mai
Walk with Elephants
Feed the Elephants
Observe the Elephants
Watch Elephants Bathing
Visit Elephant Nature Park
Activities
- Greeting and introduction to the project
- Wash and cut fruit & vegetables and feed the elephants
- Prepare healthy banana rice ball treats for the elephants
- Walk in the forest with the elephants, feeding them bananas along the way
- Observe the elephant behaviour such as playing in the mud, rubbing against tress and foraging on bamboo, banana trees, grass and plants
- Vegetarian buffet lunch at the top of a hill in the forest with great views
- Walk to the river and watch the elephants cooling off in the water
- Walk with the elephants back to the project while feeding them bananas
- Visit Elephant Nature Park to observe the herds
Tour Details
Number of Guests: 9
Tour Type: Full Day Visit
Fitness Level: Moderate
Age Suitability: Adults & Children 12+
Tour Includes
- Transportation from Chiang Mai city to and from project
- Food for the elephants
- Freshly prepared vegetarian buffet lunch
- Admission fee & insurance
- Qualified English speaking tour guide
- Afternoon visit to Elephant Nature Park
Tour Price
Adults & Children 12+: 6,000 Thai Baht
Adults & Children 12+
Moderate
Tour Guide
Buffet Lunch
Transportation
Ethical Elephant Project
This is a small Saddle Off project with a limited number of guests. Our model is based on ensuring the well-being of the elephants, which means no riding or other unnatural activities.
About Your Trip
Start: 8:00am – 8:30am mini-van pick up from your Chiang Mai city hotel, or from our office at 8:00am. If staying out of town (outside the middle ring-road) additional charges apply. Please advise on your reservation form.
Travel Time: Around 90 minutes (safety talk en route to project).
Return: Arrive back in Chiang Mai city 5:00pm – 5.30pm.
Baggage Allowance: One small day pack per person.
What to Bring: Hat, sunscreen, sandals/flip flops, change of clothing (as you may get muddy or wet), towel, walking shoes, camera & insect repellent.
Operational Months: All year round.
Age Suitability: Adults & children over 12 – guests under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Fitness Level: Moderate – walking over high uneven terrain in potentially muddy conditions for about an hour.
Topography: Forest, river, hillside & valley.
Extra Activities: Includes a visit to Elephant Nature Park in the afternoon.
Location: Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
Nearest Airport: Chiang Mai (CNX) – we recommend you stay in Chiang Mai city the night before your visit. Please note that we cannot collect you from Chiang Mai Airport – only from your Chiang Mai city hotel or guesthouse.
Booking Details: Bookings close at 5pm (GMT+7) on the day before the date of your tour if made in person at our office, or 24 hours in advance if booking online. A 30% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking. The balance can be paid at our office in Chiang Mai or or by cash to the tour guide when they collect you from your hotel on the day of your tour.
Care for Elephants Reviews
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About the Elephants
Mae Dok
Mae Dok is a senior female elephant who is 65 years old. She used to give rides to tourists in Kanchanaburi before being rescued. She has two beautiful tushes (small tusks), which lead some people to think that she is a male elephant. She has a kind nature and is very gentle and relaxed. Her best friends are Sai Thong and Thad Dao. Even though she is an old elephant, she is young at heart and loves to play, and still eats enthusiastically. Mae Dok enjoys all kinds of fruit and vegetables, but especially likes watermelon, bananas, and bamboo shoots. Mae Dok spend her days with her best friends; wandering in the forest, swimming in the river, or playing mud. During Covid times Mae Dok has shared quite a few amazing fruit cakes, made by Ben at Care for Elephants, with her friends in beautiful forested surroundings.
Thad Dao
Thad Dao is a beautiful 45 year old female elephant. Before being rescued she did elephant riding at a trekking camp in Kanchanaburi. Thad Dao is good-natured and very friendly, despite being mistreated in the past. She loves vegetables, but her favorite foods are watermelon and bananas. She is a very clever elephant who seems to have a good instinct for what is going on around her, including when food is about to be served. Thad Dao eats very fast and when she finishes her food, sometimes tries to pinch Sai Thong’s food. She has developed a close bond with Mae Dok and Sai Thong and these 3 elephants enjoy hanging out together, foraging in the forest, or swimming in the river. Over the past year and a half Thad Dao has enjoyed quite a few fruit cakes with her friends, Sai Thong and Mae Dok, thanks to the incrible cakes created at Care for Elephants.
In Loving Memory of Beautiful SaiThong
Story of SaiThong
SaiThong was born in 1967 according to documents, but looking at her physical condition it is likely she was older than this, and was thought to be around 65-70 years old. She used to work as a logging elephant in Tak Province. When logging was banned, SaiThong was brought to work at a trekking camp in Pattaya giving rides to tourists for many years. She had multiple scars on her body caused by injuries from dragging logs and also developed back problems as well as damaged skin from the saddle.
