One of the best experiences of our entire trip! This elephant sanctuary is the work of an entire village working together to bring an outstanding and educational experience to everyone involved. It is not a tourist cluster to be sure--and the elephants are treated with such amazing love, respect, and consideration--and they involved us in every aspect of the elephants life for a full day. It is a do not miss experience!

Go here over any other place small groups of 2 per elephant made it intimate and rewarding. BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!!! We had an incredible experience riding elephants with Karen's Tribe Native Elephants! The highlight of the day was getting to feed these gentle giants, which was a truly unforgettable moment. Bathing the elephants was also a unique and heartwarming experience, as we bonded with these majestic creatures. Riding them was an adventure like no other! One of the most heartwarming aspects of the visit was meeting the 3-year-old baby elephant. This adorable little one stole our hearts and added an extra layer of charm to the day. The staff at Karen's Tribe Native Elephants were not only knowledgeable but also genuinely caring towards their elephants, ensuring their well-being and happiness. This eco-friendly and responsible elephant experience left me with cherished memories that I'll treasure forever. I can't recommend this adventure enough – it's a 5-star experience all the way!

One of the best days of my life. Hands down recommended to anyone visiting Chiang Mai. Read reviews online beforehand saying how well Karen Tribe took care of their elephants and when we arrived, we could tell instantly how happy the elephants were. Make sure to make reservations beforehand as they fill up! The tour includes travel to and from the elephants, lunch, and a day you won't forget. We started off the day walking around and playing with each of the elephants. There was a baby elephant that was so cute. Next, they spent some time explaining the elephants day to day lifestyle before we paired off with our own elephants. By the end of the day, we got to feed them, play with them, wash them, ride them, and even gave them medicine to keep them healthy.

This place isn't a "sanctuary". The elephants are not "rescued". It is a place where a small group of families from Karen tribes decided to spend majority of their time and effort in taking care of the elephants that their ancestors passed down to them. As a guest, you will simply learn what that's like and interact with these gentle giants. Yes, you will have an opportunity to ride on elephant's bareback (no equipment) should you choose to do so. They currently have 6 adult elephants and 1 baby elephant. There will be 1-2 people per elephant so the tour group is always small. They purposely keep it that way so you will have lots of time to get to know "your" elephant. This place is far from Chiang Mai (2 hours drive). The tour is a little pricy (3500 or 5000 baht per person). But, I highly recommend it if you are looking for a genuine day-with-elephant experience.

Sun and his family were truly delightful. There were four of us for an overnight and we each had an elephant to take care of, prepare food for, and even bathe. We stayed overnight and at night we went cricket hunting and helped prepare the meals. Thank you Karen tribe for letting us be a part of your family for a few days. It was a truly magical experience and we will definitely need to come back to check on the baby elephant, David.

If I can give, I would love to give 100 stars! Really incredible, fantastic, fabulous, amazing, great great great experience of my life. Before this, I am actually anti those tourism with elephants . However this experience is totally different with those “photo-photo” kind of experience. This group of people really taking care their elephants and this elephants in return be a good boy and girl throughout my whole experience with them. No abuse no commercial. Is just an experience how they raised elephants as their pets like how we raise our dogs! So much love and care show to the elephants , the elephants are happy loving and warm. Wish to visit them soon! Love the baby elephant noe!!!! So cute of you! Never regret of going this place! MUST- MUST -MUST go. Do ignore the Review lower than 5 star. Nobody would give lower than 5 star of such a lovely village and the group if you love elephants!!!! Thumbs up!

Amazing amazing experience with the Karen Tribe Native Elephant sanctuary. Drive there was long but it was more than worth it. Sun, the organizer of the whole experience was very nice and gave us an informative speech about elephants, Karen tribe, and overall Thai culture. This made the drive great! The drive there through the jungle villages is also striking. When there, you each get one elephant to take care of. Sun, again, takes you step by step. Since it is a private small group, there is no hurry and you can take your time learning and bonding with the beautiful beasts. Highly Highly recommended! Must do in Chiang Mai!

