Experience Elephant Sanctuary + Sticky Waterfall
5
LIKELY TO SELL OUT*
Experience Elephant Sanctuary + Sticky Waterfall
By Go With Joe
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About
Lowest price guaranteeReserve now & pay laterFree cancellation
Ages 3-85
Duration: 6h
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Meets animal welfare guidelines
- Lunch
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Private transportation
- All Fees and Taxes
What's not included- Customers personal expense
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- Please wait at hotel lobby
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 60309P32- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travelers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours in advance of the start date of the experience.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 60309P32
From
$105.77
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travelers
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About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- Roving284482467320 contributionsGo with Joe, you'll be glad you didHad a wonderful morning birding with Joe along the road up Doi Inthanon. He is very knowledgeable about the best locations (and times) for finding birds and has a keen eye for spotting them. He was very accommodating and understanding, as my travel partner was unable to fully participate as hoped but content to rest in the car at most stops.Written February 14, 2025
- 704taliam0 contributionsA crafters dream experience!This workshop was a unique hands on educational experience. Everyone at Silk Village - from tour guide, weavers and my personal teacher - was gracious and professional. I love to crochet and I have a whole new appreciation for the silk trade and other textile designers. I’m very proud of the table runner I was able to make … the delicious Thai lunch and friendly staff was a bonus.Written February 3, 2025
- markbH2474MH0 contributionsGreat day’s birding on Doi InthanonHad a great day’s birding with Joe, A very knowledgeable guide who knew the best locations on the mountain to see a good selection of birds, Highly recommended.Written February 2, 2025
- LisaJNYC0 contributionsWonderful day seeing birds!Wonderful day with Joe! It was well organized and full, but not rushed. We saw lots of birds in 4 locations, including at a large waterfall, with ample time to hear, see, and enjoy. We had sunrise at breakfast, local coffee on the mountain, and a delicious khao soi lunch before heading back to Chiang Mai. Joe is very easy to talk with , quite knowledgeable and his English is great. It was truly a lovely low-key beautiful day for all 4 of us.Written January 24, 2025
- rodgerp20250 contributionsJust a fantastic Guide and Tour.Joe is the most amazing guide. He is so knowledgeable and committed. Three days in his company went by very quickly. He tailored the tour to meet our interests. We had enough time with him to support us when needed and enough time to look around on our own. We can't recommend Joe and his company Go With Joe highly enough and there is no doubt we will book tours with him again in future. The itinerary was excellent and covered a lot in three days - everything that we wanted to see and more.Written January 12, 2025
- 437evay0 contributionsI recommend the three day tourGood balanced relaxed interesting tour Nana Lanong Kaenchai is a very good,knowledgeable and kind tourguide that showed us around Our driver Li is an excellent driver we felt very confident I warmly recommend this tour if you don’t want to rushWritten January 10, 2025
- Curiosity136507548130 contributionsperfect, tweak as needed, private tourMing made this trip for 2 ladies from the USA (that had no idea for sure what to expect as the webpage was a tad contradictory) …so let us reassure you! it won’t get cancelled for too few participants as it’s truly private, there’s a lot more offerings than what’s in the main description, but you can pick & choose what you want to experience when you meet day by day. Ming was amazing at answering all the questions about absolutely everything and even stopped twice to show us plants up close we had questions about! He told us what we needed to know & then let us roam at each site, always had the car cooled off for our return & water for us each day, and picked excellent local lunch spots for us! This was our favorite tour after weeks in Thailand and the best bang for the buck as well (the hotel they chose for us was premium & fantastically located). Don’t tell anyone but after the white temple on our last day he let us skip everything else and drove us to go zip lining instead, before returning to Chiang Mai… it was AWESOME! The ability to tweak along the way made this trip for us (just don’t pass up the boat trip or black house museum!) and by the way Chiang Rai’s night market is the best in Thailand! We both would happily sign up for anything by Go with Joe, but especially if we knew Ming was our guide! Thanks for everything Ming!!Written December 9, 2024
- 946drachenf0 contributionsNice two day trip to PaiWe had a great trip for 2 days with joe in pai. Joe is a save driver abs took us to nice different place we would not have seen without him. Price was fair, hotel was nice and the tour how we expected. Joe took us to nice local cafes, restaurants and places owned by local people. We were a couple, had a great time ans would recomand the tourWritten November 6, 2024
