Lanna hill house, Chiang Mai Thailand

The Thai Elephant Conservation Centre

There are many places to see elephants in Chiang Mai. Perhaps the least touristy option is the Thai Elephant Conservation Centre near Lampang. Dedicated to the conservation of the elephant and under royal patronage, the centre comprises an elephant hospital,various conservation projects and even mahout training (there are sometimes one day training courses available). There is some touristy stuff too, like elephant riding and daily shows, but the whole place has a worthy feel to it and generally attracts fewer tourists than other elephant centres that tend to be nearer Chiang Mai.

We arrived late one afternoon, when all the activities had ceased for the day. However, we were able to drive around and feed two baby elephants. The kids were a tad scared but the adults loved it! The whole experience was very informal (we simply paid a worker a few baht for some bamboo to feed them) but very rewarding. If you are staying at Lanna Hill House a great day trip would be to drive over the summit of Doi Mon Larn, through Chae Son national park and then to Lampang, taking in the elephant centre on the way back. It is also worth having a drive around Lampang, as there are many old teak houses to admire and a beatiful old railway station.