Utterly amazing experience... Something I'll remember to the day I die. Karen's tribes people were amazingly friendly, knowledgeable and brilliant with the elephants. Not your usual Thai Elephant centre, their baby nelly was hilarious. It's deep in the jungle about two hours outside in Chang Mai. You feed the elephants, learn about them, wash them, play with them and go on a trek with them. All in their natural habitat. No cages, you can tell they really care about the elephants, they live with them in their village. Lunch was fab, sticky rice was to die for. The professional photos they take of you are given to you on a cd, there is some stuff available to buy at the end but it's not your usual hard sell. I really can't recommend these guys enough. It was a total joy. If you go to Chang Mai you have to take this trip.

I'm writing this review after we visited here one month later. My family still often talk about the experience in so many memorable moments. my daughter can still remember the auntie elephant she looked after. We not only stayed there with the elephants for one day but also stayed at Mr. Sun's homestay for 3 days. Mr. Sun has a very loving and caring family and we felt very well looked after. We 1000% recommend here to you!

Couldn’t recommend this enough! It was a very magical experience. We learnt about elephant health which was very interesting and how to tell if an elephant is healthy or not. My favourite part was washing the elephants in the river - so much fun! Our group was very small which made the whole experience even more exciting as we each had our own elephant to look after. The guides were very lovely too. Definitely a once in a lifetime experience!!

We enjoyed an unforgettable day with Sun and his team today. After almost 2 hours drive up the mountains, we got to the elephants village. There, we got to experience taking care of our own elephant. 2 people max were assigned to an elephant and overall it was a small group of 10 (that’s the max they accept per day). We learned about elephants, what they eat and how to feed them, wash them, enjoy a splash with them and then ride them. We also got to enjoy a great lunch, with amazing fruits and deserts served on leaves. Sun and his team were obviously looking out for the elephants to be happy and healthy - no chains, violence or screaming. A must do in Chiang Mai!!

The Karen Tribe Elephant experience will offer you more than you expect. It's a hands-on one on one moment you get to have with your assigned elephant for a whole day - this includes feeding them, checking signs of their health, bathing them, taking them on a walk, and overall connecting with them. What makes this experience different is in the history and lifestyle the Karen tribe has had with the elephants they cared for. Just book an elephant experience trip with them and no regrets guaranteed.

My family had such a lovely experience with the Karen tribe and their elephants. Sun was very knowledgeable in sharing about the Karen culture and how they care for the elephants. We had such great fun bonding, feeding, bathing, and walking them. Our guides were very welcoming and took lots of pictures for us. And of course, the elephants were so friendly and adorable, especially little baby Nui! Highly recommend to anyone who is seeking a unique experience in Chiang Mai

An incredible experience. Sun and his tribe were extremely welcoming and keen to give their knowledge passed down through generations. The elephants were very well cared for, happy and could want for nothing. It really was a personal experience like no other elephant experience in Thailand. We stayed the night and had a lovely BBQ. The second day saw us taking a tour around the village, meeting the people who live there, smelling and trying the local produce and being taken to the local waterfall. We finished the trip with one last visit to the elephants and got to say good bye to their handlers.

An absolutely perfect day would be an understatement. We did extensive research online to find a place where elephants are genuinely cared for like family. We were honored to spend the day with Mr. Sun, his three elephants 🐘🐘🐘 Phu Jan, Champoo and the little one, Nooy and the friendly mahouts. We can see that the Karen tribe definitely does its best to care for the physical and mental health of its elephants unlike the so-called sanctuaries. One major difference is that with Karen tribe, they only accept 6-8 people per day, and they taught us step by step how they care for the elephants and how to check their health status. A huge thank you to Mr Sun for his hospitality. He did an excellent job at explaining everything to us, and he is actively contributing to the preservation of elephants in his village. We were also spoiled with a colourful feast of local food and we got many great pictures from the photographer. It was an unforgettable experience and a true HIDDEN GEM. ❤️ We believe it is the most ethical, sustainable and unique elephant experience in Chiangmai. We will surely come again. We sincerely encourage more people take the time to choose wisely and contribute to the welfare of elephants in Chiangmai. First couple coming from Mauritius 😎🇲🇺

