ChangChill Ethical Elephant Sanctuary

ChangChill is an ethical elephant sanctuary in the hills, roughly 90-minutes west of Chiang Mai. We love this sanctuary as it has a strictly hands-off policy.

Visitors here can observe the elephants in their natural element, relaxing, eating, playing and interacting exactly as they would in the wild.

Many visitors to Thailand want to experience elephants on their trip but don’t know how to do so in an ethical way. Although there has been progress in prioritising elephant welfare in Thailand over the past decade, there are still parks with questionable practices, such as riding the elephants or chaining them up when not in public. Happily, ChangChill’s philosophy is that “elephants can simply be elephants”, so they are free to roam around their eight acres of land without being disturbed by humans.

ChangChill (meaning ‘relaxed elephants’) offers half-day or full-day packages, including plenty of chances to see the sanctuary’s elephants in their natural environment. After a quick introduction to the organisation and a safety briefing, you are led into the forest to search for the elephants. This trekking can be challenging, so isn’t suitable for anyone with mobility issues. The expert guides will teach you about elephant behaviour and conservation as you trek through the jungle, before reaching a mud pit where elephants like to roll around and cool down on hot days.  

The day continues with more chances to see the elephants going about their business and getting to know the mahouts and the Karen tribe they originate from. In between observing the elephants, your guides will show you how to prepare some healthy snacks for them and give you a crash course in Thai herbs picked straight from their organic garden.

We thoroughly recommend ChangChill to anyone who wants an educational elephant experience with the confidence of knowing that both the elephants and their carers are treated well.

What you’ll do

• Watch the elephants behave as they would in the wild: roaming freely, foraging and bathing in the mud if they’re in the mood
• Learn about the elephants and conservation from local experts and mahouts
• Prepare snacks for the elephants and dig into a local lunch yourself