Elefin Farm & Cafe — Restaurant in Chiang Mai Province

Having visited 2 years ago and been really impressed, we returned yesterday to find it has become a very different place... What was once a beautiful peaceful haven that was about protecting the elephants has now become a money making scheme. I was sickened to see elephants being used for ride after ride by naive tourists, the elephants were carrying two people at a time in many cases. After that they were forced to pose for photo after photo and were clearly unhappy about it as they ran off as soon as they were "released" from their photoshoot. The cafe was just as lovely as before but it had a very different vibe and i will stop recommending it to friends now. We were all very disappointed. I have removed the photos of the elephants moving freely that I had added from 2 years ago as they now have ropes around them to hinder their freedom.

My previous post from 2 years ago, was 5 stars as below: Such a great find on the Samoeng Loop. Cafe up a steep hill off the main road where you can see the elephants roaming on the hills overlooking the beautiful scenery. For 100 baht you can feed the elephants a basket of bananas and sugar cane, aided by the guide who will take photos and videos of you with your phone. We arrived late in the day and they stayed open a few mins late to accommodate us. Such lovely people and the elephants looked very well...

I went there with the simple thought of feeding elephants some treats, grabbing a coffee, and enjoying the beautiful environment. But instead of peace, I was met with a shocking and heartbreaking sight: people riding elephants as if they were fairground attractions.

It genuinely hurt me to watch. These incredible animals, who should be roaming freely with their families, were reduced to carrying tourists for entertainment. Elephants are not made for this — their backs are not built to bear human weight, and their spirits are not meant to be broken just to please visitors.

Standing there, I felt a mix of sadness, anger, and helplessness. How can we, as humans, treat such gentle giants this way? I couldn’t enjoy anything after that. The thought of buying a coffee or snack felt wrong when cruelty was happening right in front of me. So, I walked away and bought nothing.

If we truly have hearts, we must stand against this. Elephants deserve kindness, dignity, and freedom not exploitation for...

We visited this elephant farm and café with hopes of enjoying a unique and ethical experience, but we left deeply saddened. The elephants are clearly not treated with the respect and care they deserve. Customers are encouraged to continuously feed the elephants for photos and videos, and even worse, elephant riding is offered—something that is harmful to these magnificent creatures.

Elephants are not meant to be ridden, and the constant feeding for entertainment creates an unnatural and unhealthy environment for them. It’s heartbreaking to see these gentle giants being exploited in this way, especially when there are ethical sanctuaries that allow elephants to live freely and naturally.

We urge travelers to choose experiences that prioritize animal welfare over entertainment. Supporting ethical sanctuaries and cruelty-free activities sends a powerful message to businesses that tourists value compassion. We hope this farm will reconsider its practices and transition to ethical and...