This experience was like none other! The people from the Karen Tribe take such good care of the elephants and they convey the hard work and amount of time it takes everyday to do this. This is what an ethical place should be like. Happy elephants! They only let up to roughly 10 people a day come to visit the elephants. This allows people to make friends with 1 specific elephant and that’s the one you get to take care of for the day. They provide a delicious lunch half way through the day. They also have a little souvenir area where you can buy stuff at the end of the day. This experience is worth every penny. It’s a must when you’re in Thailand.

One of the most fulfilling experience I’ve had in a long while. As a Thai, elephants are common sights that we’ve seen since we were kids so I did not expect much. Getting to spend a full day, learning elephants’ routine, behaviours, food, and traditional wisdoms of Karen people is very special. Sun and his staff are professional, friendly and eager to share with you their inter-generational knowledge of how Karen people take care of elephants. We spent time with Chompoo and Nui the mother and the baby. They are so much fun to observe. The lunch, rice, sticky rice, phad thai was simple but delicious and fresh and I love that they use banana leaves ad packaging. The ride to the village was almost 2 hours but worth the wait. I will definitely recommend friends and family to immerse in this experience. One suggestion is perhaps to use fewer plastic bottles of drinking water and switch to reusable water bottle instead.

Saw a YouTube video and decided to enquire and immediately booked an overnight stay. Communication with the team was clear and quick response time. Pick up from my hotel on time and the drive there was amazing. So many things to see though bumpy. Thank you khun rak for amazing drive. Once you reach the tribe village, you immediately know how intimate the experience is going to be. Just me and two other families. 10pax. While waiting for the experience to officially start, we fed some bananas to the elephants but of course Baby elephant stole the limelight. The legendary Khun Sun came and gave us some history behind elephants and Karen tribe people and introduction to the elephants. 🐘 After we got dressed in native clothes, we were assigned our individual elephant to take care of for the day. Feeding, cutting shoots, brushing off the sand and feeding them again. Lunch was an amazing spread of food and it was delicious. Second half of the tour would bring us to wash the elephant and then daily trekking. Disclaimer: you can ride or walk with the elephant. Your choice. Riding elephant is a way of life for the Karen people. I personally rode to the river and trek w the elephant thereafter. Trekking thru the forest with my majestic beast was such an amazing experience. Then it was time for everyone to bid goodbye to the elephants as the tour comes to an end. ——— I checked in to Khun Sun newly built accommodation. Nice and cozy. The mini balcony watching over the rice field was so chilling. 100% loving this experience. Dinner with Khun Sun and family was heart warming. His sons are so shy 🙈. But they will gradually warm up to you once they get to know you. —— Breakfast was superb. I love it very much. Khun Sun cooked it which makes it even more special. His wife bought me around the village for a tour and see their way of life. Then it was time to end my trip there. :( —- I already missed my elephant and the hospitality of Khun Sun and family as I am typing this. I shall return to the village again (maybe Songkran😍) and relive my experience. Can I do a 3D2N one pls. 🤭🤭🤭 All in all, very educational and eye opening experience. Highly recommended to sign up for this tour.

My elephant sanctuary experience with the ethnic Karen tribe was truly authentic and enriching. Unlike other tours run by organizations that purchase elephants, this sanctuary is deeply rooted in the cultural traditions of the Karen tribe. The genuine connection between the tribe and their elephants was evident, creating a unique and ethical encounter. The immersion into Karen culture added a fascinating layer to the experience. From traditional practices to heartfelt stories shared by the tribe members, it felt like more than just a tour – it was a cultural exchange. The genuine warmth and hospitality of the Karen people made the visit even more memorable. I highly recommend this elephant sanctuary experience for those seeking a meaningful and authentic wildlife encounter.

