Pai District, Thailand
Unnamed Road, Tambon, Thung Yao,
N/A
Very interesting initiative, both from a re-forestation and elephant rehabilitation point of view. People were very friendly and passionate about what they did. Don't expect to swim or play with the elephant as they are trying to rehabilitate it back into the wild. You will still have a very close encounter though. Worth a visit.
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I met Mae Kamee, a 34-year old female elephant @conservenaturalforests. I can stay the whole day staring at her and just watching her roam the 8 hectares reforested jungle of the group. Kamee is not allowed to be touched. Reforestation is the main goal of the group as they slowly bring the jungle back to rehabilitate the wildlife and to bring more of Mae Kamee's herd and other wildlife back to their habitat. I am really happy to find them in Pai. It's not a tourist spot, but it's a place to learn reforestation programs of their foundation. They produce tree seedlings and plant it in the rainy season. You'll get to transplant seedlings and plant trees around. They don't have a fix pricing or package but the ecotour will ask you a minimum of 1000 donation. But it's super worth it, especially to those with the same vision of nature conservation. I enjoyed the half day activity and learned a lot from K Hippo and N Louis.
When we couldn't get a reservation for the Nature Elephant Park we looked for alternatives. Sadly, there are few places that treat the elephants 100% nicely but this is one of them. The well-being of the animals is their top priority so there is no set program. And there will never be dancing, riding or other silly things. The elephants do what they want to do. Luckily for the visitors they really love bananas and know that visitors will always arrive at around 14:00. So they will come out of the jungle to get some bananas. Besides the elephants there is much to learn about the local wildlife and the history of the place. You even get to plant your own tree! You can get some really nice food and a couple of drinks. Everything is priced very reasonably and every Baht spent there gives me a good feeling that it will be used for the park itself.
I don't have enough words to express how much I recommend this project. We learn a lot about the history of forests and Elephants on Thailand, their ecosystem... this proyect is priceless, and you contribute planting a tree to compensate a part of your carbon footprint of your travel to Thailand, and at the same time you are part of the reforestation of this country. They rehabilitate the ecosystem of the forests, reptiles and Elephants, it can't be one without the other. And when the elephant is ready, it will be reinserted in a protected natural area where she can live free and wild. Re-co-men-ded.
I went to Conserve Natural Forests a few times when I was in Pai two years ago, and couldn’t wait to take my mom when she was visiting. This is a very unique organization that is working to combat deforestation, one of the root issues for elephants & other wildlife in Thailand. It is very educational. You learn about deforestation, the history of working elephants in Thailand, & you get to see tortoises, an elephant, & plant a tree. Miguel, the owner/founder, his wife Hippo who makes great Thai food, and our tour guide Jason were all awesome. When we went they had one very pregnant elephant (due any time!), Kamee. Kamee is being rehabilitated so that she & her baby can eventually be released into a protected forest. There are no hooks, chains, bathing, or forcing her to do anything or go anywhere. Tours are small groups and they only have one a day so that she has minimal interactions with people throughout the day. You get to hang out with Kamee, feed her some snacks, & observe her do & go where she pleases while her mahouts & the staff are ensuring the safety & well being of Kamee and visitors. When we were there in December there was a family with young children, and our guide clearly explained potential hazards & guidelines and made sure the parents & kids understood before starting the tour. When one of the children started approaching the elephant from behind, Hippo noticed right away and immediately brought it to attention to ensure the child’s safety. If you want to interact with elephants ethically, this is the only place to do it in my opinion. Even though other places advertise no riding, no hooks, etc, those elephants are still working all day every day & typically not treated well.
This is the place that everyone should go to and support. It is a non profit elephant preserve started by a man who just wants to save the animals. When we visited, they only had one elephant and it was treated better than most people get treated. No riding or harming, just feeding and respectful petting. The staff there are all very kind and the food is wonderful. We planted a bamboo tree at the end which was cool.
One of the best experiences on our tour through Thailand. You should visit this place before going to another elephant sanctuary. The people there are super friendly and you can see that they are loving what they are doing. It is a total different experience! We'll come back to see how our tree has grown. There is only one elephant in the area and just living her life. We had the luck of her being very hungry so we could feed her plenty bananas and corn.
Truly the most ethical elephant visit you can possibly go on. Everyone here cares about the elephant as if it’s part of their family. The forest is also wonderful and they are doing so much to conserve the land. Great half day adventure!
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