Its such a special experience. Perfect, the best experience you can imagine with elephants. So damn cute. How do I know if an elephant sanctuary is ethical? Pattaya Here, they train young elephants (bought and bred) to paint and perform. Nicholas and his crew here are absolutely amazing. You get used to seeing the huge animals plodding along the road, their mahouts straddling their broad necks, and when driving you learn to take care to move around them. chiang mai elephant - Chiang Mai Elephant Friends Elephants: Covid and ethics reshape Thailand's tourism industry This is all the more likely to happen when tourists from markets like China, Russia and India start travelling to Thailand again, as they tend to enjoy the old-fashioned elephant entertainment shows more, which are often included on their package tours. The hotel room was impeccably clean and very big, he actually recommended this room for the best view (Deluxe Room) The staff and manager of this resort gave us so much information about the health and safety of the elephants, most of which we did not know and really made our experience that much more enjoyable. We spent our full day experience with a mother and her calf walking through the entire sanctuary. One is a playful baby, penned in with its mother in an enclosure Joy built in front of her house. 14. EJS is an ethical and sustainable eco-tourism project in the . In Phuket, only a few places are left, and in Chiang Mai, just two places.". Im just a random on the internet who also cares a lot about elephants, but Id recommend the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary a million times for its advocacy and caring of the animals! Brilliant place, highly recommend! Below I will tell you about 10 unethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand so that you know to avoid them! Read about our approach to external linking. Reviews say that the elephants are chained. Thanks very much for sharing this, Agnes. The calf was notably adorable as it ran after one of the workers in our group that she was especially fond of and was getting too far away from her at the front of our walking tour. That behavior from the calf further proved to me that the elephants here were being cared for correctly and humanely. Once youre in Bangkok, youll have the option of catching a regional flight to Chiang Mai, or traveling by bus as we did to see more of the country. This something Ive always wanted to do when I visit Thailand but I absolutely want to support ethical companies who care about the animals. It is so important to spread the word about how to safely meet elephants in Thailand since there are so many unethical places. New dust and mud bath areas have been created, and the elephants can spend time cooling off in the stream. You can tell theyre the Asian variety and not African because of their ears. Located in the beautiful valley of Mae Wang our best seller is the full-day visit which includes the morning with elephants, we guarantee at least 1 elephant for 3 people. After two waterfalls and a lovely picnic we went bamboo boating! Read our. Other than that, it was a great stay! 8 Sukhothai Airport. "Riding elephants can be part of a system for taking care of them," says Theerapat Trungprakan, who heads the Thai Elephant Alliance Association, a group of elephant owners and business operators. Our boy enjoyed the elephant wake up, washing the elephants by the river and the bamboo rafting. Walking through these villages is a disarming experience. I want to hear all about it! Many of the unethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand are located in Chiang Mai, including the Patara Elephant Farm. Visiting an ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand can be a great educational tourism experience. Visiting the Elephant Nature Park is incredible. Visitors can choose to stay for a short park visit2,500 (US$71), a single day visit2,500 (US$71), or an overnight stay, consisting of two days and one night5,800 (US$165). Ethical Elephant & Wildlife Sanctuaries in Thailand There are thousands of elephants all over the world who have spent their lives suffering by working in the logging or tourism industries. This is another example of unethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand, and should be avoided. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in Canada. The Anantara Golden Triangle Camp is actually luxury hotel that has an onsite elephant camp/mahout village. Wonderful people, and they love and take care of the happiness of elephants. It was all very natural and friendly. There are two debates now hanging over the future of Thailand's captive elephants. With a website offering little information about the elephants and your potential experience with them, it is best to be wary of the BMP Elephant Care Project. The calf was notably adorable as it ran after one of the workers in our group that she was especially fond of and was getting too far away from her at the front of our walking tour. I think there will, but not so many, because some foreign tourists think we, those who keep elephants, do not love them, that we torture them with bull-hooks to make them perform. We ate at both restaurants and the food was excellent and very well priced. She says she cannot afford to return there until she is sure the shows are getting big crowds again. After a substantial amount of research, I stumbled upon Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, home to over 30 formerly mistreated elephants, who are now free to enjoy their lives. The animals are shouted at and chained up, forced to perform by moving logs around and painting a picture of a tree. But Thailand has no strategy in place for that. "They get to go to different places, going to a waterfall, for example, where they can drink the best quality water, or swimming there. