Chiang Mai Elephant Sanctuary Observation and Bamboo Rafting
Description
Perfect for nature lovers! Spend a peaceful day with the Joy Elephant Sanctuary & Bamboo Rafting Program: observe elephants in their natural behavior, gain insider knowledge and then listen to the river sounds while chilling on bamboo rafting on Serene Wang River. Dive into our responsible tourism with Elephant Observation programs! Fun Interactions: Change into traditional Karen clothing, Learn, prepare elephant food, and observe our gentle giants in their completely natural behavior. Elephant Paradise: Refresh yourself with herbal tea and take a break at the waterfall. All this in paradise located in lush forests and surrounded by serene rivers, our sanctuary ensures elephants thrive with a year-round food supply and visitor-helped planting. Engaging to the core of the culture: Learn how to craft your own Thai cultural handmade souvenir as a memorable gift. Hop on Chill ride: Experience the beauty of the jungle while Bamboo Rafting on the peaceful Wang River
Tour Options
Itinerary
Experience our Elephant Sanctuary Observation, Waterfall & Bamboo Rafting adventure, spend a full day relishing rural Chiang Mai close to nature. Change into traditional Karen clothing upon arrival at the sanctuary, as you soak in their fascinating culture & involvement with the elephants. Engage in hands-on activities, preparing food for the elephants while learning about their history and behavior. Observe the elephants in the jungle while they roam freely. Sip herbal tea while observing elephants in their habitat, then enjoy a cooling break at the waterfall. Craft a Thai souvenir before leaving Joy Elephant Sanctuary.
Relax on a bamboo rafting journey down the Wang River passing through forests and listening to river sounds. End your day with nice memories to take back home.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pick up time between : 08.00 - 08.30 a.m. (We request you to be ready at the hotel lobby by 08.00 a.m.) A free transfer service to/from all places of accommodation within a 4 k.m. radius of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Transport from locations outside this area will incur a surcharge. In that case, kindly provide us the hotel/ property name. Customers will travel in a 12-seater, air-conditioned van, switching to a roofed 4×4 truck for the last 10 minutes to reach the sanctuary.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Pets are prohibited
- Child seat is available up on request
- Bamboo Rafting is suitable for all ages. However, young children and infants require close parental supervision for safety.
- What to bring: Extra Clothes, Swimming Suit, Sandals, Trekking / Hiking Shoes Sunblock lotion, Insect Spray, Customers own allergy medication
Reviews(56)
It was a brilliant day out! We did the half day option. It was very well structured and we loved how it was so ethical. It was a small enough group, so we got to meet new people. The bamboo rafting was great fun. It was great value for money, the staff were excellent and the food provided was delicious. I highly recommend!
Amazing experience ! The elephants are obviously very well treated (roaming free, not touched by tourists and minimal by caregivers, …) and the guides were great ! The perfect ethical Sanctuary to witness the wonders of Thai elephants
We did a lot of research for ethical elephant sanctuary’s, and this one definitely lived up to our expectation. It was very important for us that the sanctuary put elephants needs before humans and that’s exactly what they did. This is a touch free and riding free sanctuary and the elephants are completely free to roam. We got to feed them which was so nice, and went on a walk following them too. You get some time to sit and chill watching them which was amazing. Bamboo rafting was also so much fun, we even got lucky and got to see a mummy elephant with her baby right down by the river. It was excellent value for money, all the guides were so friendly and our tour guide was so friendly and gave us such a good briefing about all the elephants. If you’re considering this sanctuary, definitely do it !
Really fun and nice! Our guides was so fun and cool. The food was also good. I recommend!
Everything was great from start to finish. The experience was well organized and definitely worth it. Just be aware that the order of activities may change depending on the day. You might do bamboo rafting before or after visiting the elephants, but either way it works out well. If you do rafting first, it’s actually a great flow because you cool off in the water, then visit the elephants, and still have time to relax at the waterfall. Overall, an amazing experience and highly recommended.
We had a great day with the Joy team, we started with a bamboo raft ride which was great fun then spent time learning about and meeting, feeding and walking with the elephants. Lunch and water was provided and we then had a paddle in a waterfall before making a Thai herb inhaler. A fab day spent with a really lovely group of people.
Beautiful experience. It was great seeing elephants do what they do with minimal human interference. Loved the no touching or bathing policy. An actual sanctuary that cares about their mission. Our guide was very knowledgeable and the whole day was well organised. We learned so much and can only hope all of the other sanctuaries will follow suit one day. Nice lunch and cool souvenir workshop. Bamboo rafting was a fun way to end the day. Highly recommend to go and see these beautiful big girls.
This was a very well organized, educational, fun and ethical experience. I highly recommend!
Watching elephants walking thtough doing their own thing was a magical experience. Only direct contact was feeding them mango before they wandered off and we followed. Later, riding the bamboo raft down river and over a number off small but exciting rapids was great fun and very exhilarating.
Superb day, we feel that elephants are well treated. Very good lunch. Rafting and very pleasant manual activity. Our guide on 18/02 was great, clear and very friendly. Swimming with elephants was amazing while staying safe.
