Description
Chang Puak Camp (ปางช้างเผือกสกลนคร) is a new Sakon Nakhon elephant camp, with restaurant and coffeehouse, located just 15 minutes outside the city, and only 2 kilometers past the KramSakon indigo clothing shop. The elephant camp is the first of its kind in Sakon Nakhon province, and the only place where you can be sure to see or ride elephants (although there are wild elephants that live in Phu Phan National Park, and occasionally mahouts will take their Sakon Nakhon elephants into villages for donations and food offerings)*.
Chang Puak Camp (Sakon Nakon) is one of several elephant camps run by the same company. The other camps are located in Hat Yai, Kanchanaburi, Chiang Rai, and Damnoen Saduak (near Thailand's famous floating market). The elephant camp operates on large, well-tended grounds. And if you would like to tour the grounds, they offer 4 wheel all-terrain vehicles for an hourly rental fee of only 50 baht.
A nice restaurant and coffeehouse is located in the outside area of Chang Puak Elephant Camp. They serve a variety of Thai and international dishes at an inexpensive price. If you buy food or drink, this will grant you free access into an area where you can see and feed the elephants. It costs 50 baht for each bunch of bananas you would like to feed the elephants.
For 200 baht, you can gain entrance to a Sakon Nakhon elephant show which starts at the following times: 9am, 11am, 1pm, 3pm, and 5pm. For an additional 200 baht you can go on a brief elephant ride, the elephant being able to carry a couple together, plus a small child. All of the elephants appear to be healthy and very well attended to by their mahouts.
Chang Puak Camp (ปางช้างเผือกสกลนคร) also has a parakeet enclosure filled with friendly parakeets that will be happy to jump on your hands and shoulders, making for a delightful photo opportunity, if you are too scared to ride the elephants. Be sure to watch the video below.
*Update. There is now a 2nd place in Sakon Nakhon where you can get an elephant ride: Kaew Kwan Cafe in Sawang Daen Din.
