3-Day Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary Chiang Mai

I spent 3 days with Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary and it was by far the most fun that I had on my trip. A few months back, I booked a stay at this “elephant sanctuary” that had been recommended to me by a friend and I had no idea what to really expect. I signed up as a solo traveler, but there was also a couple and a group of 4, so they are flexible with the amount of people in a group. Kerri, a founder and programme director, is very communicative and gives great instructions in terms of what to expect from this experience, pick up locations/time, and a list of recommended things to pack. The sanctuary is located about 5 hours north of Chiang Mai and they provide the transportation from Chiang Mai to the village. That being said, do be prepared for a bit of a drive (plenty of time to get to know your fellow travelers or people from the KSES team). Upon arrival, Kerri greeted the group, gave us a quick rundown of the plan for the day, and explained how the homestay programme works (you get to stay with the villagers in their homes and experience their day to day lives and cook with them etc.). My family had a home in the middle of the village, and they were very welcoming despite the language barrier. Something you must know, in order to see the elephants, you will have to do a bit of light hiking. You don't have to be fast or an extreme hiker, but don't just expect the elephants to be at your doorstep in the morning. KSES does not chain their elephants to one location, so you get to adventure every day to a new location in order to locate the elephants. One day it took us 2 hours to find the elephants, however the next morning it only took 45 minutes! The elephants are stunning, it's hard to actually even explain. Because KSES gives backgrounds on all their elephants, it's even better to see them roaming freely somewhere that they truly belong. *definitely bring along a camera!* In addition to getting to interact with the elephants, there are also activities set up with the villagers (such as basket weaving, a small "shopping" experience where you can buy handmade goods from the villagers, and teaching lessons with the children from the village). During my time at KSES, the children were on holiday, but we were able to do a fun game day with the kids and played all afternoon. I can't begin to express how much I enjoyed my time with this sanctuary. They really do strive to educate people and they provide a top notch experience.