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FAQ

Frequently Asked
Questions Chiang Mai

Transport

Do you offer a pick up/drop off service?
Yes. We offer a free transfer service to/from hotels and most other places of accommodation within a 5km radius of Chiang Mai’s Old City. Visitors requiring transport from locations outside this area will incur a small transport surcharge.

We recommend staying in Chiang Mai the night prior to your visit to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. Planes, buses, and trains are often delayed, and we are unable to wait for you outside of your assigned pick up time. If you wish to be dropped off at the airport or another location following your visit, please inform us of this at least 24 hours prior to your visit. Please note that we cannot offer you priority treatment, and all guests will be dropped off in the most efficient order possible.

Bookings for Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai must be made at least 12 hours before the assigned pick-up time for your visit for overnight experience, Half Day Visit, One Day Walk With Elephants, and Feed and Shower experience. And at least 2 hours for the Feed Me experience. In order to avoid disappointment, we recommend booking as early as possible.
On average, it takes approximately 1.5 hours to reach the Sanctuary from downtown Chiang Mai. The exact travel time may vary depending on the location you are visiting, as well as factors such as traffic, weather, and current road conditions. We offer visitors a short break around halfway to the Sanctuary, where food, refreshments, and bathrooms are available. If you are visiting our Grand Canyon Branch for the Feed Me or Feed & Shower programs, the travel time is shorter—approximately 40 minutes from Chiang Mai city.
For the majority of the drive to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, we use paved public roads, however the final portion of the drive to each of our locations includes unpaved road conditions. As some of the roads we use can be quite mountainous and winding, we recommend bringing medication if you are prone to motion sickness.
For most of our programs, we use comfortable, spacious, air-conditioned vans driven by professional drivers. For our Feed Me and Feed & Shower programs, we use local transportation such as red songthaew trucks or covered pickup trucks with rear seating.

Bookings & Payment

How far in advance do I need to book?
Bookings must be made at least 12 hours before the assigned pick-up time for your visit for Half Day Visit, One Day Walk With Elephants and Feed and Shower experience. And at least 2 hours for the Feed Me experience. In order to avoid disappointment, we recommend booking as early as possible.
Yes. There are no fees for this, but please inform us at least 24 hours in advance. Please note that the date of your visit may not be changed due to poor weather conditions, and Elephant Jungle Sanctuary will remain operational despite rain and other mild weather conditions.

Full payment is required if you book through our website, and our cancellation policy applies:

Cancel more than 48 hours before your visit: Full refund.
Cancel 24–48 hours before your visit: 50% refund.

No. We do not accept booking requests made on any of our social media pages. For all booking enquiries, please contact us directly via phone, email, our website, or in person at our Chiang Mai office.
Booking cancellations made more than 48 hours before the designated visit start time are eligible for a full refund. A partial refund of 50% is applicable for cancellations made between 24 and 48 hours prior to the designated visit start time. No refunds shall be given in the case of a visitor ‘No Show’ or for bookings cancelled or amended less than 24 hours prior to the designated visit start time.
Yes, we accept Visa and Mastercard for bookings made through our website.
Yes. We offer special rates for children (4-10 years) and infants (0-3 years). Child/infant rates may be found in the ‘Price’ section on each program page in the ‘Chiang Mai’ section of our website. To comply with insurance policy regulations, visitor ages must be reported accurately. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary reserves the right to request proof of age for bookings including children/infants prior to the commencement of the visit, during the check-in process, and throughout the duration of the visit experience.
EJS offers a five percent discount for group bookings of 10 people or more which will auto apply through our website when making the payment.

You are welcome to change your booked visit program, provided you inform us at least 24 hours prior to the date of your visit. Please contact us via email at chiangmai@elephantjunglesanctuary.com to discuss your desired changes, and we will inform you of any difference in price.

Locations & Elephants

How many Elephant Jungle Sanctuary locations are there?
At the present time, there are seven Elephant Jungle Sanctuary locations in Chiang Mai. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary also has operational locations in Phuket, Pattaya, and Koh Samui.

The location you visit will largely be determined by which program you choose (e.g. Half Day/Full Day/Overnight/One Day Walk), the number of visitors on the date of your visit, and where your place of accommodation is located. 



However, if you wish to visit a specific Elephant Jungle Sanctuary location (for example, if you have visited that location previously, or it has been recommended by a friend), please inform us in advance, and we will endeavour to accommodate your request.