Magical memories! Booking this experience with Karen Tribe Native Elephants was a joy from start to finish! Booking was simple- initial inquiry through their website and communicating with Sun over WhatsApp. We were picked up by Garoon on the morning of the excursion, took some dramamine (just in case) and enjoyed the beautifully scenic drive to their village! As soon as we arrived we were greeted by the sight of their harmonious herd enjoying their breakfast. We were encouraged to go and greet each elephant one by one. I was a little nervous with my two young boys and their interactions with the elephants, but I soon found that there was no need to worry. They truly are gentle giants. They took bananas from my boys so gingerly! We were assigned Chomphou and her baby Nui who was an adorably big toddler. But even banana loving, mischievous Nui was calm and at ease with my boys. Together we continued to help feed them, cut grasses for them, dust off their bodies and cool them off with a hose. Lunch was a beautiful spread of fruits, rice, noodles, and special Thai sweets. We were even treated to some delicious village grown coffee. Then we helped to prepare their daily vitamins by grinding rice and mashing it with other nutritious fruits and vegetables. After lunch we went on an adventurous ride in the back of a pick-up truck to meet the herd in the jungle for their daily exercise. We were showed 4 different methods of how to safely get up on the elephant for a ride. Then those who wanted to ride their elephant could ride them down to the river for their baths, or just walk down beside them. Initially I thought my husband would need to ride with one of our boys, but our elephant trainer said that our two small boys could ride on Chomphou, the mama elephant together without an adult. That was truly a test of faith, but after a few minutes, my heart rate went back to normal and I knew that they were safe in Mama Chomphou’s care. We walked all the way down to the mountain to the river as Chomphou carried our boys with such gentleness. Once at the river we got to work scrubbing Mom and baby with their naturally made soap, rinsing and playing. My boys truly loved this part. Finally, we said goodbye to our new friends, dressed out of our wet clothes and journeyed back home with incredible memories of our experience. Truly, do no hesitate to book this. Sun and his group do a wonderful job of lovingly taking care of their herd and strengthening their tribe by supporting their young people in getting a good education. We learned so much about elephant care, the Karen tribe and Thailand. Thank you for a once in a lifetime experience!

Go, do THIS lifetime experience with the Karen Tribe native elephants! 🐘 This was sooooo much fun, we each had “our” elephant to take of plus the super cute baby. 🐘 So if think about booking smthg else, better check how big your group is and how many elephants 🐘 We were greeting, health checking, feeding, brushing, cleaning, washing, walking our elephants 🐘 learned some words and were making vitamin balls for these beautiful and well kept animals. 🐘 Speaking for Europe, you would not get this package and personal attention and well-cared for animals if you were trying to spend a day and even ride with horses 🐎as a beginner. In addition we learned about the Karen tribe with their own language and culture. 🐘 If you read all this text and still wonder if you should do this…the answer is: YES 🙌🏻 go for it! 🐘

Our most amazing experience in South East Asia, Sun and the Karen Tribe were so welcoming and really made us feel connected to their tribe and these special animals. The day was really educational and was centred around caring for the elephants and not just another ‘ethical’ tourist trap. Activities include feeding, washing and walking, as well as making their dietary medicine from scratch and finally ending with the choice to ride your elephant, as the tribe has done for hundreds of years. Could not recommend this tour more highly, thank you Sun!

WOW. This was most incredible experience! The Karen tribe has been caring for elephants for generations. In this experience, they matched us each with an elephant and taught us how to care for them and what to look out for to ensure that they are healthy and happy. Unlike other sanctuaries built for tourists, they let only a small number of visitors experience what their tribe has been doing for years. If you’re coming to Chiang Mai, do NOT miss this!!

Please note you cannot book in person, you can book a trip with them only over email. This location is not a real location! My partner and I came here for a day trip and it was absolutely magical. The people are so wonderful, and so knowledgeable. You can tell how loved and well cared for the elephants are, and it’s not just a day to go and gawk at elephants (although it is a little bit of that!!), they also teach you about elephants and how to care for them. They teach you about their tribe and culture, and how their tribe has used elephants, how they keep them healthy, and their traditions. To get to spend a day in their routine and learn about their way of life is not only fascinating, but humbling. The drive there and back is long - almost 2 hours each way but WELL worth it. They come pick you up and drop you off, and lunch is provided. Lunch, by the way, was delicious. Their family is wonderful, and their dog Blackie is a treasure. Thank you SO much for having us, this was an experience unlike any other. We are grateful and will treasure those memories forever. All the best to you all, and special shout-out to elephant mama Chompoo and baby Nui!!

