Chiang Mai – Elephant Freedom Village

Elephants!!! Oh, my goodness I can’t believe I got to spend the whole day with ELEPHANTS!!!

But before sharing my absolutely incredible experience at Elephant Freedom Village in Chiang Mai, I want to mention a few things about elephant tourism.

Elephant Tourism

Historically, elephant tourism in Thailand has been fraught with ethical dilemmas and animal welfare concerns. Many elephants were subjected to harsh training methods, such as the notorious “phajaan” or “crushing” process, which involves breaking the spirit of young elephants through physical and psychological abuse.

Once trained, the elephants were often forced to perform tricks, give rides, or engage in other unnatural activities, all for the entertainment of tourists.

Thankfully, awareness of the suffering endured by elephants in the tourism industry has grown significantly, leading to a shift in public perception and government regulations. Tourists, government authorities, and organizations have now joined forces to address the long-standing ethical issues surrounding the treatment of elephants.

As a result, ethical sanctuaries and rescue centers have emerged, providing a safe haven for abused and neglected elephants. These sanctuaries prioritize the animals’ welfare over tourist entertainment and aim to rehabilitate and care for them in a more natural environment.

When visiting Thailand, please consider supporting ethical elephant sanctuaries and participating in responsible elephant encounters.

About Elephant Freedom Village

Elephant Freedom Village is small family-run elephant sanctuary located about two hours south of Chiang Mai, in the beautiful mountains of northern Thailand.

It was created by a seventh-generation Karen hill tribe family to restore some of the damage humans have done to elephants over time. They currently care for six elephants which have been rescued from camps with unhealthy living conditions.

A large part of the Elephant Freedom Village mission is to spread accurate knowledge about domesticated elephants and their place in Karen tribal culture. The elephants are part of their families and have been for generations, and they want nothing more than to see them living out free, happy, and healthy lives.

They provide small group ethical elephant village experiences – without any elephant riding activities, and bathing that focuses on the elephants’ skin care rather than human entertainment. 

Tour Options

I chose to do a full-day tour but there are three tour options to choose from – half day, full day, and an overnight stay. All tour options include feeding, hiking with and bathing elephants, as well as transportation to and from Chiang Mai, food, and insurance. 

They also have staggered start times.

• 7:00AM – 3:30PM – Morning half-day experience
• 8:30AM – 6:00PM – Full-day experience and overnight stays
• 12:30PM – 8:00PM – Afternoon half-day experience

The drive to Elephant Freedom Village

The full-day tour meant I had been scheduled for an 8:00 AM pick-up from my hotel in Chiang Mai. 

The driver arrived on time, but the vehicle had no markings on it indicating it was from Elephant Freedom Village. As a solo female traveler and my first time in Thailand, I was a little leary. But after a little Q&A and a look at their ID, we were soon on our way. 

The drive to Elephant Freedom Village took about two hours and went through some really beautiful countryside before heading up high into the mountains.

The winding mountain roads can be pretty rough though. So, if you are prone to car sickness like I am, you may want to take some Dramamine before you even get in the vehicle.

There were also a couple of brief pit-stops along the way to get gas and to pick up some fresh produce. And then a third, longer stop at a larger market type area where I got out and walked around for a bit.

Arriving at Elephant Freedom Village

When we arrived at Elephant Freedom Village, I was greeted by Chai-Lek (my guide for the day), and a couple of friendly resident dogs. Chai-Lek also handed me some traditional Karen clothing to change into and explained that the Karen clothes are familiar to the elephants and helps them feel more relaxed. 

Once changed, I sat down with Chai-Lek and listened to him share the history of their family and Karen culture, the heartbreaking elephant situation in Thailand, and how Elephant Freedom Village is working to better the lives of the elephants. 

I also learned that, unfortunately, not everyone in Thailand works to protect elephants. The elephants aren’t even safe in the areas surrounding Elephant Freedom Village. That elephants have been harmed or killed for damaging crops.

Because of this, he said it is necessary to put a chain around the elephant’s ankle at night to keep them from foraging through neighboring farms. I honestly didn’t know how to feel after he said that. I was conflicted. I know elephants shouldn’t be chained but I also know they need to be safe.

