Joy Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai (Office)

All the research to find an ethical sanctuary was worth it after our visit here. It was incredible. The day starts out meeting with your guide. Our guide was Hit, he was so knowledgeable and really spread awareness and made it clear that the land belongs to the elephants. It’s their space and we must respect it. You get to feed the elephants at a safe distance. You give them sugar cane and bananas. Shortly after you are off and headed on a hike. You follow along on the pathway at a safe distance from the elephants, the hike leads you to where you will enjoy a meal. We had pad thai, salad, fruit and tea. The food was delicious. You also get to enjoy a beautiful waterfall and swim if you’d like to, so don’t forget your swimsuit and water shoes! Really happy to be able to do this! The whole experience just gives you a different outlook on sanctuaries and how animals should be treated. Loved every moment of this experience and would not only recommend to everyone, but wish others and all sanctuaries would operate in a similar fashion. NO TOUCHING, NO FORCED BATHS, NO PERFORMANCE, the only way to go!

Such a meaningful experience at this ethical elephant sanctuary in Thailand. It’s a smaller sanctuary, but you can really feel how much they care about the wellbeing of the elephants. The guides were fantastic—honest, knowledgeable, and encouraged open discussion about ethical sanctuaries and how many are becoming less hands-on to allow elephants to live more naturally. We learned about each elephant before offering them some snacks and heading out on a nature hike. The hike was beautiful but steep and slippery at times, so good shoes and the walking stick are a must. Seeing the elephants’ different personalities up close in their natural environment was incredible. We ended the day with a refreshing waterfall dip, homemade Pad Thai, and had the opportunity to make our own herbal inhalers to take home. Highly recommend for anyone looking for a truly ethical and memorable elephant experience in Thailand.

Amazing experience! We cancelled an "ethical" tour that included bathing with elephants, but that's not ethical at all! Joy Elephant Sanctuary respects the elephant's boundaries and no touching! The six female elephants are magnificent to see and their personalities shine through. The youngest at 24yo is especially cheeky when feeding 😉 Besides feeding them snacks, we get to walk with them through the jungle. After that, those who are interested, can enjoy a swim at the waterfall. We got served delicious vegetarian pad thai and ended the tour by making a souvenir ourselves.