Elephant Bliss Full Day Tour

The day starts with your pickup in Chiang Mai between 8:15 AM & 8:45 AM. Before we start our day let's get comfortable. What exactly are Karen Clothes? Traditionally, most Karen people are farmers who cultivate "hill rice". They live in villages that are small clearings in the forest. Houses are made entirely of bamboo and thatch. A nearby stream or river may provide a place for villagers to bathe, do washing, and collect drinking water. The type of traditional clothing worn by men and women varies on marital status: Karen men wear a longyi and a sleeveless shirt (usually red) or a white say plo (men's dress). Unmarried Karen women wear long white dresses. Married Karen women wear a sarong and sleeveless shirt (usually black).

Now it's time to prepare the food you will feed the elephants. Elephants eat roots, grasses, fruit, and bark—a lot of them! An adult elephant consumes up to 300 pounds of food in a single day. Think about that for a moment. The interaction during feeding is just amazing. This is a great time to bond with these majestic creatures. These gentle giants welcome the interaction and loved to be fed. Think of it this way, these majestic creatures love to eat, especially the special treats you will be offering. You will find a kindred spirit with these gentle giants, it really is something special.

It's time to take a hike with our newfound friends. Just keep in mind we go at their pace, not ours. Feel what it must be like to simply roam with a small herd of elephants. This is a completely natural event, the elephants are free to do what they wish. Stop for a mud bath? No problem. Or maybe a casual walk into the jungle for a light snack. Whatever it is you will be there to experience this wonderfully natural time in the elephants habitat.

Looking for a truly authentic Thai experience? That's what you will find as we offer you an authentic Thai lunch prepared by the Plern Home, you can't get more local than this. Now sit back and relax and, enjoy yourself, spend time with your newfound friends while having lunch watching the elephants.

Our guests will prepare servings of supplements and vitamins for the elephants. The guide will explain details about elephant health, diet, and the benefit of each of the added ingredients. Mahouts will join in this activity when possible, so visitors get to know the elephant that they're "cooking" for and the mahout who cares for her. This is a hands-on event preparing food in the original Thai fashion.

Now it's time to feed your prepared supplements and vitamins to our majestic creatures. Learn the importance of why we feed the supplements and vitamins to the elephants each day. It really is an amazing experience to have these gentle giants eating out of your hands.

Hiking along the river is very peaceful. The scenery is beautiful, and the river's water flows endlessly. Hiking with the elephants in such a majestic area just adds to the fun. As we do not control the elephants in any way, it's great fun to see them entertain themselves along the way. They say elephants never forget, they know exactly where we are headed. To the river to swim and play.

Most visitors don't realize how much elephants love the water. Watch as the elephants gladly take to the water. Elephants love to submerge themselves completely in water. They love to splash around and use their trunks to spray water on one another. We ask that you join in, get wet, and help bathe the elephants. Feel like swimming with an elephant? The opportunity very well may present itself. You will finish this experience shaking your head in awe. You'll think to yourself, gee, I never have done anything quite like this. Enjoy the moment!

Let's transport to the waterfall Thai style. This journey will take about ten minutes to reach the waterfall, and parts of the drive will cut deep into the forest. Once we arrive at the waterfall we will hike for five minutes to reach the waterfall. The waterfall experience is always a highlight of the day. The surroundings are peaceful, you really feel connected to nature. This is another spot you would never find on your own.

It's been a long day, but great fun. Time to say farewell to all your new friends. The journey back to Chiang Mai should take about one hour. Sit back, relax and leave the driving to us.

There is one area along the Elephant River Hike that requires you to take some care. You will be on level ground, however, there is some area of the ground that will require some careful navigation. The area is approximately 15 meters long. The hike to the waterfall will require going down approximately 200 stairs. Going down is not difficult, but extra attention is required. When we are finished at the waterfall you will need to go back up the stairs. This is not difficult but can be exhausting depending on the shape you are in.

We recommend footwear such as all-terrain flip-flops or sandals. Sneakers are fine, but they will likely get wet and dirty. You can manage in flip-flops however certain parts of the trail are better suited for an open sandal with straps. Crocs can also work. Certain parts of the river hike will require you to cross the river. The depth of the water is approximately 6" to 18" and has large rocks on the river bed.

The travel time to the sanctuary is about 1 hour.

Yes, the full-day tour includes roundtrip transportation from any location in Chiang Mai City. Please contact us by email at elephantblissofficial@gmail.com or by calling/text at +66 83 964 3299 with any questions. We are available daily from 8 AM to 10 PM Thailand time.

Our tour is suitable for families with young children of all ages, except for children under 1 year old due to safety on the jungle and river hike. The Feeding Experience is appropriate for all ages, and handicap accessible.

We currently have 4 elephants in our care. We do our best to maintain a low guest-to-elephant ratio.

Yes, you may book your reservation from this page. You have the option to pay in full online or place a deposit and the balance in Thai Baht upon pickup. Please call/text +66 83 964 3299 with any questions.

The group is typically between 10-18 guests per day. We aim for there to be no more than 3-4 people per elephant. This may vary depending on the tour you select.

We need a minimum of 2 people to be booked to operate each tour.

Guests are welcome to bring one day pack or a standard check-in-sized backpack.

If you book our full-day or half-day afternoon tour we do recommend bringing a bathing suit. We will offer you Karen clothes (Thai outfits) for your day trip. Some guests will wear a bathing suit underneath to swim in the river or waterfall. The Karen clothes do dry quickly. We have a locker room for you to store your clothes.

Our elephant tour will still go ahead if it is raining. Elephants love the rain and ponchos will be provided. If there are weather conditions that we feel may place our guests in danger then the tour may be canceled. If in the rare chance, this were to happen you would receive a 100% refund.

Yes, we will send you an email within 24 hours of your tour date directing you to your tour photos and videos. You may download photos and videos free of charge.

There is never a fee to reschedule your tour. Our stated cancellation policy requests that you cancel your booking no less than 24 hours before your tour date.

A Thai-style lunch is provided with drinks. Please contact us if you have special dietary needs. We also provide water, coffee, and snacks upon arrival to the sanctuary.

Yes. You may modify your booking dates at any time free of charge.

Yes, 15% of our bookings are with single guests. Everyone is welcome at our sanctuary, single, couples, and families alike.

If you are making the journey on your own please use this link for the proper GPS directions to our camp. This is the only link that will get you to our exact location: https://goo.gl/maps/8mu3ARxtZbyeqDHC6

You will be in the open during part of your journey, we do recommend wearing a hat to protect from the sun. Bug repellent really depends on the person and the time of year you visit. Most of the journey is bug-free, but you may encounter some pesky friends during the jungle hike. A small amount of repellent for your feet, legs, and arms is recommended. Depending on the person you may wish to apply some sunscreen as well.