• Home
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Spain
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Iceland
      • The Netherlands
    • North America
      • Canada
      • USA
        • Delaware
        • Florida
        • Kentucky
        • Louisiana
        • Maryland
        • North Carolina
        • South Carolina
        • Texas
        • Utah
        • West Virginia
    • Central America
      • Guatemala
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Panama
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Cambodia
    • Israel
    • South America
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • United Arab Emirates
  • Tips & Articles
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Disney
  • Travel Planning
  • Search
  • Menu
  • Skip to right header navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Before Header

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Fvie-Family-Adventurers-Logo

  • Home
  • Destinations
    • Europe
      • Spain
      • France
      • Portugal
      • Iceland
      • The Netherlands
    • North America
      • Canada
      • USA
        • Delaware
        • Florida
        • Kentucky
        • Louisiana
        • Maryland
        • North Carolina
        • South Carolina
        • Texas
        • Utah
        • West Virginia
    • Central America
      • Guatemala
      • Belize
      • Costa Rica
      • Panama
    • Asia
      • Thailand
      • Cambodia
    • Israel
    • South America
      • Peru
    • Middle East
      • United Arab Emirates
  • Tips & Articles
  • About
  • Work With Me
  • Disney
  • Travel Planning
  • Search
Elephant day with kids

Spend a Day Getting Personal With Elephants

Elephant day with kids
Elephant Nature Park, Thailand

May 3, 2018 //  by Five Family Adventurers//  35 Comments

       

Spend a Day Getting Personal With Elephants

Choosing the Right Elephant Park

A number of elephant parks are clustered around the city of Chiang Mai, Thailand. They vary widely in activities and philosophies. After our research and discussion with a fellow traveling family, we choseΒ Β Elephant Nature ParkΒ to spend the day getting personal with elephants.

This preserve is dedicated to injured elephants being rehabilitated and raised conscientiously. Their outreach has gone beyond elephants; they have rescued dogs, cats and water buffalo (you can adopt the dogs and cats).They also don’t let you ride the elephants. If you have done your due diligence, youΒ  know that riding elephants is not okay. It is cruel and harmful to the elephants’ well being.

Elephant Nature Park
Well Fed Elephants

 

Elephant Nature Park
Elephants at the park

 

Elephant Nature Park
Grounds at the nature park, Thailand

What the Nature Park Offers

The Elephant Nature Park,Β has many different options to chose from when visiting their park. Short dayΒ visits,Β single day visits which includes bathing elephants, hiking with elephants and a two day stay with use of accommodations on-site. All of the visits include transportation from your hotel to the nature park, lunch and dinner (if you are staying overnight) and a snack. You are set up with a guide who will tell you all about the elephants, names, why they are at the park, how they have adapted and much more. There are some elephants that will allow visitors to touch them and some that you need to stay away from. Being in the park, watching and being so close to the elephants is an amazing experience.

Our Elephant Experience

We chose the single day visit as we wanted the kids to have the experience of bathing the elephants. We recommend you choose this over the short day visit.Β  Our day started out early, with a pick-up from the hotel in Chaing Mai and about a one and a half hourf drive into the countryside of Thailand. Upon arrival, we immediately were taken in to feed the elephants. Large portions of fruit were handed to us and the elephants gathered up to rail post and happily took the fruit right out of our hands with their trunks.

Getting personal with elephants Thailand
Feeding Fruit to Elephants

 

getting personal with elephants Thailand
Elephant Breakfast

It was surreal, watching my kids so close to these massive creatures, feeding them right from their hands. I loved it as I watched the kids’ smiles grow with each piece of fruit being handed out. They were actually having the trunks of elephants whisk food right out of their tiny hands. As the fruit ran out, we moved on as did the elephants.

getting personal with elephants Elephant Nature Park, Thailand
Large Pieces of Watermelon for Breakfast
Getting personal with Elephants, Thailand
Petting the Elephants

Learning About the Elephants

As we wandered through the preserve, dogs joyfully playing without a care around our legs, we were told aboutΒ  the elephants. For some, it was the trauma they endured or the land mine they stepped on, and how their lives were now better that they were at the preserve. We were able to walk up to a couple of the elephants, pet them, take pictures with them and just marvel at their beauty. Their trunks reached around, sniffing at us, blowing their air on us as if they were petting us as well.