As I continued to listen to Chai-Lek share his family’s story and learn more about Karen culture, I gained a better understanding of how Elephant Freedom Village works to co-exist with the elephants. 

And as the day went on, I could really see the love that they have for the elephants.

There truly is an indescribable bond between Karen people and elephants. They are family.

Finally, it was elephant time!

We grabbed a few baskets of bananas and headed over to the edge of the field and waited.

Then I heard it! That unmistakable sound of the elephants trumpeting! They were coming! 

In the blink of an eye, I was face to face with elephants! All six elephants were there right in front of me with their trunks trying to grab bananas out of the baskets.

Chai-Lek introduced me to each elephant, told me their names, and a little bit about their individual personalities. Of course, I couldn’t remember anything he said. I was just feeding them handfuls of bananas as fast as I could! 

Hiking with the elephants

After getting acquainted with my new friends, it was time to head into the jungle. The elephants led the way down the muddy path, with their mahout, or keeper, by their side. 

The elephants were roaming freely along the trails, stopping every now and to eat some leaves off the trees. We continued following the elephants deeper into the jungle as they foraged for food and rubbed their trunks against the trees.

What an incredible feeling it is to witness elephants be, well…elephants. Free and happy elephants. 

The mahouts were always by their elephant’s side too, playing with them and singing songs. It was beautiful to see the mutually caring relationship between the elephant and their mahout. They really do have such a strong and loving bond.

There are a few larger more open areas along the hike so that the elephants can rest and eat again. These are also the areas that allowed more playful interaction with the elephants. The picture at the top of this post was taken in one of those areas.

None of the interactions are forced though. The elephants are free to play with you or not. Whatever the elephant wants the elephant does. 

The hike wasn’t difficult, but you are sharing the trail with elephants, so you need to pay attention. The elephants roam freely, and they take up a lot of space. Make sure you give them plenty of room to walk by you. It’s not fun to get caught between an elephant and a rock on a narrow trail. 

On the full-day tour, lunch is served in the most spectacular setting! 

I’m not sure if lunch on the half-day tour is the same. If it isn’t, this alone is worth switching to a full-day tour.

As the hike continued to weave through the jungle, we came to our lunch spot. Lunch was served in a large, thatched roof pavilion with bamboo slats for the floor. We removed our shoes before entering, as is custom in Thailand, and sat at a ledge overlooking a cascading waterfall. Just look at that view! 

The meal was presented as individual parcels of food, each one carefully wrapped in banana leaves. I untied them one at a time to find boneless fried chicken, fried rice, mango, and sauteed veggies.

Absolutely delicious! And the banana leaf wrappers made a nice snack for the elephants afterwards!

Bathing the elephants

Elephant Freedom Village does allow bathing with the elephants. This is totally optional, and you do not have to go in the water. However, the elephants will still go in and so will their mahouts.

I chose to go in.

After being given a scrub brush and shown how to brush the skin properly, I made my way over to the elephants and started scrubbing away.

The elephants really didn’t seem to care that I was even there. They were just rolling around and spraying water everywhere!

What fun!

The Booking Process

I booked the tour directly through the Elephant Freedom Village website and I booked it several weeks in advance. It was a super easy process, and I received an email confirmation within 24 hours along with details about pick-up, what to wear/bring, and how to pay for the tour.

• The cost of the full day tour was 3,000 THB (about $80 USD) and payment is made in cash (Thai Baht) after the tour is over.
• Pick-up was in the lobby of my hotel in Chiang Mai.
• I wore shorts and a t-shirt, with my bathing suit underneath. And I brought a change of clothes, towel, and insect repellant.

Final thoughts on my visit

After spending the day at Elephant Freedom Village, I feel good about my decision to visit.

It was an eye-opening experience and I learned so much about the elephants in Thailand, and the Karen culture. Best of all, I experienced first-hand the love that Elephant Freedom Village has for the elephants.

It’s not every day that you can get up close and personal with elephants. But for Chai-Lek and his family at the Chiang Mai Elephant Freedom Village, it is. And I feel very fortunate that I was able to share it with them.