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Touring the park
Elephant Nature Park - FAQ
Trip Booking Conditions and
Advice
Hands on conservation trips that
directly help to sustain these endangered creatures.
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Answers to our most frequent questions about visiting our
projects |
The park has limited availability and I would like to suggest that
you make the arrangements via our websites
'visit the park' section
to secure your place.
All trip details and current rates are detailed in this section and
http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/parkavail.htm shows
current availability.
We apologise if the dates you wish to visit are not available. We
can accept only a small number of visitors per day. Your
alternatives are;
a) change dates
b) choose another project. Eg. If
volunteering in Chiang Mai
is full
try Journey to Freedom.
c) select a trip of a shorter time period. Eg change a one week
volunteer position to an overnight trip or to an overnight trip to a
day visit instead.
If you need any help with car rentals, accommodation or travel such
as trains or flights we will be glad to help. See
http://www.elephantnaturepark.org/travel/index.htm for
details. |
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How do I book a trip to Elephant Nature Park? |
| Simply follow
the "booking" link on each trip page which takes you to our on-line form. after completion we will then send
confirmation to you and details of your trip. |
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Can I do a Half Day Trip to your Park in Chiang Mai? |
| We do not arrange half day trips as the park is some 60km from
Chiang Mai city and takes over an hour to get there a half day trip
would be too short so the minimum trip we have is for a full day. |
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How can I pay for my trip? |
| We accept Visa, MasterCard or bank transfer. You can also book
by phone or fax. The numbers appear at the bottom of each page. We
suggest you book online to ensure that there are places available. |
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Can your guides speak English and tribal languages? |
| Naturally, they are all trained at the University and have Tourist
Authority certificates and badges. Some of them come from the tribal
villages themselves so their work helps them to financially support
their communities. |
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Where do trips start from? |
Chiang Mai city. We
provide a free pick up from hotels and guest houses, or any
other address, in Chiang Mai city.
For pick up locations more than 10km from our
Chiang Mai office and not en-route to the park
there is a variable surcharge for an additional vehicle.
We can also pick up from resorts and hotels as far away as
Chiang Dao [vehicle surcharge applies]. |
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How big are your groups? |
| Around eight - ten persons per van and up to maximum of 50 persons
at the park at any one time. Larger groups can also be catered for
with advance notice. |
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Where is Elephant Nature Park located? |
| The park located around 60km north of Chiang Mai city in Mae Taeng
District. Travelling time is around on hour from the city. |
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Can I
come to the park on my own? |
| Our park is a nature reserve and we do
not accept casual visitors for
safety reasons and, in order, not to disturb our herd. |
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What is suitable ages for Park Visits? |
| All ages are welcome from infants
to senior citizens. |
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What is the best time to go? |
| Anytime of year is fine. Nov-Feb is generally best weather wise but
it is also the busiest time. Have a look at our
weather page for more details about the rainfall and climate in the area. |
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How do you price your tours? |
| Our trip rates are generally priced in Thai Baht. You will find
links to currency converters on the booking pages where you can work
out the cost in any major global currency |
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I have to be back early to catch a 5pm flight can you get me back in
time? |
| We cannot guarantee it unless you take a half day or private tour.
Traffic may make it difficult to get back early. We also do not want
to rush the other guests so it is necessary to organise a
private trip. |
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What should I wear and bring on my trip? |
| Please see our
Things to bring section |
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I have problems eating this/am allegoric to....? |
| Our park prides itself on the variety of foods we offer our guests.
Our buffet lunches and dinners comprise of many dishes and are
suitable for Halal, Kosher, Vegan, Vegetarian and are suitable for
all diets. Allergies such as peanuts etc are covered as well but you
should mention this to our staff at meal times. Water provided is
safe to drink. |
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What about Malaria, rabies, heath issues? |
| We are not in a malaria zone and most visitors do not take any
preventative medication. Rabies jabs are recommended for any trip to
Thailand. Please consult your local doctor to check what medication
he recommends for Northern Thailand. |
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What if I have to cancel or leave early? |
Please see the booking confirmation email that you receive at the
time of booking.
Minimum cancellation fees are set at 30% if you
cancel 4 days or more prior to the trip date.
Cancellation within 4
days of trip date, as well as package trips are non-refundable.
The minimum cancellation fee for day visits is 1,000 Baht
per person.
The minimum cancellation fee for volunteers is 5,000 Baht
per person.
Leaving early or changing the duration of your stay does not
entitle you to any rebate or refund for unused time.
We will try to be as flexible
as we can with cancellation fees but note that we must cover our
limited number of places and late cancellations often mean that
others have already been turned away from the park.
Should any of your party be unable to go on the tour, or they cancel within 4 days of the tour date, their balance is payable in full on the morning of the tour.
All payments for volunteering positions are non-refundable
Packages which include flights, trains and/or city accommodation are non-refundable
We reserve the right to terminate an unsuitable volunteers positions or visit at any time without refund |
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Safety, liability and insurance. |
Visitors are not permitted to wander off or get close to the
elephants on their own. This is for your own safety.
Elephants all have different personalities and can be
dangerous if they are being confronted by strangers.
Elephants are generally very gentle creatures who return
love in abundance. However, they are wild animals and their
behaviour can be unpredictable. They live to approximately
the same age as humans and the youngsters are similar to
those of other species in that they love to play. Elephants
of all ages are very strong and they may become boisterous
if annoyed. You must be careful when around them and follow
the instructions of our staff at all times
Visits to the park are entirely at the visitors own risk. You are
required to have your own insurance policy to cover
emergency or health treatment. |
Booking your trip
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