Chiang Mai Half Day Elephant Sanctuary Observation And Waterfall

It was the BEST experience in my life! We could see and walk with the elephant and finally we made a yaa Dom!

Joy sanctuary was very caring of their elephants and the environment for them was outstanding. I loved the time allotted here and the guide was very knowledgeable.

Absolutely amazing experience feeding the elephants, hiking with them (wear sturdy shoes that can get dirty) and lunch while watching them play in the river. Pickup was seamless.

What an amazing experience! Don’t have words for the morning we had, it was just amazing to see the elephants just doing their things at their own time. You can absolutely see for yourself that they have free will. If you are looking for an actual sanctuary this is the one, for sure. I was worried about the feeding part but when you are there you can see it’s done in a very calm way and not intrusive at all. I would only recommend that during the briefing we could hear more about the past history of every elephant in the sanctuary so it could give more knowledge and insight to people that are not aware that this is not the reality in every “ethical sanctuary”. For sure I will never forget about this day, it was everything that I was looking for. Once I am back in Chiang Mai, will definitely do it again. If you want to see happy elephants just doing what they want to do this is the place. Thank you is not enough for the job you do. 10/10 experience

A great morning. Picked up in an air con mini bus with others and taken to the ethical elephant sanctuary. Explanation given about Asian and African elephants and environmental impacts was interesting and informative. Fed the elephants with lots of photo opportunities, then walked with them into the jungle, and down to the waterfall. Lunch at the waterfall (able to swim too if wanted) and interesting local craft activity. Returned back to hotel afterwards.

The experience was extremely fun and knowledgeable. It was clear they respect and take care of the elephants. The hike was fun, observing the elephants was a very cool experience.

We had a nice small group of 5 people total. Took the bus into the forest and then took a truck down to the actual sanctuary. After a short hike we were greeted by friendly staff and the elephants. We got to feed the elephants and then walk alongside them as they walked the snack off. After that we went swimming in a small waterfall, enjoyed some pad Thai and made a souvenir to take home.

Had an amazing time in this Elephant Sanctuary, where the Elephants are treated respectfully—no touching, bathing, or riding the Elephants. We got to feed the Elephants and followed them around their natural habitat. They even joined us to swim at the waterfall! Just know that it involves walking up and down steep slopes, and on rainy days it does become very muddy and slippery, so wear proper shoes and enjoy your time with these majestic animals. I highly recommend this experience! 10/10 ❤️

This is not an ethical sanctuary, while walking in the forest the elephants were being guided with sticks up the trail - not allowed to roam freely, they also moved them near the waterfall so they could be watched as people swam in the waterfall. There was no mention of conservation effort. When I have been to ethical sanctuaries in the past they allow you to observe the elephants behaving naturally and don’t pressure them to walk with you, previously they would explain details of their conservation efforts and charities they work with. There was no evidence of this here. The guide was encouraging everyone to be open minded about how they manage the elephants but if there is nothing to be concerned about, why would you have to be open minded. It seemed like they just want to present themselves as ethical but don’t practise complete ethical principles.

The experience came with high expectations and they were exceeded!!! The pickup was each and communication great. The education of elephants (asian vs african, what a sanctuary does, etc) was a great foundation to the day. The overall time with elephants, both feeding and walking through the jungle, was remarkable!! Ending at the waterfall was refreshing and unique as well. We had about 18 people in our group and that seemed good. We surely didn't feel like we ever missed out. The staff were all engaging and super kind. You could tell they loved what they did.

This was even better than described! Got SO much information on the elephants. Fed them and walked through the jungle with them. Awesome!!

Totally fantastic, highly recommended

An amazing experience! The tour guides are so friendly and funny sharing their knowledge and love for the elephants. It is an ethical sanctuary with 5 rescued elephants, no touching bathing or riding allowed. This is the perfect place to support and get a magical experience with the elephants. Id recommend wearing trainers as walking around is rugged making sliders/ flip flops muddy and slippy. Bring mosquito spray and sickness tablets if you suffer during car journeys as you go high up into the mountains. Would do this again, highly recommend!

Awesome experience with Chablis and rest of staff. Very enjoyable Time..

great experience!! the elephants are lovely and they look for the animals, as riding, touching or bathing them is prohibited

Well organised and a great trip would definitely recommend. And was back at the hotel for around 1pm.

An incredible experience! This sanctuary truly lives up to being “ethical”—no riding or touching, just respectful observation and learning. You can see how well the elephants are cared for, which makes it even more special. The guides were fun, knowledgeable, and super helpful. I’d definitely do this again and highly recommend it! ขอบคุณครับ!

