Many tourists who go to Thailand can’t wait to visit an elephant camp and interact with the gentle beasts, and who can blame them? Elephants are the largest land animal and, for such a gigantic beast, can be surprisingly gentle. Asian elephants, while being revered and celebrated throughout Asian and Southeast Asian cultures, have also been heavily exploited and wild herds have increasingly little living space. Being able to see and interact with the special creatures in the flesh is often a once in a lifetime experience. Not all elephant camps are created equal though and the level of quality care the elephants receive can greatly vary. A consistently good option is visiting Elephant Nature Park just outside of the city. An elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre, Elephant Nature Park gives visitors and volunteers the chance to personally interact with the elephants feeding and bathing them while enjoying the beautiful greenery of the northern Thai hills. Guests can choose to visit the park for a day or stay a week (or even longer) as a volunteer and help care for the elephants, many of which have been rescued from logging camps.

Note: Elephants camps around Chiang Mai are open daily. Do your research to find which reserve you feel most comfortable with.