Maeklong Elephant Sanctuary
Best value for money, with accompanying photography. Here you can learn how to take care of elephants, play mud baths with them, and take them to the river for a bath. The small river in the park is the elephants' favorite place to cool off. There is also Chinese service in the park, and free photographers are available to take photos. It is best to join a local one-day tour, costing around 1500 THB per person.
Elephant Nature Park
Most loved by Western tourists! This is the most well-established animal protection camp in Chiang Mai. In addition to Asian elephants, the park also houses various abandoned or stray animals such as water buffalo and stray dogs. Each elephant here has its own story, and the life and death within the park will be authentically displayed before you. This natural state of humans and creatures should give people a new understanding of life. There are many projects to choose from in the park, ranging from a minimum of 1 day to a maximum of 7 days, giving you enough time to interact with the elephants. Prices start at 2500 THB per person.
Rantong Elephant Rescue Center
It is very famous in the northern region of Thailand and is a park established specifically for the protection of Asian elephants. This place is very pristine, where you can see elephants living freely. There is no oppression, no shackles, no elephant performances, only the most natural interaction between humans and elephants. The biggest feature here is riding elephants without saddles, which does not harm the elephants and allows for close contact with them. There are also ATV and rafting activities here. The average cost starts from 2500 THB per person.
Patara Elephant Farm
One of the most high-end elephant camps in Chiang Mai, with an average cost of nearly 3800 THB per person, but everyone who has been here says it's worth it. The farm operates on a reservation system and limits the number of daily visitors to 12, ensuring that each elephant carries no more than two people.
Elephant Woody
The only theme here is to make friends with elephants. This place is very primitive, allowing you to instantly escape from modern society. Elephants are not forced to perform to please tourists here. You can feel that the elephants are happy, and you can play joyfully with them, enjoy the scenery of the northern Thai mountains and forests together, and have an unforgettable day. The cost is above 1600 THB per person.
