Visiting Chiang Mais elephant camps
Choose from several camps to escape the tourists
Elephants in Thailand used to play a vital role both in the economic and social life of the country. As sacred animals they were adored and featured as main characters in major folk songs and mythical writings. They were also at the centre of important bargains and represented a great value for their owners.
Nowadays, elephants in Thailand are few. They are no longer the cornerstone of the economy, ensuring the transportation of heavy materials. Nor are they a heavy weapon at the disposal of kings. The number of domesticated animals has dramatically decreased since the cutting of teak trees was forbidden in Thailand.
The elephant drivers (mahouts) have today found in tourism a major way of keeping on doing business with their elephants. Elephant camps are therefore part of a major tourist activity and considered as a way of safekeeping these giant animals in their natural habitat.
Around Chiang Mai, the natural beauty of the place has offered many opportunities for elephant camp development. The most famous camp is located in the Mae Sa Valley, northwest of Chiang Mai. Discovering the Mae Sa Valley can be part of an exciting one-day excursion from Chiang Mai, leading you to not only an elephant camp, but also to orchid farms or more exotic venues such as snake or monkey shows.
The Mae Sa Elephant Camp was founded in 1976 and since then has focused on elephant’s well-being and health care. In March 2008, a baby elephant was born here and can be visited at the nursery. Every day at the Mae Sa Elephant Camp there are two shows for tourists, one at 08:00 and one at 09:40. In the cool season, there is an additional show at the beginning of the afternoon, at around 13:30. More on Mae Sa Valley.
Here you will see elephants playing football and even painting flowers. A shop provides tourists with a wide choice of products featuring elephants. The camp is easily accessed from the city centre by songtaew (shared taxi) or hire car, with extensive parking available.
If you go further west on the same road, following the direction to Samoeng, you will find another elephant camp, the Pong Yang Elephant Camp. It offers great elephant ridings—from one-hour to two-hour rides—in stunning scenery. Southwest from Chiang Mai, elephant camps are located off Sanpatong, in the Mae Wang Valley. They can be explored through daytrips from Chiang Mai, joyfully mixing splendid waterfalls, exciting bamboo rafting, and enjoyable elephant riding.
There are other elephant camps located near the Mae Taeng Valley, farther north. They are often discovered through trekking packages available from any travel agency in Chiang Mai. These packages combine light walking, elephant riding, bamboo rafting and visits to hill tribe villages. They are a good way to spend a nice day out of Chiang Mai and often include visits to orchid and butterfly farms.
Elephants now work in tourism
If you head farther north, you will reach the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre. It is located on the road to Fang and Tha Ton, about 56kms away from Chiang Mai (about a one-hour drive). In the heart of an area inhabited by many hill tribes (Lisu, Lahu, Karen and Hmong), it offers a great opportunity to meet the elephants in a pristine location but also to get to know more about the work and life of the hill tribe peoples. Mahout training is available at the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre, allowing you to get to know more about the exciting life of these elephant carers. More on Chiang Dao.
If you are looking for a lifetime experience and have some time to spend out of Chiang Mai, we strongly recommend you to go to the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre located southeast of Chiang Mai on the way to Lampang. The centre offers mahout training and a home stay programme lasting up to several weeks. Every day, visitors are welcome to attend the show (at 10:00, 11:00 and 12:30) and even bathing time (about 20 minutes before the first show). Elephants perform orchestra and painting but also interestingly show how they once worked on teakwood plantations, dragging and piling up heavy logs. No need to say you will be amazed by their strength and agility.
To reach the centre from Chiang Mai, take the road to Lampang; the centre is about a one-hour drive away and signposted. In this idyllic environment, you will discover the Asian elephant at its best, and be undoubtedly impressed by its strength, quietness and efficiency. The centre has gift shops and a good Thai restaurant, but also an elephant dung paper fabric centre and a hospital for sick elephants, which is famous nationwide.
The opportunities to get face-to-face with elephants while staying in the Chiang Mai region are numerous and you will without doubt enjoy meeting these giant animals and contributing to their conservation.
A word of warning, when doing soft adventure activities like these it’s advisable to have your travel insurance in order. Elephant riding isn’t dangerous but things do go wrong and the travel agent or camp might not re-imburse you. Local hospitals are good and cheap but it could ruin your holiday if you are not covered by single trip travel insurance.
Getting into Northern Thailand’s jungle.
Mae Sa Elephant Camp
Phone: +66 53 206 247
Website:maesaelephantcamp.com
Pong Yang Elephant Camp
Phone: +66 53 215 943
Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre
Phone: +66 53 298 553
Thai Elephant Conservation Centre
Phone: +66 54 247 875
Website: changthai.com