Highly recommended if you're in Chiangmai! An experience of a life time, where you're not only here to see the elephants, but you'll also befriend an elephant and learn how to treat them through the Karen tribe ways. The day starts off early, being picked up and then driven through the wonderful mountainous scenes and ends with a feeling of fulfillment and extreme joy. Once you arrive at the venue, you can sense a great small community. You'll get to get up and close with the different elephants, learn their names and feed them. You won't only be learning about elephants, but also the history of the Karen tribe. You'll be assigned elephant for the day, where you learn different phrases to feed and praise the elephants. After feeding the elephants, you'll then be fed with authentic Thai cuisines such as Pad Thai, sticky rice with mango and a wild variety of local fruits and desserts. They also provide a sample taste of their specialised coffee which is amazing. The best part of the experience was being able to traditionally safely ride your assigned elephant downhill (you can also walk it down hill if you don't want to ride), when this is done, you'll be by a river where you get to wash the elephants and take some amazing pictures which will be taken by the tour guide. By the end of the trip, you'll feel attached to your assigned elephant and sad that the experience is coming to an end. The guide and the other elephant caretakers were amazing, you can tell they really care for the elephants with how they are treated. All in all an unforgettable experience, one that will live with me a lifetime and one I will tell everyone I know about. Thank you all!

We are very impressed with this trip to the elephant village! It was an amazing experience to take care of elephants: we fed them, washed them and did other interesting things. The elephants there are happy, the staff takes good care of them and they are friendly. I highly recommend it!

We had the best day of our entire trip there and fulfilled a dream. They are so caring for their elephant. An off the grid tribe in unity with nature. We felt so welcome. It was a small group. Each of us had relax time to meet our elephant 🐘 feed him, Bathing him with plants, Then give them natural remedy plants from the forest, the guide were so knowledgeable. Also 7 generation taking care of elephant. It felt so perfect. Then we could ride our elephant. Really impressive. Thank you so much 💓 for the love and care you showed us. May Jehovah bless you 🙏✨️❤️ also the meal they provided was beautiful and so tasty.

We had a great time visiting this place. The trip was organised by a friend which I didn't think much of it at first as I thought we would just go and see elephants. Once we arrived we did a lots of hands on activities which actually surprised me. We were able to get really close and personal with the elephants such as feeding and giving them a bath which we enjoyed every minute of it. All the staffs were incredibly professional and extremely friendly. As a Karen person I felt connected with the all the staff members there and was able to have many meaningful conversations with them as well as discussing the history of Karen people in Chiang Mai. On top of that we had Karen traditional main dish 'ta ker pow' and Karen chilli paste. The warm welcome and friendliness shown by everyone there made me feel like home. This experience was one of the highlights for our 3 weeks in Thailand. We have been sharing an amazing experience with families and friends. If there was another opportunity in the future we would definitely like to go back there again.

Meeting baby elephant Nuiy = BEST DAY ever Absolutely amazing day, we were looking for an ethical elephant experience and this definitely exceeded our expectations. You get to spend an entire day with the elephants, it was extremely educational and intimate with the small group sizes (the day we went there was a total of 6 people). Sun (the group leader) is extremely kind and funny, and he taught us so much about the elephants, their daily routine, and the Karen tribe people. You work for the elephants instead of the other way around, and the elephant we spent the day with (Mamarie) is so gentle and a giant sweetheart. Free bottled water and a beautiful lunch spread is provided! You can really tell that the villagers here respect the elephants, they make sure the elephants are never overwhelmed with large numbers of tourists, and even take Sundays off to give the elephants a break. You can see that the elephants here are happy, healthy and never stop eating 😂 what a life! This was absolutely the highlight of our trip to Thailand. We would 1000% recommend to anyone going to northern Thailand to check it out, it is an one of a kind experience! We already want to come back 🥹

