Overview
Are you a responsible traveller looking for a way to encounter elephants in an ethical way? ๐ณโค๏ธ๐ BEES Elephant Sanctuary is a pioneering “hands off” non-profit organisation where elephants that used to work for humans now have humans work for them!
At this family-run elephant sanctuary in Northern Thailand your conscience can take a rest, knowing that the elephants you see are behaving in exactly the way they choose! You’ll spend time with these amazing creatures in their natural forested habitat, safe in the knowledge that nothing that they do is done for your entertainment. This is a place where elephants can finally be free from years of exploitation and abuse and can forage, bathe, roam, explore and socialise with fellow elephants as they would do in the wild.
During your stay, you will learn more about the Asian elephant as you observe them, prepare food for them and clean their areas. Depending on the season you may also take part in activities such as teaching English at a local school, planting trees, visiting local villages and temples, learning how to make Thai food, assisting in building projects at BEES and tubing down the river.
Located in the beautiful province of Mae Cham, South West of Chiang Mai, BEES is a true retirement home for elephants, founded by Australian-Thai couple, Emily and her husband Burm, born locally. With a big passion for pachyderms, the couple set up BEES in 2010 and have since been at the forefront of elephant welfare and conservation.
๐๏ธ Hands Off Policy ๐ Your visit supports ethical animal tourism!
At BEES you can feel safe in the knowledge that your visit is helping to change damaging animal tourist models and improving the lives of elephants all over Thailand.
BEES Elephant Sanctuary is one of a few sanctuaries in Thailand that promotes a ‘hands-off’ policy which is as much about the safety of the visitor (and the caretakers, or mahouts) as it is about the welfare of the elephants. While sanctuaries across the country continue to get more bookings as they allow visitors to touch, bathe and even ride the elephants, BEES decided that it was not in the best interest of the elephant to, despite the fact that they lost a huge amount of bookings when they made the move in 2018
What will you do at BEES?
- Observe the elephants in the forest, behaving just as they wish
- Prepare food for the elephants and learn how to care for them
- Help clear out the elephant areas
- Lend a hand with the care of the other rescued animals at BEES
Other activities you might take part in
- Environmental conservation activities such as planting trees (only during rainy season)
- Planting grass for the elephants.
- Cutting grass or other foods ready for the elephants
- Visit nearby school to teach english to local children
- Support a group of local elderly ladies at the weaving club
- Learn to cook some delicious Thai desserts! (Please specify in the ‘additional information’ box when placing your order if you would like to do this)
- Take part in local community projects, eg, building, clean-ups etc.
- Temple visits
- River tubing
Accommodation & Facilities
There are seven traditional private Thai huts on-site (built by hand by Burm himself, with the help of other family and community members). Each one consists offers a mattress, bedding, mosquito nets and a fan. Bathrooms are located in a separate block with western toilets and showers with standard shower heads. There are two sinks with mirrors in the same block.
There is a common area, known lovingly as the “cat cafe”. This is where breakfast is served and offers a spacious balcony area. There is also a small gift shop attached, where it is possible to purchase snacks and beverages, as well as T-shirts sporting the BEES logo!
Food & Drink
Three meals a day are included in the packages
- Breakfast is western. Guests are invited to prepare their own toast or cereal, teas and coffee. Staff are on-hand to prepare egg (boiled, scrambled, fried or omelette). Delicious seasonal fruit is always available.
- Lunch and dinner are Thai. Expect noodles or rice with plenty of vegetables.
๐ฅ Vegetarian and vegan friendly: BEES will very happily cater to vegetarians and vegans. If you have special dietary needs, please specify in the additional information box when placing your order. The sanctuary is in a very remote area and it is not easy to get hold of specialist ingredients at short notice, so if you have a specific dietary requirement, please be sure to let us know with plenty of time!
๐ฅ Snacks are available at the gift shop. You will also have the chance to pick some up on your way to the centre and on sightseeing days (often Thursday). Beers can be purchased in the local town, though it is requested that you limit yourself to one or two cans, you drink them in the cat cafe or at your hut after you have finished that day’s activities. BEES request that you do not bring stronger alcohol (spirits) onto the site and would like to state that drunken behaviour will not be accepted.
Location
BEES is located in the beautiful province of Mae Cham, South West of Chiang Mai close to Doi Inthanon National Park, home to Thailand’s highest mountain. It takes around 3.5 hours from the city of Chiang Mai to reach the sanctuary. Free pick-up from the city is included in the package price. For the 2-day, 1-night program (overnight package), pick-up will be on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays. For the 3-night, 4-day program, pick-up will be on Thursdays only.