SaiThong was rescued by Ben at Care for Elephants on January 26, 2018 and traveled on a truck for about 20 hours from Chonburi Province to Chiang Mai. After arriving at her new home, it took Sai Thong a while to adapt to her new life and be comfortable around the other elephants. SaiThong’s teeth were worn down so she needed to be given foods that were easy to chew. Each day rice banana balls were prepared for her – a healthy treat that she really enjoyed.
SaiThong had a calm, gentle nature and over the years developed a deep bond with her friends, Mae Dok, and Thad Dao. The trauma that she endured before her rescue made SaiThong a cautious elephant and she was wary of other elephants and animals except for her two best friends, who she adored. In her senior years, SaiThong had the chance to spend her days wandering in the forest, foraging on native vegetation, cooling off in the river, covering herself with dirt and mud and enjoying a more natural life, where she was given the care and respect she deserved.
Sadly SaiThong passed away peacefully on 6 September 2024. Thank you to project owner, Ben for rescuing SaiThong and caring for her with love & dedication. Thank you to everyone who visited SaiThong and supported her over the years. SaiThong’s life touched many people from around the world who had the privilege of meeting her. You will forever be remembered in our hearts beautiful Sai Thong.
Message from Ben
Dear all,
I am deeply saddened to inform you that our beloved elephant SaiThong from the Care for Elephants project passed away peacefully at 12:40 PM on September 6, 2024.
SaiThong started showing signs of illness on September 2, 2024, but continued to eat and remained cheerful. By September 3, she slowed down and her bowel movements decreased. However, on September 4, she stopped eating, and her condition worsened until she peacefully passed away on September 6. Despite the best efforts of our veterinary team, she could not be saved.
SaiThong was a senior elephant who had spent much of her life working in logging and trekking. I first met her at an elephant trekking camp, and in 2018, we brought her to the Care for Elephants project, where she was showered with love, respect, and proper care. She was cherished by everyone, especially her close friends, MaeDok and ThadDao.
I would like to thank Saengduean Lek Chailert, who has always supported us and served as an inspiration for compassionate elephant care. I also extend my gratitude to the veterinary team and Elephant Nature Park for their continued assistance, and to everyone who has supported the Care for Elephants project.
SaiThong will forever remain in our hearts. I will always remember how she loved to be hand-fed rice balls, and her gentle, grandmotherly demeanor. Though we are grieving today, we will continue to work harder to ensure a better life for all elephants. This is our promise.
With respect,
Ben
Life During Covid at Care for Elephants
At Care for Elephants the beautiful herd spent their days wandering foraging in the nearby forest, taking a swim together in the river and then covering themselves with dirt and mud. These elephants used to work for years in logging and later in trekking giving rides to tourists before being rescued. In addition to eating natural food the elephants needed to be fed a diet of fruit including bananas and watermelon and they especially love health balls made with cooked rice and corn, mashed bananas, salt, rice husks, protein powder and tamarind. Being older elephants with worn down teeth the elephants here needed to be given soft fruit such as watermelon, papaya and pineapple with the skin removed and cooked pumpkin which is soft for them to eat. The elephants were also given grass and cornstalks every day and were treated to a many fruit cakes thanks to the support of kind hearted people. Since the Covid-19 pandemic halted tourism there were almost no visitors to Care for Elephants for over 2 years. The elephants were cared for with dedication by Ben, but with no guests it was difficult to provide for them sufficiently. Elephants need to consume vast quantities of food each day. Thanks to everyone who helped to support these beautiful elephants during those challenging times.
Thanks for Supporting the Herd at Care for Elephants
Amazing Elephant Fruit Cakes made by Care for Elephants
Project Background
The owner of this project, Ben, grew up in a village near Elephant Nature Park. This gave him the opportunity to witness the evolution of the Park, where the emphasis is on the well-being of the growing number of rescued elephants being rehabilitated there. After graduating from university, Ben decided to learn more about elephants, so spent a couple of years working at ENP, where he acquired knowledge about caring for elephants with compassion under the model of ethical elephant tourism. In 2015, Ben opened Care for Elephants, where he applies the same principles of care and dedication to ensure the welfare of the elephants. The project is home to female elephants, who are retired from many hard years of working giving rides to tourists and before that doing logging. Sadly our senior elephant, Sai Thong, who was rescued in 2018 passed away in September 2024. Ben has a passion for imparting knowledge about the elephants to visitors - from their diet, habits, and idiosyncrasies - to how to interact with them respectfully and safely. He is also very creative - makes beautifully artistic elephant fruit cakes with his partner, Jin and takes great photos & videos of the elephants and visitors.