We continued our tour of the preserve, watched some more elephants graze, dogs play and the few cats slink around, then headed in for lunch. It was hot, so lunch was a nice break to cool off and get some energy back.

Getting personal with elephants, Thailand
Creating Memories from our day with Elephants

 

 

Watching the Elephants in Their Habitat

We wandered towards a fast flowing river after our break and watched as a handful of elephants bathed in the middle. The guide pointed out the baby in the river and showed us how all of the adult elephants surrounded the baby as if they wer all the parents of this one baby. The kids were mesmerized by this community of elephants and their behavior to care for one another.

Getting personal with Elephants
Eating While Swimming

They saw these animals for something more than just animals, but as thinking, caring beings. As we stood watching, a couple of elephants walked right in our path, so close that we had to jump out of the way in order to not be trampled. It was exciting for the kids as it reminded them they were in the elephants territory, not their own.

Getting personal with Elephants, Thailand
Mother and Calf Swimming

 

Taking TimeΒ for a Bath

This was probably the best part of the day for our kids and for us, the bathing of the elephants. The elephants stand in shallow river water as buckets of water are thrown onto their bodies. A large bucket of food keeps each elephant occupied and happy among the screaming kids.

Thailand with kids
Bathing Elephants in Chiang Mai

Our three kids were given their own elephant to bathe. They happily ran into the water and proceeded to throw bucket after bucket of water on the elephant while the elephant seemed to just stand there patiently enjoying the cool down.

After a while the buckets of water were no longer thrown on the elephant, but on each other, The laughter and delight from the water fight while standing next to a patient elephant was worth the watch. Our kids will always remember that moment, as will we.

Getting personal with Elephants, Thailand
Kids Getting a Bath

 

Ending Our Time

We dried off, packed up and returned to our transport, but not before one last wave, one last glance, and one last moment to take in our time spent with this herd of elephants. The kids wanted one last pet and one last feed, but it was time to go. They tried to convince us to adopt the hundreds of adoptable dogs and cats, we pushed them along and into the van for our drive back to the hotel. Our day felt short even though it was long. Our memories will be forever.

getting personal with Elephants
Beautiful Creatures

Learn More

Want to read more aboutΒ what a typical day at the Elephant Nature Park looks like, read HERE. A wonderful review written by Adventure Abroad Awaits

Learn about more about ethical treatment and elephant sanctuaries by readingΒ Wanderlust Wookies post on Elephant care.

 

Like It? Pin It!

Getting personal with elephants
Petting Elephants at the Park
https://www.fivefamilyadventurers.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/IMG_2438.m4v

       
Tweet
Pin117
Share3
Share
120 Shares

Category: Chiang Mai, Family Travel, Tips on Travel, Travel News, Travel Tips, UncategorizedTag: elephants, thailand

About Five Family Adventurers

I have been an avid traveler since a young child, exploring the world by myself and with my family. I am a mom, wife and individual. When not running after three little dependents and a fat Labrador, you can find me working on our next destination plans. Somehow I also manage to fit in a job. Life is short. Fill it with family travel and adventures. You will not regret it. Embrace what the world has to offer. Oh we are also baseball obsessed, not sure how that snuck into our lives.

Related Posts

You may be interested in these posts from the same category.

hummingbird on branch

5 Amazing Things to do in Boquete Panama

Boat sailing down canal in Amsterdam

7 Fun Activities in Amsterdam for the Little Tourists

image of the sun setting over lewes beach

14 Essential Beach Vacation Must-Haves

Previous Post: «Day Trip, Trail Hike Why the Day Trip Counts as a Vacation
Next Post: The Ultimate, Must-Do ATM Cave Adventure, Belize ATM Cave, Belize»

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Katherine

    May 8, 2018 at 7:19 am

    Wow! What an amazing experience! They look amazing in the video. I’ve never been at a zoo before, but after this, I will definitely go and take my children so we can experience how beautiful nature is.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 8, 2018 at 8:12 am

      It wasn’t a zoo, but a nature reserve for injured and those used for the tourist industry. It was amazing though.

      Reply
  2. Karie

    May 8, 2018 at 2:05 pm

    That’s pretty cool! I had never thought about hanging with the elephants. I think I will add that to my bucket list looks like it would be a great memory.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 8, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      Fabulous memories!

