The ChangChill Elephant Sanctuary

On this tour, an unforgettable visit to the ChangChill Elephant Sanctuary awaits you.

In collaboration with the worldwide World Animal Protection organisation, ChangChill opened its doors in 2017. At ChangChill, the elephants are allowed to live as naturally as possible by letting them roam freely around the valley, graze, bathe in the river, have dust and mud baths and socialise with each other. A place such as this had not been seen before in Thailand, and it is a significant step in the direction of better animal welfare for the elephants in the country. As a visitor, you cannot interact with the elephants but you can observe them from a distance and see them express their natural behaviour on their own terms.

You’ll be picked up from your hotel, and the drive to ChangChill takes around an hour and a half.

On your arrival, you’re given an introduction to the project itself, and then you head into the forest with the guide, where you can see the large elephants grazing. The guide will tell you about all the elephants and about Asian elephants in general, including about their appearance, how much they eat, weigh, sleep and more.

After the walk, refreshments will be served on one of the observation platforms. Beneath you, you may be lucky enough to see the elephants enjoying a mud bath – something they love doing on hot days. The mud protects their skin from both the sun and insects. When their skin begins to feel dry, they bathe in the river to remove the dry mud, with much splashing and spraying in the process. A wonderful experience to behold!

At lunchtime, you help prepare the elephants’ meal, which can consist, among other things, of corn, sugar cane or bananas. You enjoy your own vegetarian lunch from a pavilion while watching the elephants enjoy theirs below.

The elephants are cared for by the mahouts, who all descend from the Karen tribe. After lunch, you will visit the local cultural centre, where you will learn about the history and traditions of the Karen tribe. The Karen women are incredibly skilled at crafts – especially weaving – and if you’re up for it, you can have a go on one of the old-fashioned weaving looms.

You then visit ChangChill’s own herb garden and learn about which plants, leaves, roots and herbs are used as medicine for elephants and humans alike. You’ll help make a “vitamin bomb” for the elephants, a necessary dietary supplement, as the elephants have difficulty absorbing enough vitamins themselves.

Finally, the elephant keepers will tell you about their day-to-day work and the role of the mahout in Thai culture and history.

Then it’s time to say goodbye to the beautiful elephants and head back to Chiang Mai.

This excursion is also open to guests other than those travelling with TourCompass.

We recommend that you book the excursion when booking the tour.

Duration: approx. 9 hours