Welcome to ChangChill where the four resident elephants not only graze, bathe, and socialize in the hills of Chiang Mai, but also represent what we hope will be the future of elephant tourism. Here, visitors learn about the history of these elephants, observe them in their natural habitat, and meet the mahouts who are devoted to their well-being.
Watch our beautiful elephant family living their best lives at ChangChill.
PAST
The owner of ChangChill, Mr. Supakorn Tananseth, comes from a family that has worked with and taken care of elephants for several generations. Originally running a camp that offered elephant rides in the Mae Wang area, Mr. Supakorn discontinued riding activities and established Happy Elephant Care Valley to give his elephants better living conditions. Happy Elephant Care Valley’s visitors took part in bathing, feeding and other interactions with the elephants on the eight acres of land that is now home to ChangChill. Upon discussing elephant welfare and a new, ethical tourism model with World Animal Protection and several travel companies, Mr. Supakorn decided to collaborate with these organizations to adjust the venue’s infrastructure and practices.
After closing for several months to construct a venue and prepare a team that would offer a peaceful home to the resident herd, and an exceptional experience to visitors, ChangChill was born. Since engaging tourists in activities that teach people about the behavior of Asian Elephants in a more natural environment, the elephants here have more time to simply be elephants. ChangChill has expanded in size and now offers more forested land to the elephants, the mahouts are now engaged in the tourism experience by sharing their passion and knowledge with visitors, and there will surely be more to celebrate throughout this ongoing journey.
PRESENT
FUTURE
ChangChill’s work to offer the best living conditions possible to these elephants is a process, and we will keep evolving in the coming months and years. Throughout this time, we hope ChangChill can serve as a model for the other camps in Thailand, to illustrate that a high welfare venue is beneficial for elephants, mahouts, tourists and camp owners.
PAST
The owner of ChangChill, Mr. Supakorn Tananseth, comes from a family that has worked with and taken care of elephants for several generations. Originally running a camp that offered elephant rides in the Mae Wang area, Mr. Supakorn discontinued riding activities and established Happy Elephant Care Valley to give his elephants better living conditions. Happy Elephant Care Valley’s visitors took part in bathing, feeding and other interactions with the elephants on the eight acres of land that is now home to ChangChill. Upon discussing elephant welfare and a new, ethical tourism model with World Animal Protection and several travel companies, Mr. Supakorn decided to collaborate with these organizations to adjust the venue’s infrastructure and practices.
PRESENT
After closing for several months to construct a venue and prepare a team that would offer a peaceful home to the resident herd, and an exceptional experience to visitors, ChangChill was born. Since engaging tourists in activities that teach people about the behavior of Asian Elephants in a more natural environment, the six elephants here have more time to simply be elephants. ChangChill has expanded in size and now offers more forested land to the elephants, the mahouts are now engaged in the tourism experience by sharing their passion and knowledge with visitors, and there will surely be more to celebrate throughout this ongoing journey.
FUTURE
ChangChill’s work to offer the best living conditions possible to these elephants is a process, and we will keep evolving in the coming months and years. Throughout this time, we hope ChangChill can serve as a model for the other camps in Thailand, to illustrate that a high welfare venue is beneficial for elephants, mahouts, tourists and camp owners.
Happier Elephants
See for yourself how happy the elephants are at ChangChill and follow their story
and all the latest news about this special place on our Facebook page.
Contact
Address
45/2 Moo19, Baan Pratumuang, Maewin,
Maewang, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Email
changchill.chiangmai@gmail.com
Open Hours
09:00 – 17:00 Mon-Sun. (GMT+7)
Arrival time to CC
10:00 – 10:30 AM
Contact Number
(+66)86 329 3380 (English Speaking)
(+66)86 329 3380