The number of elephants differs for each location. Currently, each of our locations has a minimum herd size of at least 4 elephants. Visitor group sizes for each of our programs are structured around the number of elephants at each location to ensure that our elephants are not overwhelmed, as well as to ensure visitor satisfaction and safety.
Yes. The the itinerary and activities for each program remain the same at each location in Chiang Mai.
While we currently care for infant elephants at several of our locations, we cannot guarantee that you will get the opportunity to see one.
No. While the original Elephant Jungle Sanctuary location was founded near a Karen village, some of our subsequently opened locations are quite remote, and we cannot guarantee that you will visit a Karen village. However, many of our staff are members of Karen hill-tribe communities, and can answer any questions you may have about their unique culture. Furthermore, you will not see or meet any Kayan, or “Long-Neck Karen” people, as they are a subgroup of Red Karen (Karenni) people, and do not reside near any Elephant Jungle Sanctuary location.

Special Requirements

Can my dietary requirements be accommodated?
Yes. All dietary requirements and restrictions can be accommodated. If you are vegetarian or vegan, have any kind of food allergy, or any other specific dietary requirements, please advise us of this prior to the day of your visit.
Yes. Guests who are pregnant, wheelchair bound, have mobility difficulties, or suffer from any other relevant pre-existing condition are required to inform Elephant Jungle Sanctuary of their condition prior to visiting. Depending on the specific circumstances, visitors with medical conditions may need to sign a waiver stating that they understand that their health condition is appropriately robust to allow safe participation in a tour involving large animals.
Yes. All ages are welcome at EJS. Please note that, to ensure the safety of young children and infants, close parental supervision is essential during any interaction with elephants. We offer discounted rates for children and infants. Please refer to each program page (e.g. ‘Afternoon Visit’) in the ‘Chiang Mai’ section of our website for specific pricing details.
All fitness levels are welcomed at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, however some of our locations and visit programs (such as our Walk With Elephants experience) require a moderate hiking ability. If you have mobility issues, please inform us of this prior to your visit, and we will ensure that you visit a location suited to your needs. You will never be forced to do anything you feel uncomfortable doing.
We welcome all visitors to leave reviews, feedback, and suggestions about their experience at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary on Facebook, Google, or TripAdvisor. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated and help us continue improving our work.

General Enquiries

Do I need travel insurance?
All visitors to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary are covered by our insurance policy, however we highly recommend that you obtain personal travel/medical insurance prior to your arrival in Thailand.

No special vaccinations are needed to interact with elephants at any of our locations. However, detailed health information and a list of recommended vaccinations for travel in Thailand can be found at: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/thailand
We recommend consulting your GP or specialist travel doctor for up-to-date medical advice prior to the commencement of your trip.

No. Participation in these activities during your visit is encouraged, but by no means mandatory, and you will never be forced to do anything which makes you uncomfortable.
All of our guides speak fluent English and Thai.
If the program you have booked includes a meal, you will be provided with buffet-style traditional Thai food, including vegetarian options. All dietary restrictions can be accommodated, provided we are informed of them prior to your visit. Drinking water will also be provided free of charge, and other beverages will be available for purchase.
Some of our camps have limited mobile network service. WiFi is available only at our Grand Canyon Branch.
Maximum group capacity varies depending on the program you choose, and which location you visit. The number of people in your group will also depend on factors such as the infrastructure available, and the number of elephants at the location you visit, as well as the time of year. Our most exclusive package is our ‘One Day Walk with Elephants’ program, which is strictly limited to a maximum of 10 people per group.
Generally, we recommend that all visitors bring the following on the day of their visit: Bathing suit, Change of clothes, Walking shoes, Hat, Sunscreen, Insect repellent, Camera (optional), and Personal medication (if required). Comprehensive ‘What to Bring’ lists can be found on each program page.
All personal details provided by customers are used for contact and booking (and, if necessary, insurance) purposes only. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary will never share your personal information (including, but not limited to, your name, email address, or phone number) with a 3rd party for any reason without your express permission, unless required by law. For this reason, please do not contact Elephant Jungle Sanctuary to request the details of fellow visitors, as we are unable to provide you with this information.
As stated in our Privacy Policy (see above), we are unable to provide you with the contact details of any of our visitors. If you wish to share photos or otherwise stay in contact with any of your fellow guests, please ensure that you exchange contact details prior to leaving Elephant Jungle Sanctuary.
If you have forgotten anything during your visit, please contact the EJS Chiang Mai office by phone as soon as possible. We will endeavor to locate the item/s and return them to you. However, Elephant Jungle Sanctuary accepts no responsibility for any items lost, damaged, or forgotten on our premises. We advise all visitors to thoroughly check their possessions prior to leaving Elephant Jungle Sanctuary at the conclusion of their visit.
We welcome all visitors to leave reviews, feedback, and suggestions about their experience at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary on Facebook, Google, or TripAdvisor. Your thoughts are greatly appreciated and help us continue improving our work.

