A Day with Elephants

If you are jetting off to Chang Mai, Thailand you will be drawn to stunning temples, exciting street bazaars, and elephant adventures.  I was lucky enough to be able to spend a day at the BMP Farm House Elephant Sanctuary and it had to have been one of the most beautiful days on my trip to Thailand. I have had quite a few different questions about the sanctuary that I visited and what all the trip entailed. I wanted to break down my day at BMP Farm House in case you were interested in visiting for yourself!

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Information

BMP Farm House is located in Chang Mai, Thailand and is home to a handful of elephants that have been rescued from various different harmful situations. It is a fully functional farm so everything that the elephants need is grown right on property.

Half Day: 1,700 Baht / $52

Full Day: 2,200 Baht  / $67

2 Day, 1 Night: 3,200 Baht / $98

BMP Farm House is a no-riding ethical elephant sanctuary that focuses of the health and rehabilitation of its elephants. They also work very hard to help tourists understand the implications of their actions while on holiday.

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Full Day Itinerary

BMp Farm House will arrange for transfurs to and from your hotel, so we were sure to be ready to go by 8:30 and they picked us up right on time. When you first arrive at the sanctuary we sit down and learn a bit about the facility and how to interact with the

elephants while there. We learned that the color blue was a very calming color to the elephants and we all got to change into an all blue Thai outfit for the day. During the day you get an English speaking guide, a photographer and two members of the staff to help with the elephants.

After our little orientation we were able to meet the elephants. When I visited there were three full sized elephants and one eight month old baby elephant. We were each given a bag a bananas and encouraged to pet, feed and spend time with the elephants. Young elephants tend to act similar to dogs when played with, so we were told never to sit or kneel by the baby, because they will try to roll over on  you to play. All 200+ lbs of him!! 

We really felt that we were able experience what it is like to live along side the elephants during the day, because after we were introduced to the elephants we went and cut grass for them to eat and felt fully immersed in the experience. From here we took the elephants for a short walk to a mud hole where the elephants were able to give themselves a muddy bath. We learned that mud works for them the same way that sunscreen would work for us. The property is very large and from here we were able to go for a little walk and explore a bit of the property and watch to elephants roam.

Around this time we sat down for lunch while the elephants rested. The food was a delicious Thai feast fit with the best curries, rice, soup and chicken. They even had allotted time for us to take a nap if we wanted. We all laid out on hammocks and enjoyed the beautiful day.  

Once nap time was over we got a chance to learn about the health and diet of an elephant. We were able to make Thai herbal medicine balls for the elephants all with fresh ingredients. The learning continued when we found out more about their awareness and how they are easily able to control their weight. These animals are so gentile and kind it is really so amazing to spend time around them.

Moving on with the day we got to trek through the jungle with the elephants and got to watch how they interacted with each other and their surroundings. The baby elephant was so curious and liked being able run free in the jungle.

The older elephants found the best trees to rub their butts on and found some yummy leaves high up in the trees. After such a long trek everyone was ready for a swim, so that is just what we did. We were able to bathe the elephants and swim with them. They enjoyed spraying them while we enjoyed the giant cuddles. Elephants have insanely strong trunks and although it is harmful to ride their backs they can safely and easily life you with their trunks. We each took a turn being lifted. 

Sadly after our swim it was time to walk the elephants back and say our goodbyes. The farm brought out some fresh fruit and cookies while we were able to look over the footage from the day, before heading back to our hotels.

 

It was such an incredible day and if you are fortunate enough to find yourself in Chang Mai I hope that you are able to check out an elephant sanctuary like BMP Farm House.

Cheers,