- kimberlyhH3688KR0 contributionsAuthentic and Educational… A definite recommend!Due to significant rain and flooding it was not safe to hike the trail. I appreciated my safety being of top concern versus pushing through with a tour that could have proven dangerous. A Go With Joe representative contacted me well in advance providing the news and reason but offered several alternative tour options (including trip to elephant sanctuary) as well as the option to cancel without penalty. I greatly appreciated the various alternatives as I was wanting to make good use of my limited time in Chiang Mai. We opted to complete the same tour activities (giving alms to local monk, visiting Wat Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Lat, etc.) but in driving format and I had a wonderful day. It was clear very early on Go With Joe made the right call as visible trails proved slick, malleable, and unmanageable. My tour guide showed up on time for our early 6:00am start which proved to be an exceptionally beneficial start time as there were absolutely no crowds and no traffic/congestion. Guide was very personable, knowledgeable and generally easy to talk to. He shared his knowledge and the history of each location, eagerly answered my numerous questions, while allowing time for me to branch off at each location for a second look at items most of interest to me. Being a longtime local to the Chiang Mai area he took me to a delicious spot for a truly authentic Thai breakfast I would never have known or found on my own. We enjoyed conversations during our meal talking about family and culture. Knowing driving afforded us extra time to add unplanned site visits to our day, of which my guide offered several options to chose from, I opted for a visit to Thai Silk Village where I not only learned about the silk making process but I got to see and experience it first hand (caterpillars and all!) which really made me appreciate the hard work and effort that goes into producing such beautiful product. Of course I couldn’t stop myself from buying a few items in their shop. By end of morning tour I was so very pleased with all events of the day and would highly recommend booking with Go With Joe for a genuine experience with a local tour guide.Written September 11, 2024
- 371jonathanw0 contributionsGreat to see rare birds in a beautiful environmentJoe is knowledgeable of the region and birds within the area. He certainly knows the best spots to see a range of unique local birdlife. He's also good company for a morning's hike. Good for beginner's and people who enjoy the outdoors.Written June 5, 2024
- vanessagE3286HT0 contributionsAwesome day!Such a great time! Sticky was so refreshing. The beautiful and sweet women of the Karen village. Phoenix Adventure and ziplines! Thanks Ming for all the memories!Written May 12, 2024
- U6876EYerinf0 contributionsIncredible experience - SO worth the early start!I can’t recommend this experience enough. You get so much packed in, but plenty of time for each stage of the itinerary - it’s really well planned. We also ended up having the whole experience to ourselves, which felt incredibly special. Our driver, Ming, was so lovely and helpful. He talked us through the day as things were happening, and gave us interesting context to each experience. We also learnt a lot about Chiang Mai from him, which was really nice. Our guide from the Karen tribe was also brilliant and answered our many, many questions. The trek itself is very varied and doable in the heat - you can walk at a pace that suits you. The wildlife is great and really exciting, the coffee at the end is delicious. Overall, 10/10 and would highly recommend!Written May 6, 2024
- Venture340134467670 contributionsAbsolutely must do the sunrise tour!!!The sunrise tour is an absolute must when visiting Chiang Mai. We booked a day in advance and ended up being the only guests, which was pretty special. Lee our driver was early & waiting ready with the aircon pumping in the van. We arrived to watch the sunset about 15 mins prior to the actual sunrise and the views are something we will remember forever! A light breakfast followed before a small stroll around a beautiful boardwalk birdwatching. The Twin Pagodas were something out of a movie scene as we had the entire place to ourselves due to the early start time. The whole time we were there, we didn't see another soul. Our 2 hour hike was with the most incredible local guide from the Karen village, who was most hospitable and spoke excellent english. Rice fields, waterfalls and a paddle in the local stream were a highlight of our trek. Stopping in the village for freshly ground coffee and learning some history on how coffee plantations came to be in Thailand was also fascinating. On the way home, Lee treated us to Khao Soi for lunch at a local restaurant with Thai desert. 100000/10 for both dishes! If all of this wasn't enough, we visited a local silk producer and jade shop. A long day very well spent!Written April 8, 2024
- Joseph W0 contributionsA MUST DO Sunrise and adventure dayProfessionally led from start to finish! Our driver Lee was early, professional and extremely accommodating. He made sure to include many pit stops for breaks and hydration and was also a superb guide, making sure we didn't miss the sunrise or any other location of merit. For our hike we had a wonderful lady from the local mountain village (unfortunately can't remember her name) she spoke amazing English and knew the land like the back of her hand. The views were awesome, educational and inspiring . Getting to see her local village and even try local harvested and roasted coffee was a highlight of my whole trip to Thailand. Lee made sure we were well fed for breakfast and lunch and got us back to our hotel safe. 10/10 day, will recommend to all. A MUST DO for tourist in Chiang Mai! BravoWritten April 8, 2024
- bocanegra2500 contributionsBird tour with FabioMr. Joe is a formidable person. He is a nature lover and professional. We loved taking the tour with him. We recommend 100%Written April 6, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Popular mentions
5.0
27 reviews
Excellent
26
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1
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Frances B
19 contributions
Once in a lifetime experience! Joe picked us up for our private tour promptly from our hotel lobby. During our comfortable drive (~45 minutes) Joe provided some history of the region. The smaller elephant sanctuary is not crowded and is run by locals. We were provided with garments so the elephants would be comfortable with us. We learned about the care and history of elephants and then pounded a root that repels mosquitoes and ticks. We were instructed how to feed the elephants and given the food and off we went. Once we were comfortable with this. We were led to be inside with the elephants and crossed the river with them, fed them more and then scrubbed the elephants. We were guided to change and shower rooms afterwards. The staff took photos for us and sent them immediately after. Lots of treasured shots. We donated 500 BHT to the sanctuary - not required.