      Reply
  3. Vessy

    May 8, 2018 at 2:38 pm

    Elephants are some of my most favorite creatures…I would so love to get close to them, and touch them. Loved your post! I will have to pin it for future reference…especially since I will be in Thailand next summer!

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 8, 2018 at 3:41 pm

      Thailand is awesome and if you go, the elephant nature park was amazing (they won’t let you ride for obvious reasons). They were kind and informative and we will always remember.

      Reply
      • Vessy

        May 8, 2018 at 7:15 pm

        Sounds great! I would never consider riding an elephant…I don’t even feel good about riding a horse! πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ πŸ™‚ Thanks for all the great info! Such incredible creatures…I just love them! πŸ™‚

        Reply
        • Five Family Adventurers

          May 9, 2018 at 1:28 pm

          They really are

          Reply
  4. Kristi

    May 8, 2018 at 5:46 pm

    How awesome! They are beautiful animals and I could stand and stare in wonder at them all day long. How fun that you guys got to experience them up close and personal.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 8, 2018 at 5:50 pm

      We did love it.

      Reply
  5. Angela

    May 8, 2018 at 6:06 pm

    Oh my goodness I love elephants! This is great! Awesome pictures, too.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 9, 2018 at 1:28 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Laura

    May 8, 2018 at 6:49 pm

    This is a great idea! I love elephants and hanging with them would make for a wonderful experience!

    Reply
  7. Lisa Wingerter @ https://meandmymomfriends.com

    May 10, 2018 at 9:15 am

    This looks like so much fun! I’d love to do this some day. BUCKET LIST!

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 10, 2018 at 9:59 am

      Must do bucket list!

      Reply
  8. Alison

    May 10, 2018 at 10:11 am

    Thailand (especially for seeing the elephants) has been at the top of my list of trips I want to take but just haven’t planned yet. I absolutely love elephants. Post like these just makes me want to go even worse!

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 10, 2018 at 10:14 am

      It was a unique and awesome experience. I’m so happy we went. Not cheap to get to, but once there, it is very affordable.

      Reply
  9. Kristie

    May 10, 2018 at 11:24 am

    We are a family of animal lovers, so we would love this experience! Especially knowing the animals are well cared for.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 10, 2018 at 1:00 pm

      They are and it is truly unique and awesome.

      Reply
  10. Heather

    May 10, 2018 at 12:49 pm

    I love reading about an elephant sanctuary that treats them humanly. I am adding this to my list for when my daughter and I go! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 10, 2018 at 12:59 pm

      You will love it! hope you get there.

      Reply
  11. Michelle

    May 11, 2018 at 7:02 am

    Loved reading this & was so relieved it wasn’t going to be about riding elephants. They are such beautiful elephants & I hate exploitation of animals. Sounds like you had an amazing day!!

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 11, 2018 at 8:28 am

      No riding in our family (just kids trying to ride the family dog)! Yes it was a lovely day and we are truly grateful for it.

      Reply
  12. Kristy

    May 13, 2018 at 10:05 pm

    Wow! That’s looked like such an amazing experience.

    Reply
  13. Jenny Davis

    May 22, 2018 at 3:20 am

    Spending the day with elephants is really a wonderful activity which makes the person quite happy. I never visited Thailand but yes, Once I visited Kerala, India and there I experienced it. Making them bath, and feeding and painting them are one of the most beautiful feeling which i experienced. Sometimes they are naughty and sometimes really angry.

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      May 22, 2018 at 9:31 am

      They are magnificent animals

      Reply
  14. The Girl Next Door

    June 27, 2018 at 9:20 am

    I love elephants, the majestic, gentle, sweet creatures they are! I’m sure I would cherish this experience. πŸ™‚

    Reply
  15. Jenia

    June 28, 2018 at 12:55 am

    Lifelong memories for sure πŸ™‚ We didn’t see elephants in Thailand but did spend time with them in South Africa – much like you, we got to feed them and walk with them. Didn’t get to wash them though! I’m sure that would be tons of fun πŸ™‚

    Reply
  16. Nafisa Habib

    June 28, 2018 at 7:13 am

    This is one of the top attractions in Chaing Mai. Seems kids are having real fun with elephants. It’s truly an awesome experience to be able to take care of animals through your trip.

    Reply
  17. Pujarini Mitra

    June 29, 2018 at 9:22 am

    Thailand is amazing. Glad that you guys had this wonderful experience. We missed this elephant park and we would definitely cover this the next time.

