I Wish I Could Give This Six Stars - We picked this tour based off one single TripAdvisor review and I'm SO glad we did! Jade was a fantastic guide and made the entire experience memorable. He was very knowledgeable about Buddhism and answered all our questions as we went to the different temples and offered alms to some novices. He also was kind enough to take some extra photos for us, after my phone's camera stopped working. 😭 Anything involving tourists is going to be, by nature, "touristy," but this felt like an extremely authentic and personal visit. In the morning it was just us and one other couple, and the trip was organized so that we didn't feel like we were just being herded from spot to spot. We were the first ones at Doi Suthep temple so we could listen to the monks chanting without big crowds, we had breakfast at a little local stand where we seemed to be the only foreigners, and at Wat Doi Supphanyu we literally had the place to ourselves (which was fantastic, as it was so peaceful and serene). The rest of the afternoon was spent deep in the woods at the elephant sanctuary with a larger group. I think it must be hard for these organizations to walk the line between being interesting to visitors (to stay funded) and being ethical for the animals (with no riding or forced bathing), and this place seems to have it figured out. We fed the elephants bananas and went for a walk behind them, but when they got sick of walking they wandered off into the trees and their caretakers didn't make any attempt to keep them around for the tourists. When we got hot, all the humans splashed around in the waterfall while the elephants ate grass nearby, and afterwards we got to drink tea from a raised viewing station and watch as the elephants threw mud around to cool off. It felt like they were living a good, safe life, and we got to just be near them for a little while. And then there was a delicious and very relaxed Pad Thai lunch and some crafting time in the shade next to the elephants, before we headed back into town... Honestly I wish I could rate this tour higher -- it was an absolute gem, and truly the best one we've been on in our time here in Thailand.

Delightfully wholesome. Felt authentic - My friend and I joined the Sunrise Doi Suthep with half-day elephant sanctuary tour with Joy Elephant Sanctuary Tours in September 2024 and absolutely loved it. With only 11 days in Thailand, we were on a whirlwind adventure through the country, but having booked flights only two days in advance and having done essentially zero planning, we were looking for affordable but convenient and meaningful options. Joy Elephant Sanctuary delivered. In more detail…. After perusing only a morsel of the plethora of tours available from Chiang Mai, we had landed on Joy Elephant Sanctuary as it was the only company that seemed to offer the unique combination of the temple at sunrise with the elephant experience. We think it was meant to be a group tour but with it being low season with abundant rains, it ended up just being the two of us. Jade, Inpon and Wiji were our guides (Jade had to leave after the first bit) and driver. They were absolutely wonderful - genuine, generous and thoughtful. Of Karen background, they were able to offer us a lot of insight into the local culture and were keen to know about us as well (Australian & Belgian). The day started with an early pick-up at our hostel at 04:30, then a drive up the mountain to Doi Suthep where the view of night Chiang Mai was spectacular. Unfortunately the cloud cover meant the sunrise was really not visible, but we knew prior that that could be a very likely possibility and Jade/Inpon had forewarned us also. In spite of this, being at the temple at this time of the day made it all the more magical, arriving before the throngs of people which allowed us to bask in the serenity of the emerging dawn amidst the entrancing chants of monks. This was followed by participation in the offering of alms to novice monks at a separate temple just down the hill, and breakfast for ourselves at a local restaurant (included in price) near some markets. It was very much the local experience. Next into the jungle with a stop at a temple along the way that boasted a giant buddha at one and stunning views of the surrounding countryside at the other. A hidden local gem? Certainly, we were the only ones there, and no other tour buses/cars in sight. In retrospect, this was part of the schedule as advertised in the brochure, but came as an unexpected treat for us. Deeper into the trees, including a bumpy jeep-equivalent rise, and we arrived at the elephant sanctuary. Only having been recently established, the sanctuary houses two elephants, Mae-Noi and Mo-Ka-Der, rescued from their lives in the elephant-riding and logging industries respectively, and very much loved at this sanctuary. Unlike some of the sanctuaries that we’d passed that seemed situated just on the side of the road, Joy Sanctuary was deep in the trees and opened up into a huge space, where the elephants looked to have abundant land to explore and enjoy. We fed them and went for a small jungle walk as part of their fun time. There is no bathing with the elephants with this tour, so if you are looking for that, they you should go elsewhere. But we had no desire to do this and wanted mostly to observe these beauties in their “natural” environment, so it was perfect for us. Some free time, lunch and a cute souvenir-making session rounded up the rest of our day. Admittedly, it isn’t the cheapest tour out there at 2700THB per person. If you are travelling on a real shoe-string budget, there are probably cheaper options. But considering what we were offered (breakfast, lunch, all-inclusive transport, local guide) and that it covered the two experiences we wanted, we found this price very acceptable. All in all, it was a delightful, wholesome and what felt like a truly authentic day. The staff were so very kind and accommodating. There were no visits to souvenir shops or services (just an incredibly low-key pop-up collection at the sanctuary), and we never felt pressured to buy, tip, or leave a review. We have decided to write this of our own accord to support what seems like a genuinely well-intentioned company, and so others can share our joy of an experience. To top it off, you even get a link at the end to photos taken of you during the tour for the mems.