Trip Detail : Full Day Visit

7:30 – 8:00 am

• Pick you up from your hotel. It take one and a half hour from Chiang Mai city to ChangChill.

9:30 am

• Arrival and introduction to ChangChill’s past, present and future and the program’s schedule.

10:30 am

• Visitors begin their elephant walk, and follow their guide into the forest to observe the elephants grazing, socializing, while observing from a safe distance. Visitors will learn about ChangChill’s six resident elephants, learn some new facts about Asian Elephants, and meet the mahouts. While in elephant area, guests will be able to ask questions and guides will deliver a “live lecture” about elephant conservation, elephant behavior, and interesting facts about elephants like how much they eat, sleep, weight, etc.

11:30 am

• Visitors arrive at a rest station for traditional Thai refreshments  – The rest station is above a mud pit, where on a hot day, the elephants love to bathe and play together. Visitors enjoy their refreshments and watch from above, trying to avoid getting sprayed with bits of mud being thrown around from down below.

12:00 pm

• Visitors move down to the riverside sala where they learn a bit about enrichment, and help fill feeding tubes with corn, sugar cane, grass, bananas and any other supplementary food on hand. During and after lunch, visitors will be able to enjoy the view of the elephants eating through the treats that were stashed in the fencing from the elephant observation deck.

12:15 pm

• Visitors having a lunch, we serve Thai vegetarian food.

• Visitors will learn about the community’s history and the traditional method of weaving clothing and bags at the Karen Cultural Centre. Visitors can try this method of weaving with the guidance of local community members and purchase items that were made by hand in the village.
• The day ends with a short discourse about what the guests learned about elephants and how they continue to help elephants even after leaving Thailand.

1:30 pm

Traditional Herb Lesson

• Visitors will gather around ChangChill’s traditional herb garden to learn which plants, leaves, roots, and vines are used as medicine for healing both elephants and people. Visitors will collect several species of planted herbs, or wild growing species in the vicinity, and use them in their next activity.

Elephant Cooking Class

• Visitors will sit in a circle at the riverside sala and will prepare six servings of supplements for the six elephants. The guide will explain details about elephant health, diet, and the benefit of each of the added ingredients. Mahouts will join in this activity when possible, so visitors get to know the elephant that they’re “cooking” for and the mahout who cares for her.

Mahout Chat

• The mahouts will join visitors at the riverside sala to observe the elephants together and ask/answer questions with the visitors, giving the group a true understanding of a mahout’s role in Thai culture and why it is so significant to Thailand’s history.

3:00 pm  Finish one day program

4:30 – 5:00 pm  Drop you off at your hotel