Elephant Nature Park

Sangduen Chailert, known as Lek, founded the park in the 1990s to take in elephants injured or worn out by logging, trekking and street begging, and its model - no riding, no performing, no bullhooks, animals living in herds with mahouts observing rather than directing - was unusual when it started and has since become the standard that other operations are measured against. The park holds around a hundred elephants across its land in the Mae Taeng valley, along with rescued dogs, cats, buffalo and other animals. Day visits involve watching the herds, preparing food and walking with them at a distance; bathing was stopped as the park's understanding of stress and contact evolved, which is worth knowing since photographs of it still circulate. Booking is required and fills weeks ahead. The park has also worked to convert riding camps elsewhere to observation models, with mixed results, and the wider industry has not changed as far as its founders hoped.

What you actually see

• The herds - around a hundred elephants living in social groups on the land.
• The no-contact model - no riding, performing or bullhooks, and bathing discontinued.
• The rescue histories - animals taken from logging, trekking and street begging.
• The other rescues - dogs, cats and buffalo also kept on the site.

When to go

November to February for the weather. Book weeks ahead - day places fill, and volunteer and overnight programmes fill further out.

Honest expectations

Booking is essential and often weeks ahead. Expensive by Thai standards. Bathing and close contact were discontinued deliberately - photographs showing them are old. Many other operations in the area use similar names and marketing without the same practices.

Nearby

Mae Taeng is close; Chiang Mai is an hour south.