We are harsh critics of experiences but believe me when I say Joy went and above all expectations. Their team was so amazing and you can tell how much they care for their elephants by the way they talk and treat them. We learned so much from them on this trip. After feeding and walking with the elephants, we took a nice dip in the breathtaking waterfall and enjoying a delicious lunch (add extra chili on your pad Thai, it’s even more delicious spicy). I highly recommend Joy; don’t go to others that are not unethical sanctuaries.

Amazing experience. Ethical, friendly and fun

Wonderful expirience, it was a really amazing expirience

A thoroughly enjoyable experience and highly recommended. The guides were really knowledgeable, friendly and had a real passion for the elephants and caring for them in their natural environment. Waterfall swim refreshing with delicious lunch and gift to make and take home. Don’t hesitate just book!

Really great experience i would totally Recommend Genuinely friendly and knowledgeable staff Wonderful waterfalls

We had one of our favourite days in Thailand at the sanctuary! The guide Hit was very helpful and gave detailed answers to any questions aswell as giving us lots of information about the elephants there. It’s really important to do your research on ethical sanctuaries and you get to watch the elephants there in their natural habitat aswell as feeding them from a monitored distance! For lunch we got a delicious pad thai which we ate while watching the elephants. At the end we made spice sinus clearers which was a really nice touch! Would definitely recommend.

An unforgettable day out for the whole family. We were keen to visit an ethical elephant sanctuary, and with so many options available it can be hard to know which ones truly are — so we relied on the reviews. This place absolutely delivered. The staff were fantastic, the experience was thoughtfully organised, and the activities went far beyond simply walking with these beautiful animals. My daughter loved every minute, and so did the rest of our group.

Amazing experience to learn and observe about the elephants. You can tell this is a ethical sanctuary and elephants are well looked after and the guide was very interesting and passionate. We prepared some food and have them so that the elephants could get used to our group before going for a walk in a jungle with the elephants. Gorgeous sights to see these gentle giants wander around the forest.

Our visit to Joy Elephant Sanctuary was a highlight of our stay in Thailand. Despite the elephants' size, they are adorable in their playfulness and appetite. :) The trekking was a bit more rugged than I had expected. You need to walk down a steep path (thank goodness for the railing) and walk across some rocky ground. It shouldn't be a problem for most people, but I quickly learned that my knees are in pretty bad shape. Even thought I was not physically able to keep up with the group for walking with the elephants, the guides were super kind and one of them named Chablay (sp?) stayed behind with me and told me about his work, family and life in the mountains of northern Thailand. The group time was very educational. We learned about the elephants at the sanctuary, the evolution of the elephant tourism industry in Thailand, and a little about the Karen people. The setting was lovely, the facilities were well-maintained and the hospitality was top-notch. They fed us well on pad Thai and fresh fruit, and served piping hot coffee. The guides do not get a break. They work 7 days a week and manage two tour groups a day to support their families. I am so impressed by their work ethic, kindness, patience and genuine desire to share their love for elephants and their communities with visitors. This is an opportunity not to be missed.

It is amazing. The guides were informative, funny and you could tell how much they love and care about the elephants

The experience with the elephants was amazing and something I will always remember. It was wonderful to see the elephants being themselves and not being used by tourists. The trek was full on, and many people were in unsuitable shoes. I struggled on the second section and stumbled a few times. When I got to the waterfall, I met up with other older travellers who had got there by a gentler route. Wish I'd been offered that option. But overall, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

We enjoyed our tour guide and our time with the elephants. The timing of feeding, walking, watching them wallow in mud, eating (which was “dinner” not lunch, and making an inhaler was just right. Did not quite enjoy the open truck ride but it wasn’t too long. Enjoyable experience overall lasting about 8 hours.

Nice experience! You get to know about elephants, feed, and observe them. The elephants are rescued from circuses.

We loved our experience! Prompt pick up from our hotel! Guide was so knowledgeable! Loved seeing the elephants in their natural environment. We fed the elephants then We trekked with them thru the woods with the guide. Lovely lunch after. Would recommend!

Fantastic experience. The guides were great and the Elephants were majestic. Highly recommend for anyone looking to see Elephants in Chiang Mai.

We had an incredible time at the Joy Elephant Sanctuary. We had so much fun feeding the elephants, and the hike up to the waterfalls alongside the elephants is magical. We loved making our little souvenirs, and we enjoyed having our meal while watching the elephants. I REALLY appreciated the emphasis on ethical practices with these gorgeous animals. I am so grateful that the Joy Elephant Sanctuary goes above and beyond to give their elephants a peaceful and comfortable life. I 1000% recommend this tour!