After a filling lunch Joe drove us to Sticky falls - this was equally enjoyable. You walk the stairs all the way down and then if you wish walk up inside the water fall. You do thise barefoot (very comfortable) You can easily walk up the waterfall because it is not slick due to calcium deposits. A unique experience.
After this Joe offered to take us to a silk weaving and silver crafing area. Learned a ton there as well.
Amazing lifetime experience
After a filling lunch Joe drove us to Sticky falls - this was equally enjoyable. You walk the stairs all the way down and then if you wish walk up inside the water fall. You do thise barefoot (very comfortable) You can easily walk up the waterfall because it is not slick due to calcium deposits. A unique experience.
After this Joe offered to take us to a silk weaving and silver crafing area. Learned a ton there as well.
Amazing lifetime experience
Written January 31, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Feilian W
Melbourne, Australia2 contributions
Sep 2024 • Family
In our opinion a must-do tour in Chiangmai. This tour simply ticks all the boxes. The elephant sanctuary we visited was very serene and exclusively offered to a handful of guests. We got so much time and chance to feed, interact with and bath the amazing creatures. The guide on site was super knowledgeable and such a great photographer/videographer. We were spoilt with great photos and videos to remember this trip. The buffet lunch was of limited selections but everything was scrumptious and we were so well fed. The afternoon trip to the sticky waterfall is super fun and on the adventurous side. My 9-year-old loved it so much that we went twice. Warnings though as the top part of the waterfall was quite slippery and there is slipping risk for the young/unskilled. But in our opinion, it’s nothing like we’ve done before and another great memory for life. Oh - did I forget to mention our dedicated tour guide Joe??! Joe was so responsive, knowledgeable and pleasant to chat with. He knows all about Chiangmai, the elephants, the tricks to successfully climb up the waterfall, and was a superb tour guide. We thoroughly enjoyed this private day trip (we didn’t have to wait for anyone) and would recommend it to all! We were picked up by 8:30am and returned to the hotel before 4pm due to the private nature of this tour. The whole trip was so wonderful and Joe is a star!
Written October 3, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Many thanks for a good review, customers happy on holiday is our priority.
Written October 31, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan W
8 contributions
We had a terrific day with Ming. The elephant sanctuary is amazing. They will give you flip flops to wear, so don’t worry about your shoe choice. They also give you shorts & a shirt. There are changing areas so you can take off your clothes. We did all get wet when we were in the water with the elephants.
Lunch was immediately after we finished with the elephants. It was a delicious Thai meal & plenty of it!
Climbing the sticky waterfall was so unique! You have to descend a lot of steps to get to the bottom. On the climb up, there are some sections with ropes & railings for support, but not the entire way! You need to be moderately fit & adventurous! Highly recommend!
Lunch was immediately after we finished with the elephants. It was a delicious Thai meal & plenty of it!
Climbing the sticky waterfall was so unique! You have to descend a lot of steps to get to the bottom. On the climb up, there are some sections with ropes & railings for support, but not the entire way! You need to be moderately fit & adventurous! Highly recommend!
Written May 29, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
With our elephant Sanctuary all people here are taking good care of Elephant as their family. You will get the good memory of experience here.
Written June 7, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Christopher N
2 contributions
Dec 2022 • Couples
The Orchid gardens was a beautiful way to start off the day. At the elephant sanctuary, everyone was extremely friendly and obviously love caring for the elephants. All of the elephants were fun to be around and they definitely enjoyed the bananas we were giving them. The staff at the sanctuary was all amazing. They took their time to explain the history of the sanctuary, what elephants require to survive, and how to feed and bath them. Despite being such large animals, we felt safe around them the entire time. After we finished up Ming took us to the sticky falls which was really fun. It’s a little nerve racking at first but once you get the rhythm it’s quite fun going up and down.
Written December 26, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for a really good review.
Written February 16, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Curiosity38457001556
1 contribution
Jan 2024 • Couples
Elephant sanctuary was an amazing experience. Only to be topped off by the beauty of the sticky waterfalls.
