HD Thai Elephant Care Center PM

  • Duration: 4 Hours (approx.)
  • Product code: CNXPTCDTCNXHDECC1

Spend a day with one of the most important symbols of Thailand's culture, history, and society—the elephant. Learn what the majestic creatures mean to the Thai people as you have the opportunity the feed, bathe, and play with them at the Elephant Care Center.

Following convenient pickup from your Chiang Mai hotel, enjoy a leisurely drive north along the edge of picturesque Doi Suthep - Pui National Park. Upon arriving at the Thai Elephant Care Center, get dressed in a traditional mahout outfit worn by trainers and caretakers. Hear about the mission of the center's owner, who seeks to provide a safe and caring atmosphere for distressed and elderly elephants.

After a brief safety orientation, meet some of the camp's friendliest elderly residents. Learn how to make herb balls with ground grass and then feed the elephants out of your very own hands. Following the feeding, pay a visit to the elephant cemetery, where these intelligent animals instinctively go when they reach a certain age, and where others hold funeral services for their lost loved ones.

Your afternoon continues in the most delightful way—watching the elephants giddily take a mud bath and then helping them wash off in the Maesa Stream. If you've chosen the half-day option, feed the elderly elephants a basket of bananas before bidding farewell to your new friends. If you're here for the full day, learn how to make the elephants' favorite snack, take a trek to the elephant resting area, and savor a traditional Thai lunch before returning to Chiang Mai.