A wonderful experience. The staff’s love and respect for the elephants really shines through. I highly recommend visiting the sanctuary.

So 45 minutes into the excursion the driver being on his phone the entire and talking loudly is not only annoying but highly distracting from trying to appreciate the views on the ride. Why doesn’t the tour company better train the drivers about the guests’ total experience? Hoping it improves.

It truly was an ethical elephant experience. There was feeding from a few meter away, jungle strolling, letting the elephants dictate the timing and path, water experience but no bathing, riding or touching. They genuinely care about the elephants and their well being! The craft event was a hi-light too as we were instructed how to make a traditional Thai VaDom to take with us! Of note: if taking the early tour (6:30am pickup) make sure you have access to good/breakfast before as lunch wasn’t until 11:30ish.

90 minutes drive up into the mountains followed by 10 minute 4x4 drive down rough road and then 10 minutes walk down steep slopes is not for someone with walking difficulties like me but the experience was fantastic

The most amazing experience! Highly recommend. Our tour guide was awesome and funny! Definitely recommend to solo travelers, couples, and old and young!

The Elephant Sanctuary was so much fun! Interesting to learn about elephant life and care. The guides were top notch, very professional, friendly and kind. The tofu pad Thai and fresh fruit lunch was very good. Our driver almost rear-ended a large truck, otherwise the rating would have been a solid ☆☆☆☆☆¡

Great day. Feeding the elephants was a highlight. I was unable to do a long walk but went with one elephant and two guides to the restaurant and creek. Ĺovely setting and friendly group of participants. Guide and staff helpful.

awesome afternoon with the elephants, feeding and watching them as they do their thing at their pace. The ride to and from the site was a really windy on the mountain roads so if you get car sick, be prepared. The camps atmosphere was calm and pleasant and the small group made it feel a lot more personal. Highly recommend for people wanting to observe and be new elephants.

I will start with the elephants all seem very healthy and happy. Safe distance is kept at all times and they roam freely . Beautiful experience hiking alongside them and even seen some cool spiders

Good experience with elephants. Nice facilities. Lunch was fine. Knowledgable and nice guides. The only real drawback was that the park took us more than 2 hours to get to and from whereas we were expecting shorter than that (1-1.5hrs) based on marketing material. It is a bit further away than some of the options available.

I only have wonderful things to say. There are many elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai that advertise as ethical but still allow you to touch, bathe, etc. This is NOT ethical! I found Joy and saw the reviews and did a half day with my family including two kids ages 6 and 9. It was a once in a lifetime experience. These elephants are well taken care of, and the team does a great job letting you know how to observe them without stressing them. We got to feed them, then walk alongside them at a safe distance through a hike to a waterfall. There is nothing like walking the beautiful jungle of Chiang Mai with these amazing creatures alongside you, walking and eating leaves. Once we finished we had a beautiful lunch, tea, coffee, and made a fresh herbal inhaler. Please please please support this amazing sanctuary- they are doing it right by these majestic elephants!

Such a wonderful day with the elephants! The hotel pick up was smooth! It is quite a drive to the sanctuary from the city which I didn’t realize. Dramamine is a good idea for anyone who gets motion sickness. The scenery at the sanctuary is beautiful. Feeding the elephants was a fun and unique experience as was hiking with them through the jungle! The staff was all very nice and did everything they could to make it a positive experience for everyone! We were worried about going to a sanctuary because we’d heard of elephant cruelty, but there was no cruelty of any sort at this sanctuary. The elephants seemed very happy and healthy living in a natural environment! Lunch, swimming in the waterfall and making a local craft at the end were all added bonuses. I highly recommend this experience! Good shoes for hiking are a must!

Great itenerary and friendly staff. No issues in arranging a hotel picup. Team was very responsive prior the tour.

Excellent trip, best way to see Elephants up close without stressing them with bathing etc. Small group which made for friendly atmosphere. Everyone respected the Elephants

It was incredible. It was a beautiful intimate experience with the elephants, as much as possible while respecting their space. The tour operators were fantastic. They don’t use any form of force with the elephants, only verbal encouragement and visual cues. The elephants were clearly very relaxed and happy. The river dip by the falls was a nice refreshment after the hike and the craft we made was really lovely.

Amazing experience. No bathing meant no stress for Elephants. Small group and very well guided and staff excellent. We stayed at an ethical one a few years back but also visited one with bathing. We were ashamed to be supporting it with everyone going mad around elephants. Never again and Joy is so clam and beautiful setting. Being a smaller group everyone got on and talked to each other