    Reply
  18. Neha

    July 1, 2018 at 10:42 pm

    Looks like you had a wonderful time with the elephants here. To be honest, in the past I heard some bad reviews of similar parks in South East Asia. Seems under the covers they were treating the animals badly, so, I don’t know how to tell the authentic ones from such places. I hope the elephants here are well taken care of

    Reply
    • Five Family Adventurers

      July 2, 2018 at 8:43 am

      This organization was very ethical, no riding and they only had one or two elephants that were tolerant enough to be pet, but the guides had to show you the right way to do it. Other than that, it was mostly observation with some feeding fruit.

      Reply
  19. Sandy N Vyjay

    July 2, 2018 at 6:40 am

    Elephants are such gentle giants. It is nice to see some of the elephant sanctuaries doing a nice job of taking care of elephants. This one seems really genuine and taking good care of the animals. Of course, there are others which are not very ethical and elephants are traumatized. Nice to see you and the kids get to interact so closely with the elephants.

    Reply
  20. Yukti

    July 5, 2018 at 3:28 am

    Spending a day so closely with elephants must be amazing. I did this while in Sri Lanka, but never knew of Chiang Mai. I would definitely go for this lovely tour and encounter with those big elephants.

    Reply
  21. Alekkz Hwang

    August 24, 2018 at 9:49 pm

    Amazing!! I love elephants <3 They are my spirit animal and unfortunately I disapprove of riding elephants based on how they are trained to do so but one day, if I can find an ethically trained place that has elephants to ride, I'd love to try it out!

    You are so lucky, I enjoyed reading your adventure!

    –Alekkz

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Become An Adventurer!

logo
Food Advertisements by

About Me

I have been an avid traveler since a young child, exploring the world by myself and with my family. I am a mom, wife and individual. When not running after three little dependents and a fat Labrador, you can find me working on our next destination plans. Somehow I also manage to fit in a job. Life is short. Fill it with family travel and adventures. You will not regret it. Embrace what the world has to offer. Oh we are also baseball obsessed, not sure how that snuck into our lives. Read More…



Booking.com

logo
Food Advertisements by

Our Favorite Posts

7 Awesome Family-Friendly Activities to do in Red River Gorge, Kentucky

7 Awesome Family-Friendly Activities to do in Red River Gorge, Kentucky
Cinderella Castle, Disney World

Why Using a Disney Planner is a Great Idea When Planning a Trip to Disney World

Why Using a Disney Planner is a Great Idea When Planning a Trip to Disney World
Briscoe Museum, San Antonio Texas

One Day In San Antonio, Texas; 6 Must-Do Things

One Day In San Antonio, Texas; 6 Must-Do Things
ATM Cave, Belize

The Ultimate, Must-Do ATM Cave Adventure, Belize

The Ultimate, Must-Do ATM Cave Adventure, Belize

From the Blog

hummingbird on branch

5 Amazing Things to do in Boquete Panama

October 24, 2021

Boat sailing down canal in Amsterdam

7 Fun Activities in Amsterdam for the Little Tourists

July 15, 2021

image of the sun setting over lewes beach

14 Essential Beach Vacation Must-Haves

May 24, 2021

Pit beef sandwich half eaten on a roll

A Guide to Baltimore’s Best Sandwich: The Pit Beef

May 2, 2021

Sunshine-Blogger-Award
logo
Food Advertisements by

Footer

Inspiration

"Travel is a gift to your children, at every age. We highlight the adventures with our children at all ages. Providing our pearls and (sorta) wisdom gleaned from trips with a family of five."

Be A Better You

Recent Posts

hummingbird on branch5 Amazing Things to do in Boquete Panama
Boat sailing down canal in Amsterdam7 Fun Activities in Amsterdam for the Little Tourists
image of the sun setting over lewes beach14 Essential Beach Vacation Must-Haves
Pit beef sandwich half eaten on a rollA Guide to Baltimore’s Best Sandwich: The Pit Beef
11 Reasons Why You Should Visit Edisto Island, South Carolina
mom and daughter at TikalBest Mother’s Days Gifts for the Moms Who Travel
Blog Meets BrandFTA Media Member Circle

Site Footer

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Get Updates
  • Work With Me
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclaimer

Copyright © 2023 Five Family Adventurers · All Rights Reserved