Whatโs Included
Includes:
- Pick up and drop off from the old city of Chiang Mai
- Transport to/from BEES
- Accommodation
- All meals during your stay
- English speaking guide
- Drinking water (please bring your own refillable water bottle)
Does Not Include:
- Snacks
- Alcoholic beverages
- Travel insurance
FAQs
What should I bring to BEES?
- Lightweight clothes
- Warm jumper/jacket (depending on the season)
- Rain jacket (depending on the season)
- Sturdy trainers/boots or walking shoes (with enclosed toes) for walking in the forest with the elephants
- Towels (not provided at BEES)
- Toiletries
- Long pants and sleeves are recommended (please NO short shorts/miniskirts, bikinis on tank tops)
- Your own water bottles to refill onsite
- A torch as there can be power outages
- Mosquito/bug repellant
- Sun screen
Is pick-up/drop-off included?
Pick up and drop off in central Chiang Mai is included. Please provide the name of your guesthouse or hostel when booking, or you can email us later if you do not have anywhere booked yet.
Do I need to be fit to visit BEES?
In order to fully take part in the activities at BEES, a certain level of fitness is recommended. The fact that the elephants here are free to roam as and where they wish means that you may have to hike a considerable distance before finding them! The climate of the area is hot and humid, rain is common and the surfaces you will walk on are uneven. Some of the construction projects and food collection can also be physically demanding. Cutting down crops, shovelling and carrying materials are all common activities on the site. Aside from these physical requirements, visitors should also know that they’ll be expected to work in teams and follow the protocol and procedure as described to them by BEES team-leaders.
Is there WIFI at BEES?
There is no wifi on-site at the moment. To ensure you can connect to the internet, it is recommended that you purchase a SIM card from either TrueMOVE or AIS12CALL.
Please note: Some travellers may not be used to the sound of nature that you will experience staying this far into nature. It can be considerably louder than you expect! Light sleepers may benefit from bringing earplugs or headphones to use at night.
Do I need travel insurance to visit BEES?
Travel medical insurance is compulsory for a visit to BEES and you must show proof upon entrance.
Are children allowed at BEES?
The program is not suitable for children under 10 years old. Children ages 10-18 must be accompanied by an adult.
Is there a laundry service? A washing machine is available for use, you can buy washing powder at the gift shop.
Payment:
To reserve your place on this experience, you must pay the deposit on this website by credit or debit card. Emily from BEES will be in contact by email to confirm your booking and provide instructions on how you can pay the remaining balance via payment links as well as further information about your stay.
What an incredible experience! It was tricky finding an elephant sanctuary with the correct set of morals and creating a humane experience, however with BEES, we feel we made the best decision we could! Their hands off policy gives an amazing opportunity to be within the environment of the elephants, without causing any disturbance. The owners Burm and Emily were incredibley welcoming and made the whole experience entertaining; always wanting to make sure we were enjoying ourselves and attending to our needs.
I highly recommend BEES elephant sanctuary if youโre looking for an organic experience in the close presence of their incredible elephants! Weโll definitely be back! ?โค๏ธ
We did not really know what to expect with this elephant sanctuary as we booked it online from backpackers before travelling and although there are many elephants Sanctuary’s advertised within Chiangmai this is nowhere to be found so was a little apprehensive, we were picked up at 8:30 in the morning and informed it was a four hour drive to the elephant sanctuary through the National Park what a drive, there was five of us on the tour and we visited the waterfalls for lunch, Rice fields where the Karen Tribe live and saw the most amazing scenery within the mountains absolutely breathtaking.
On arriving at the elephant statuary we were greeted by the many rescue dogs and cats. we meet Emily for a meet and greet explained their ethos of the elephants. All the elephants were retired from working. Although the animals are not wild they are retired back to as near as nature as possible so no hands on, no feeding observe them only allowing them just to be elephants again.
Day two We were took out in the national park trekking and looking for the elephants we were able to observe them in their own natural environment crossing rivers, eating palm trees and it was the most amazing experience I have ever had on reflection I am so glad we did not bath or feed them just seeing them being elephants in the wild helped you see how beautiful these creatures are, we also learned about the plants that we could eat and plants that were used for medicine. After lunch we had to cross a river which was interesting experience then tubing down the river.
Would recommend as an amazing experience