Following thorough research on the subject of Elephant sanctuaries with many not being ethical I was not happy with either one I found until I came across Karen's Tribe, I felt happy and satisfied with my choice, and following the actual day spent there I confirmed this. We arrived and Sun + his team were so welcoming and friendly, he speaks very good English. My boyfriend and I were to care for one elephant between us, our elephant was one of the biggest ones (having to ride her later was quite the mission and experience) her name was Mekapo (not sure how to spell). We got to feed her, bath her, ride her for a short distance and also give them their medicine. There is also a baby called Nui, who is very energetic and quite naughty, in a cute way. :) A nice local and fresh lunch was also prepared for us. The day was truly a memorable one, best experience while in Chang Mai.

One of the best things I have ever done! I loved everything about this experience. Ross, Sunday and the whole crew were excellent hosts. The elephants were absolutely beautiful. What a privilege to spend the day with them. Thank you to the people of this village for creating an amazing experience for others to enjoy.

Thank you to the whole Karen tribe for this fantastic experience. Sun and Rak, our guides, both did a great job sharing their knowledge about the Karen tribe, the elephants and the history they share. The Karen people were very friendly to us and seemed very caring with their elephants. It is quite a unique experience that I would recommend to anyone who enjoys the wonders of nature and a little bit of adventure. If you are hesitating about going because of the ethics of it all, I think you should definitely give it a try and see if you leave with the same opinion. Things are usually more complex and nuanced than they seem at first…

Our family had a fantastic day! This is not the typical elephant nature park in Chiang Mai, but a unique place full of kindness and care. Come experience what life is like living in harmony with nature and a herd of Asian elephants. Khun Sun is a fantastic guide, Khun Rak - a superb transportation service, the lunch was exceptional. Thank you so much! We’ll be happy to come again and watch how Nuiy is growing.

Amazing experience! 100% recommend you go with the Karen tribe. You get to connect and bond with an elephant all day, while they enjoy their natural routine which is feeding, walking and bathing! They are the happiest most loved elephants, love people, pets and compliments! It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity, if you are ever in Chiang Mai you HAVE to go.

If you don’t mind 1 hour 30 minutes twists and turns of the mountain road from Chiang Mai, this is one of the most fantastic experiences you could have in Thailand. We were guided by the people in the tribe to feed, wash the elephants. The most amazing exps we were carried by elephants and walk in the river and the mountain path. Karen Tribe people know them really well and give them love with care.

It was such an awesome experience! Very nice and polite people in the tribe. They explained everything we need to know patiently and understandable. They went with us during the trip, checking for our full enjoyment and comfort. The elephant family are really peaceful and friendly. The tribe takes care of them perfectly; we could see how clean, glad, feed and healthy they are. The location is in a village surrounded by the Thai nature, apart from any other tourist. The visit is exclusive and private, much more recomendable than the typical ones. Firstly, they picked us up in the hotel. As soon as we arrived to the village, we met the elephants. During the day we fed them, washed them in the river, and went for a walk with them. Later, we prepared proteins for them in a natural way. We had typical food for lunch, and well prepared. Thank you Karen Tribe for such a great day! Fernández family.

Amazing experience! The elephants are just as friendly as the staff. They come and pick you up at your hotel and take you to the village to spend all day with the elephants caring for them (washing & feeding) and even have quiet bungalows for you to stay in. It was the best sleep we had the whole trip and the best overall experience. I really recommend making time for this experience.

An extraordinary experience in the middle of the forest and rice fields, with a very small group (10 people at that time) where the goal is not just to see elephants but to learn how to care for them and get to know them. We had a complete experience with an authentic tribe and its respected elephants: from cuddles to bathing through treatments and walks... A day full of learning, sharing and surprises. Everything is very well organized by people who are passionate about their profession and their elephants. This day spent with the Karen tribe and its elephants will remain unforgettable to us. Thank you!