Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom ‘Sitting on an elephant, a raft and a cart all in one place’

It’s not always easy to find a tourist attraction that provide you various kinds of fun activities. Mostly, one place will provide only one main activity. But not this place! Not ‘Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom’ in Chiang Mai!

Honestly, if you’re looking for any nice and peaceful place for the holiday of yourself and your loving family, don’t forget to take Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom as one of your choices.

Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Know why? Of course, it is because of the various activities there. Normally, if you here someone say ‘an elephant kingdom’, you may just imagine a wide area with many elephants and there is nothing else to do than sitting on an elephant. But, in Mae Tang, you aren’t just going to sit on an elephant, but also sit on a cart and a raft. Moreover, there are some restaurants for you too. All in one place, really!

There is no wonder why tourists love the place so much. Beside of the activities above, sometimes the elephants will be put on performances, to show their talents of drawing, kicking a ball and lots more. 

The area has its own natural beauty. The houses, the pavilions are mainly made of woods, logs and bamboo sticks. It may be not very big, but you will definitely love it.

Travel north of Chiang Mai route to Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom. Then take a special time to riding on elephant through the jungle. Continue an ox-cart riding back to the camp where lunch is served. After lunch, an experience trip by taking Bamboo Raft along Mae Taman River for 1 hour.

List of Elephant Show Camps In Mae Tang Area :

Chok Chai Elephant Camp

• Chok Chai Elephant Camp – Mae Taeng valley, part of Chokchai tours. Painting elephant show, elephant ride, ox ride & bamboo river rafting. Cheap All-in package but questionable treatment of their elephants, geared towards Chinese tourists.

Mae Taman Elephant camp

• Mae Taman Elephant camp is located in forested environment. With a total strength of 60 elephants these elephants are owned by mahouts who are experienced professionals training the animals. The visitors here can enjoy exclusive time with the gentle giants and spend quality time helping with their daily activities. Even the baby elephants are a joy to see, feed and bath. There are opportunities to take bare back elephant ride and enjoy interacting with them. The environment here is very good and clean and all the elephants are well maintained and properly taken care of. Apart from the usual interaction elephant show, ox cart rides and bamboo rafting are premier attractions. There is opportunity here to purchase real elephant paintings as a souvenir.

Maetaeng Elephant Park

• Maetaeng Elephant Park & Clinic – This is the only elephant park in the Mae Taeng valley that has an elephant clinic. All-in package type park: Elephant show, ride, painting, bamboo rafting, oxcart ride, long-neck women display.

After you enter the area, you will find the information counter. Just contact them and tell them which package you want to pay for.

Anyway, don’t forget the following rules, if you’re plan to go to see the elephants.

• Dress properly. A pair of trousers, a T-Shirt and a pair of shoes will be best. Try to avoid slippers and all sexy costumes. This is for your own convenience. Belive it, you don’t want to look so awkward when you riding on something. Therefore you need to move smoothly.
• Always do everything consciously. You may eat your food while touring around the elephant kingdom. But, you have to keep the area clean. Don’t drop the trash on the ground.
• Don’t tease the elephants. That will not just make them nervous and angry, but you may be in danger to if they get mad.
• Always follow the advices of the mahouts. Just do whatever they tell you to do, for your own safety.  Also, don’t touch or get close to the elephants when the mahouts aren’t around.
• If you’re going to touch the elephants, just grope their thrunks and heads smoothly. Don’t slap them or pull their tails.

How to get there

Mae Tang Elephant Kingdom is located in Mae Taman Village, Kuedchang District, Mae Tang County, Chiangmai Provice. It stays only 52 kilometres away from the downtown. 

There are two main ways to go there. First, take the Highway No.107(Chiangmai-Fang) and turn left at Mae Malai Market Junction to Pai County(No.1095). Then keep going straight for 4 kilometres before turning left again at the gas station Bangjak(Still the Highway No.1095). Then, turn right into Ban Pang Mae Tang-Ban Muang Kued. Lastly, be patient and continue for another 15 kilometres. First you will visit Chok Chai Elephant Camp and continue driving about 3 kilometres to visit Mae Taman and Mae Tang Elephant Camp.

Another way is to drive directly from Chiang Mai downtown, using the Highway No.107. You have to pass Mae Tang County Office and continue straight for about 4 kilometres. Then turn left at the junction to Ban Mae Taman-Ban Muang Kued, Kuedchang District, Mae Tang County.

Nearby Places

• Chiang Dao Elephant Camp

At Chiang-Dao Chiang Mai Elephant Training Center we make sure that every one of our elephants are happy. Each elephant has his or her own mahout to care for on a one-on-one basis. Elephants are only worked during the mornings, with their afternoons and nights free to roam the surrounding natural forest. With such a vast area filled with hills and the Ping River, elephants can wander through the forests as well as take baths in the river. We believe that if our visitors see that our elephants are happy, they in turn are happy with their experience.

• Tham Chiang Dao

The Caves are one of the main attractions in the Chiang Dao National Park. From Chiang Mai the trip takes about one and a quarter hours by car and as you approach closer you will see the scenic Doi Chiang Dao mountain range. The Caves are interesting for the experience of being in such a location, the dripping stalactites, and other stalagmite rock formations.