But the cherry on top was meeting Ming. What a nice, knowledgeable, well rounded man. He imparted his lifetime of experience in Chiang Mai and shared all of his local advice, reviews and opinions. We were so happy that we booked another full day private tour to be guided by ONLY Ming or we weren’t interested. Of course, he was modest and said all of the go with Joe guides are of the same caliber, we were so happy to spend another day with him at Wat Phra Vat Doi Suthep , the tiger kingdom, and even the snake farm. We were so happy to have lunch with Ming and listen to his stories.
He was respectful, patient, knowledgeable, fun and a pleasure to have as a guide. We look forward to coming back to Chiang Mai and touring with him somewhere new.
Thank you.
But the cherry on top was meeting Ming. What a nice, knowledgeable, well rounded man. He imparted his lifetime of experience in Chiang Mai and shared all of his local advice, reviews and opinions. We were so happy that we booked another full day private tour to be guided by ONLY Ming or we weren’t interested. Of course, he was modest and said all of the go with Joe guides are of the same caliber, we were so happy to spend another day with him at Wat Phra Vat Doi Suthep , the tiger kingdom, and even the snake farm. We were so happy to have lunch with Ming and listen to his stories.
He was respectful, patient, knowledgeable, fun and a pleasure to have as a guide. We look forward to coming back to Chiang Mai and touring with him somewhere new.
Thank you.
Written February 10, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachael
Harrogate, UK38 contributions
Jan 2020
We were picked up from out hotel in old town chiang mai bu our driver. He was able to answer questions about the area which was really helpful. He took us to an Orchid and Butterfly farm which was great and broke up the journey nicely. We arrived at the Elephant Sanctuary where we were given clothes to change in to (our driver looked after our bags). We were introduced to the owner of the sanctuary who told us some.of the history of how he had developed the sanctuary and then he introduced us to.
our guide. We prepared food shopping up pumpkins and then making banana balls for he elephants and then were able to feed then. One baby elephant gives you a kiss (smells fools but very funny) and then we collected some corn and walked the elephants down to the river where we all waded in and gave the elephant a bath and scrub. Truly unforgettable!!
Our driver then took us to the sticky water falls, we changed again in to suitable swimwear we had brought with us and had great fun climbing up and down the waterfalls..finding different trails and challenges !!
our guide. We prepared food shopping up pumpkins and then making banana balls for he elephants and then were able to feed then. One baby elephant gives you a kiss (smells fools but very funny) and then we collected some corn and walked the elephants down to the river where we all waded in and gave the elephant a bath and scrub. Truly unforgettable!!
Our driver then took us to the sticky water falls, we changed again in to suitable swimwear we had brought with us and had great fun climbing up and down the waterfalls..finding different trails and challenges !!
Written February 7, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review, we're trying our best to hear our customers are happy of their holiday in chiangmai. Joe.
Written February 11, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Emma F
1 contribution
May 2023 • Couples
This was the most amazing experience!!!! Our guide Joe made it just that more amazing with extra stops on the way home, etc. so friendly. Easy pick up/drop off. Lots of knowledge and recommendations for the city. 10/10 couldn’t have anything but amazing things to say about this experience and our guide Joe.
Written May 8, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
At our elephant sanctuary you'll get the amazing experience with elephant, the kindness and a warm welcome from our staff.
Written May 29, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Susan W
2 contributions
This trip was amazing. Ming, our tour guide, picked us up on time at our hotel and his English is excellent. He was eager to share facts about Chiang Mai & elephants. At the elephant sanctuary, the elephants are treated kindly. We fed them, prepared healthy snacks for them, prepared a natural bath for them, and waded in the water showering them. The mahouts were so caring to the elephants and friendly to us. This was the highlight of our visit to Chiang Mai. Then, we drove to the Sticky Waterfall which was beautiful and refreshing. We returned home so glad that we had this incredible experience. Highly recommend!
Written July 19, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
we would like to present our sanctuary to all guests, come and experience with us. GowithJoe.
Written August 7, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Nettieg555
Perth, Australia23 contributions
What an amazing experience. Our driver Ming was just awesome and so interesting to talk to . His English was great. The Sanctuary was just fantastic. The elephants are so well cared for and so happy. We loved every minute. The lunch was delicious and the staff there were just so lovely and friendly. We would highly recommend this trip.
Written November 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for your review, customers happy we are happy as well.
Written November 22, 2024
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Caroline C
4 contributions
We had a great day out today. The elephants were amazing and going via a. private tour meant we didn’t feel rushed. Lunch was enormous and very tasty. The afternoon at the waterfall was fun. Our guide had excellent English and made our trip really enjoyable. Would highly recommend this trip out in the countryside.
Written August 3, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GowithJoe you'll get the best service, best trip, best lunch. Many thanks for a wonderful review.
Written September 3, 2023
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
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