Top rated
1 / 10Elephant Sanctuary, Bamboo Rafting & Sticky Waterfall Day Tour
Feed and bathe elephants at a small, no-riding sanctuary in Mae Taeng, float down the river on a bamboo raft for about an hour, then climb the limestone cascades of Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall. Hotel pickup from Chiang Mai and a Thai lunch included.
From฿2,000per person
4.9(576)
4.9TripAdvisor (285)4.8Google (190)4.9Facebook (101)
Mae Taeng
Highlights
- Experience three unforgettable nature adventures in one day, combining ethical elephant encounters, bamboo rafting, and the famous Sticky Waterfall in Chiang Mai.
- Visit a small, ethical elephant sanctuary in Mae Taeng for a no-riding elephant experience surrounded by beautiful natural scenery.
- Prepare fresh food, including bananas, grass, and sugar cane, and enjoy feeding the elephants.
- Learn about elephant care, prepare nutritious herbal vitamin balls, or observe elephants enjoying their natural mud spa.
- Walk alongside elephants to the river and enjoy the opportunity to bathe and brush them under the supervision of sanctuary staff.
- Relax on a peaceful 1-hour bamboo rafting journey along the river, surrounded by lush greenery and beautiful countryside scenery.
- Discover the famous Bua Thong Sticky Waterfall and experience the unique thrill of climbing its naturally grippy limestone cascades.
- Enjoy a delicious traditional Thai lunch surrounded by the peaceful Mae Taeng countryside.
Duration
10 hours
Pickup
Included
More from Elephant in Wild Sanctuary
8 more tours at the same place.
Mountain Activities4
Adrenaline Rush2
Water Activities1
Wildlife Encounter1
Frequently asked questions
Pickup from city centre hotels is between 08:00 and 08:30, and the drive to the sanctuary takes about an hour and a half. You are dropped back in Chiang Mai at around 18:30.
The sanctuary does not offer riding and says it uses no chains or hooks because its elephants roam free. It is a hands-on visit rather than observation only: you feed the elephants and join them in the mud and the river.
The spring water at Bua Thong carries dissolved calcium, which settles on the rock as a rough, porous limestone. Bare feet grip it well, so you can walk up the falls without slipping in the way you would on a normal wet rock.
Light clothes that can get wet and muddy, plus sandals or water shoes that stay on your feet. The sanctuary hands out mahout style shirts to wear over your own clothes, and the guides take photos of you during the day. Bring a full change of clothes and a towel for the ride home.
The elephant activities go ahead in light rain; the elephants do not mind and neither will you once you are already wet. Heavy rain can change the river activities, and the guide decides on the day.
A small elephant sanctuary beside the Mae Taeng river, about an hour and a half north of Chiang Mai. There is no riding, and the sanctuary says it uses no chains or hooks because its herd is free to roam. Groups are small, so you get real time with the elephants rather than watching from a crowd. Hotel pickup is included, so you do not need to find it yourself.
