Happy Elephants
& Hill Tribes

FULL ITINERARY

DAY ONE

Meals Included: Dinner, Lunch & Dinner

We completely understand that arriving into a new international airport can be confusing and frustrating so our team will be there to meet you and to transfer you to our hotel in the city. Once checked-in to our lovely hotel we’ll meet up again for a drink and an informal chat, the perfect way to get to know each other.

DAY TWO

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Chiang Mai is a wonderful place to stay. The perfect combination of where city life meets the laid-back Thai attitude. Today we’ll head out and explore the backstreets to give you more of a behind-the-scenes discovery. We’ll visit temples, markets, artisan stores and join-in with the coffee-shop culture of this wonderful place. This evening we’ll take a stroll to the world-famous night bazaar where we can check out the locally hand-made arts and crafts before we sit down for a traditional welcome to Thailand dinner together.

DAY THREE

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today is the day you’ve been looking forward to for so long, and we promise you won’t be disappointed! After a 60-minute transfer into the jungles we’ll arrive at the camp and meet the team. We’ll then be introduced to the elephants and receive a run-through of our next 5 days. This afternoon we’ll kick-off this surreal day properly by taking the elephants for a swim and wash!

DAY FOUR

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today, following breakfast, we’ll be helping out the staff at the camp with any one of the many tasks that need performing. Farming, repairs, construction; when you’re dealing with up to 3-tonne animals there’s always something that needs to be done! This afternoon we’ll be visiting a local village and getting stuck in to help with any work that needs help with. This is a truly all-encompassing experience and you’ll get to experience so many different aspects of life here in a rural part of the country.

DAY FIVE

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Following breakfast we’ll be helping the mahouts with their tasks of cleaning the land where the elephants are kept safe and secure. We’ll also remodel the mud pits as they’re so easily destroyed by these huge, but cuddly, behemoths and anywhere else that needs work. This afternoon, to help us recover from this morning’s activities we’ll be taking an excellent rafting trip down the river – the best way to relax after an active morning.

DAY SIX

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

The land around here is so beautiful and so diverse that this morning we want to show it off in its true glory. We’re going to take a gentle trek through the jungles, pointing out interesting sights, to a special waterfall where you can cool off with a refreshing dip. There’s also a chance to grab an inflatable tube and float gently down the river surrounding yourself with the incredible peace and tranquillity. This afternoon we’ll be back on elephant-duty, helping to build enrichment toys and overnight shelters for the animals and their mahouts, before another wonderful dinner.

DAY SEVEN

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

This morning we’ll head back to a local village to assist with anything they need. Our guides will explain all of the work that’s planned and everything we need will be ready and waiting for us to get stuck in. You’ll really be leaving behind a legacy of your time here, safe in the knowledge that your visit will have had a positive impact on the community. This afternoon, as it’s our last, will be spent with the elephants once again and the best way to do this is by washing and swimming with them in the river. Sadly, in the early evening, we’ll be packing up our things, bidding a sad farewell to our four and two-legged hosts and transferring back to our hotel in Chiang Mai. Once we’re back and checked-in we’ll head out for dinner in a tasty local restaurant for a final night group dinner – the perfect ending to the perfect adventure!

DAY EIGHT

Meals Included: Breakfast (for those staying two weeks, include dinner)

For those who are only able to commit one week to this visit, we will be saying goodbye after our final breakfast together. Your guide will be with you to assist with any onward travel plans you have and to make sure you’re all set. If you’d like to make this an even more unforgettable adventure, however, why not join stick around and join us on a second week? Read on…..

DAY EIGHT continued

Meals Included: Breakfast & Dinner

Congratulations! You’ve decided to go big and hang about for an extra week. This will really allow you to make the most of your time here and we can’t wait to show you what week 2 has in store. As we’ve worked you to the bone during the first week, today you have a free day to do as you please; rest at the hotel’s pool or head out and join any of the regions’ amazing activities. Whatever you do, this evening we’ll meet up again and head out for dinner at a local restaurant.

DAY 9

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Today we’ll take you on a special local adventure to show you more of the fun side of Chiang Mai. This will be a full day adventure and we promise you lots of fun and laughs, with excellent photo opp’s! Dinner together tonight at a popular local restaurant where we’ll discuss the itinerary for the coming week.

DAY 10

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Once we arrive back at the camp we’ll get straight in to our task as we’ll know a lot more about what we’re doing. We’ll help with preparing the food for the ele’s before we help to distribute the food amongst the animals. This afternoon we’ll head back to one of the local villages we were helping with last week to carry on the project and to carry on the support for these rural communities. Once we’re completed for today we’ll jump back on to our inner tubes for a refreshing float down the river!

DAY 10

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Following breakfast we’ll head back to the farms to help with harvesting and replanting the food for the elephants. Then this afternoon we’ll exercise the elephants with a gentle trek through the local jungles. This is something the elephants look forward to very much as they can forage the local greenery and become very social amongst each other. As a trek through the jungle can be hot and sweaty what better way to cool off than to swim with the ele’s in the river!

DAY 11

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Wednesday is cleaning day at the camp, so we’ll don our mucky gear and get stuck in. The more hands on deck, the quicker we can complete the tasks that include shovelling the ele-poo, cleaning the enclosure, repairing anything that needs it and there’s always heaps of other tasks. In the afternoon we’re off to one of the most beautiful locations in Thailand as we trek up to HuayKubkap. This is an incredible Lahu hill tribe village situated atop a mountain outside of Muang kued village. The medium level trek to HuayKubkap takes around 5 hours (8 kilometres). The path varies from dirt road to track through the trees. On the way we pass two beautiful waterfalls where we can take a break for pictures and a snack break. Once we reach our destination, we will enjoy dinner under the stars before spending the night in a traditional homestay. This will be yet another truly unforgettable experience!

DAY 12

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Accommodation: Camp

After devouring a traditional breakfast there’ll be plenty of time to organise some seriously cool Instagram shots with incredible photos above the clouds (weather permitting) as the sun rises. We’ll then take a leisurely stroll back to the camp. Once we’ve arrived, we’ll freshen up as in the afternoon we’re back to the enclosure to help with the construction and repairs of enrichment toys, overnight shelters, the water and mud pits and anything else that needs our help.

DAY 13

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Following breakfast, we’ll return to the village to finish off any project work that needs it. This is the perfect opportunity to say our thank you’s and goodbyes to the new friends that you will have made. Then, as this afternoon is our last afternoon, we’ll be spending it with the elephants. We’ll take them on a stroll to the river for a final swim, splash and wash before returning them to the camp for our group photo session. Late afternoon we wave a teary farewell to the team and head back to Chiang Mai where we’ll check in to our hotel before we head back to the Night Bazaar for a final night celebration of what will have been a truly unforgettable and life-changing experience.

DAY 14

Meals Included: Breakfast

It’s all over this morning but we’ll enjoy a final breakfast together before we go our separate ways. Your guide will stick around to help with anything you need, however, having been here for so long it’s most likely you’ll be an expert in traveling the country! We guarantee that your time, your help and your money is used to help benefit the lives of the elephants, the mahouts and their families, and we guarantee that your time will be as incredible as it is unforgettable and life changing.