Elephant Nature Park Review: My Ethical Elephant Experience in Chiang Mai

Is a trip to Thailand really complete without an elephant experience? Thailand has become famous for its elephant sanctuaries, where you can get up close and personal with these amazing creatures. However, not all of them are ethical—in fact, a vast majority aren’t. That’s why doing your research before booking is so important.

After hearing great things and seeing people claim that Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai is one of the most ethical sanctuaries, I decided to book my visit with them.

In this post, I’ll be reviewing my experience with the “Elephant Highlands Tour,” sharing everything we did, and whether I found it safe and ethical—so you can make an informed choice when booking your own elephant experience in Thailand!

Why I Chose Elephant Nature Park

I did a lot of research before deciding where to go. As I traveled around Thailand, I looked into elephant sanctuaries in Phuket, Koh Samui, Krabi, and Chiang Mai. From what I found, Chiang Mai seemed to have the most options for truly ethical elephant sanctuaries.

I also came across several online forums and TikToks where people claimed that Elephant Nature Park was the most ethical one in all of Thailand. Some sanctuaries that advertised themselves as ethical still allowed tourists to bathe with the elephants, which isn’t actually ethical. That was a big red flag for me, so in the end, I chose Elephant Nature Park because it seemed to prioritize the elephants’ well-being over tourist interactions.

First Impressions

We got picked up and driven to the site, which felt well off the beaten track, deep in the jungle. This immediately gave me a good first impression—it felt like a natural environment, not just a tourist attraction.

Before we even saw the elephants, our guide told us to apply sunscreen and wash our hands, so we wouldn’t transfer any chemicals onto the elephants. There were also people in our group who were smoking, and they were asked to move far away from the elephants’ area. This really stood out to me—it showed that they genuinely care about safeguarding the elephants from anything harmful.

The tour guide was amazing—friendly, welcoming, and very informative. She took the time to explain how to keep ourselves safe and, more importantly, how to respect the elephants to ensure they were comfortable and happy.

Activities & What We Did

Morning

We got picked up early from our Airbnb in Chiang Mai. It was about a 1.5-hour drive to the site. The last half an hour was very off-road, so I’d recommend taking travel sickness tablets if you’re prone to motion sickness—it was bumpy!

When we arrived, we had five minutes to get ourselves sorted before our briefing. Next, we chopped up lots of watermelon for the elephants, which was really fun. Then, the elephants walked over, and we got the chance to feed them the watermelon and take lots of pictures!

After that, we walked with two elephants for about 30 minutes to the site where they sleep at night. The walk was lovely, with amazing jungle views. Along the way, we fed them bananas, and they frequently stopped to munch on natural shrubbery. Everyone had plenty of questions for the guide, who was really knowledgeable!

When we arrived at the next site, we got to see four more elephants, including a baby! These elephants weren’t as comfortable with human interaction, so we observed them from a distance.

Lunch Time

We then had about an hour-long lunch break, where a vegetarian buffet was provided. The food was absolutely delicious! There was also a skywalk viewing platform with stunning views over the jungle.

After lunch, we took another walk through the jungle, observing the elephants in their natural habitat—trampling through the forest, pulling down trees to eat, and covering themselves in mud. The walk wasn’t too long, as the elephants stopped frequently to feed on the trees.

Afternoon

Once we returned to the main area, we prepared treats for the elephants—a mix of rice, “elephant pebbles” (herbal supplements?), and mashed-up bananas. We mixed everything by hand (the texture was so soft and sticky!) and rolled them into balls, which we then fed to the elephants.

This was the final activity of the day before we hopped back in the minivan and returned to Chiang Mai, where we were dropped off at our accommodation.

It was a fun-packed day, allowing us to get up close and personal with the elephants in an ethical way—without causing them stress and while keeping them in their natural habitat. I learned a lot from our guide, who was so passionate and knowledgeable about the elephants. Also, watching the baby elephant play with the adults was just adorable!

The Elephants’ Stories

The elephants we saw had come from various places—some from Thailand and others from Myanmar. They were rescued by Elephant Nature Park from situations where they had been used or abused for tourism purposes.

Our guide explained that the park buys the elephants from their owners, allowing them to rescue them legally. Rather than transporting them by vehicle, they walk the elephants to the sanctuary—a journey that can take several days. For example, the elephant we walked with had been brought all the way from Myanmar on foot. This method is considered the safest and least stressful way to move them.

Once rescued, the elephants are brought to the highland areas, like the one where we did our tour. Here, they go through a rehabilitation process, gradually relearning how to interact with other elephants and adjusting to their natural environment again. After this, they are moved to the Elephant Nature Park, where they can live freely in a protected sanctuary.

Ethical Approach

Even though you can research everything online about where you’re visiting, you won’t truly know how ethical a place is until you experience it firsthand. From what I saw, Elephant Nature Park treated the elephants with respect. There was no riding, no bathing, and no chains used to force interactions.

At times, the guides had to gently redirect an elephant to keep them on the path we were walking, but this didn’t feel wrong or unethical. They have a duty of care to ensure the elephants know where they are and that they remain safe.

Overall, the elephants seemed happy and comfortable. The two elephants we walked with appeared to enjoy being around humans—though that was probably because we were feeding them! Even the elephants that weren’t keen on human interaction seemed content, roaming freely. Watching the baby elephant play with its mum and nanny elephant was such a heartwarming sight. From what I observed, there were no signs of mistreatment, and it felt like the elephants were truly able to live naturally in a safe environment.

Overall Experience & Would You Recommend It?

All in all, I had an amazing day at Elephant Nature Park. On my second visit to Thailand, I knew I wanted to do an elephant experience, but I was initially worried about spending a lot of money on something that might not feel ethical. However, this experience was truly wonderful—being up close and personal with these incredible creatures in a way that felt safe, responsible, and respectful. It was reassuring to see that the elephants were well cared for and allowed to live as naturally as possible in their environment.

I would highly recommend this experience. I can’t speak for all the other tours, but the Highlands Elephant Park visit was truly worth it.