Southeast Asia boasts a variety of wildlife, and of course a plethora of tours in which to view it. But it’s important to be careful when choosing your excursion. Many do not have the animal’s best interest at heart and are in it solely for the money. Examples of this are tiger temples and elephant riding camps. But there are still good souls out there, and we found a gem in Chiang Mai.

Run by the owners of our favorite hostel, At Baan Kuhn, the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is home to 18 elephants, all spread out between three different villages. They have been rescued from other camps, where they were mistreated and ridden daily. While riding elephants makes for a great photo op, it’s actually terrible for their backs and should be skipped.

But at the Sanctuary, they are all about making the elephants happy. You feed them bananas and sugar cane and pose for photos while they wrap their trunks around your waist. As the sun beats warmly down, you join them in the cool mud where you cover them and yourselves in the sticky, wet dirt. What’s more fun than taking a mud bath with elephants in the afternoon sun?

Next up is a dip in a waterfall fed pool, where the elephants frolic in the cold water as you help clean off the mud from their leathered backs. It is followed by a delicious lunch of pad thai wrapped in a banana leaf and some solitary time with the elephants.

It was really one of the best experiences I’ve had. Being around such gentle giants is so humbling and filled me with so much love. I would definitely recommend adding it to your to-do list in Thailand, but make sure you do your research first and protect the welfare of the elephants.