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our. This is something that Ive always wanted to do, and I love that youve mentioned how to do it in an ethical way! from. In the past large numbers were captured and used in the logging industry, but when that was banned in the late 1980s to protect what remained of the country's forests, they started being used to entertain tourists instead. Many of the elephants here have had to receive medical treatment and rehabilitative services, relying on the care of sanctuary staff and volunteers to allow them to improve their quality of life. Reviews state that the animals arent treated well, and that the whole experience felt entirely exploitative. "We are finding they have digestive problems, because of the change in diet," says Nuttapon Bangkaew, a vet giving free check-ups offered by Elephant Kingdom, a project started seven years ago to improve the welfare of elephants in Surin. The Best Elephant Sanctuaries In Chiang Mai - Bon Voyage Thailand The sanctuary operates a captive breeding programme, and visitors are invited to hang out with the baby elephants. LIKELY TO SELL OUT*. Our address in Thai: Reviews say it should be avoided. Our Saddle Off projects are home to over 30 elephants, now enjoying . Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand The Best City Tour View Points Wat Doi Suthep, Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Pha Lat 57 from $56.69 Price varies by group size The guides available from Responsible Travel are a good place to start if youre traveling to Thailand or elsewhere with elephant tourism. Recent years have seen a significant growth of establishments claiming to be ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. While day visitors will no longer have access to elephant bathing, you will still be walking to the river alongside the animals, too, which can mean some muddy terrain. Have you been lucky enough to have your own experience with Chiang Mai elephants? What Edwin Wiek believes should happen is for the breeding of domestic elephants to stop - so that the population falls to a level where they can all be kept in those ideal, semi-wild conditions, visited by the smaller number of tourists willing to pay just to see, not touch them. The calf was notably adorable as it ran after one of the workers in our group that she was especially fond of and was getting too far away from her at the front of our walking tour. Definitely a place we could hang out for a while! Chiang Mai Elephant Friends offer ethical elephant tours and deluxe bungalows just a one-hour drive from the ancient city of Chiang Mai. Was great fun and overall the best day out in Chiangmai so far! Best Elephant Tour in Chiang Mai / Very Humane. Youll learn about elephant orphans, those rescued from riding and logging operations, and those with special needs from years of begging on the streets this is actually a thing or stepping onto land mines. Labelled as a must-see when in the area, Chiang Dao Elephant Camp is anything but it is one of the many unethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. Whether the elephants really are treated better now is something that time will have to uncover. The elephants now enjoy complete freedom of movement, no longer chained, they can roam wherever they choose in the sanctuary. A break at lunch will allow you to check out some of the park on your own from viewing platforms throughout. I hope youre able to make it out soon! 6 Wat Si Chum, Thailand. Chiang Mai Elephant Friends. Noah, one of the tour guides who led the way for our group that day and another worker only gave verbal commands as we trekked through forests, hills, and streams. Unfortunately the need for these kinds of places still exists because there are so many facilities that do it the wrong wayso until that stops, I do think its important to support ethical sanctuaries! Obviously this is not something you want from somewhere that claims to care for elephants! Chiang Mai itself is so much fun. We ate at both restaurants and the food was excellent and very well priced. CHIANG MAI ELEPHANT FRIENDS (Mae Wang) - Tripadvisor Generally, though, its a little over an hours drive from the city on a Chiang Mai day trip to the Elephant Nature Park. Absolutely incredible experience. At no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. Youll wish you had more time at the park, but youll be changed by your experience no matter how much time you were able to spend there. You're on this site because you trust what I have to say while seeking an elephant sanctuary near Chiang Mai, of course so you're not planning tours to "sanctuaries" that promote elephant riding. But some do not have the best intentions and do not deserve your business. Youre so welcome. This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Many places advertise with whatever they think is gonna sell more, so its on us travelers to make sure the places we visit are have sustainable and ethical standards. The hospital is just next door: Friends of the Asian Elephant Hospital. ", Elephants flee to survive coronavirus starvation, Poaching drives elephants closer to the brink, How photos protected a country's forest elephants. Thailand has so much to it thats bucket list-worthy. Nice post. along with a blind elephant that was adopted by a crippled elephant that now leads the blind one aroundincredibly moving, and generally well worth the effort. Obviously this would never happen in a setting that *was* their natural habitat as this claims to be.

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