Photos & Media

May I bring a camera/video camera/GoPro to Elephant Jungle Sanctuary?
You are welcome to bring cameras and other personal photographic equipment during your visit. However, unless your devices are waterproof, we recommend not using them during mudding activities or bathing. Please note that visitors are responsible for their belongings; Elephant Jungle Sanctuary accepts no responsibility for any devices or equipment lost or damaged at our locations. Additionally, drones are prohibited at all Elephant Jungle Sanctuary locations.

For all EJS Chiang Mai media enquiries, please email us directly at chiangmai@elephantjunglesanctuary.com

Yes. We offer a photography service at no extra charge. One of our professional photographers will accompany your group for the duration of your visit, and we will upload the photos taken by them to our EJS Chiang Mai Facebook page as soon as possible.
The link to your photos will generally be uploaded to our Facebook page within three days from the date of your visit. We endeavor to upload albums as soon as possible after the photos are taken.
To find your photos, please visit the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Phuket Facebook page and scroll down to locate a post marked with your visit date, program, and camp number. Click the link in the post to access your photo album on Dropbox. For your convenience, you don’t need a Facebook or Dropbox account to view or download the photos. If you’re unable to locate your photos after following these steps and waiting at least one week for the upload, please feel free to contact us via Facebook message. We’ll be happy to assist you in finding your photos. We greatly appreciate your patience, courtesy, and respect during this process. To maintain a positive environment for all, we kindly ask that all communications remain respectful. Any instances of offensive language, aggression, threats, or hate speech directed toward our sanctuary or staff members will result in a permanent ban from our Facebook page. Please note: While we take utmost care with all photo documentation, rare technical issues such as data corruption, hardware failure, or human error may occasionally result in mislabeled, partially uploaded, or lost photo albums. We will make every effort to recover your photos in such cases. However, in the unlikely event that we are unable to provide your professional photos, we sincerely ask for your understanding and patience
Yes. Please send a request for assistance directly to the EJS Chiang Mai Facebook page via direct message. Kindly include the date on which you visited (DD/MM/YY), your program (Half Day Morning/Half Day Afternoon/Walk With Elephants/etc.),and details of the location you visited (Camp 1, Camp 2, Camp 3, etc.). If you are unsure of which location you visited, please provide us with additional information which may assist us with finding your photos, such as your guides’ names, the number of elephants, or a photo of the location.
After finding and clicking the link to the album from your visit on the EJS Chiang Mai Facebook page, you will be directed to Dropbox. To download all of the photos in the album, simply click the ‘Download’ button below the album title, and the album will begin downloading to your device. If you would prefer to download only some of the photos in the album, you can simply click on each photo individually, and click the “Download” button in the top left of the screen while the photo preview is open.
Yes. Visitor photos remain online for three months (90 days) from the visit date, after which time they are deleted permanently due to storage limitations, and the Dropbox link will cease to work. We recommend that you download the photos from your visit as soon as possible and create a separate backup.
Yes. We will absolutely remove any photos of you that you are not comfortable with. Please take note of the filename/s (e.g. “DSC_2024.jpg”) of the specific photo/s in the Dropbox album, then send a message including this to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Chiang Mai Facebook account, and we will remove the image/s as soon as possible.
Yes. You are free to use any of the images of your visit taken by our professional photographer. Please note, however, that these images are provided for personal use only, and are not to be used for commercial purposes without the prior express written consent of Elephant Jungle Sanctuary.

We offer complimentary professional photography services to enhance our guests’ experience, especially for those without waterproof cameras. Please note that this photography service is an added courtesy and not included in your admission fee.
Our organization provides visitors with opportunities for meaningful experiences with elephants. While we’re happy to capture these special moments, we want to emphasize that our photography service focuses on documenting the entire group’s experience rather than individual photo sessions.

Our staff will always make every effort to help you locate your photos, and we will never intentionally withhold photos from any guest. In the rare instance where we are unable to provide your photos due to unexpected circumstances, we sincerely apologize and appreciate your understanding.

Overnight Program

What is the accommodation like?
Overnight visitors will stay in resort-style shared accommodation, with basic bedding, pedestal fans, and electrical outlets. Bathrooms and showers are available in every room (Please note that hot water may not be available).
All bedding is provided, but you are responsible for supplying your own towel and toiletries.
Free time will be provided before and after dinner. This time may be spent socialising, relaxing, exploring the local area, etc.
Given the remote location of Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, facilities and amenities are limited, however electrical outlets will be available for your use. We do not currently have WiFi, and mobile phone service is limited or unavailable in many areas. Hot water may be unavailable during your visit, though our locations are all equipped with showers and Western-style toilets. At the present time, our rooms are equipped only with fans, and air conditioning is not available.
We currently do not offer laundry services.

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