Is Lunch Included at Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary in Chiang Mai? Pad Thai, Vegetarian Requests and When You Eat
Yes: every Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary tour booked on ThaiEleHub includes a local meal, and the centrepiece is a Pad Thai you cook yourself, eaten with other local Thai dishes. The half-day costs ฿1,500 per adult (฿1,100 for children aged 4–8, infants 0–3 free), and the full day with a Mae Wang bamboo raft costs ฿1,800 per adult (฿1,300 per child), with lunch included on both.
Vegetarian requests are easy to accommodate if you add them at checkout or message ahead. Anything stricter, such as vegan, allergies or gluten-free, isn't covered on the booking pages, so ask on WhatsApp before you pay.
What lunch at Big Boy actually is
Food is a real part of the day here, not a packed snack on the bus. Every Big Boy product page lists "Local meal" under what's included, and each itinerary has a short Pad Thai cooking workshop: you cook your own plate, then sit down to eat it alongside other local Thai dishes.
The elephant side of the day is separate and doesn't change around lunch. Big Boy is an "observe and feed" sanctuary:
- You watch the herd from a distance. Guests cannot touch the elephants.
- The elephants' food is vitamin balls at the feeding table. That is the only feeding guests do; your Pad Thai is for you.
- You help with habitat care, and the product pages suggest bringing a change of clothes for afterwards.
- No bathing, riding or going out on the trail alongside the herd. The booking pages say these activities require controlling the elephants, which goes against the sanctuary's respect for their natural behaviour and freedom.
When you eat on each tour
Lunch falls at a different point depending on the tour. Re-check before you pay.
| Morning half-day | Afternoon half-day | Full day + bamboo raft | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hotel pickup | 07:00–07:30 | 11:30–12:00 | 07:30–08:00 |
| Elephants | from 09:30 arrival | after lunch | 09:30–11:30 |
| Pad Thai cooking | 12:00 | 13:30 | 12:30–14:30 (cook and eat) |
| Lunch | 12:30 | 14:00 | within 12:30–14:30 |
| Back at your hotel | around 14:00 | around 18:30 | around 17:00 |
| Adult / child 4–8 | ฿1,500 / ฿1,100 | ฿1,500 / ฿1,100 | ฿1,800 / ฿1,300 |
| Deposit online (25%) | ฿375 / ฿275 | ฿375 / ฿275 | ฿450 / ฿325 |
Infants aged 0–3 go free on all three. The deposit is not the tour price: the balance (for example ฿1,125 per adult on a half-day) is paid on the tour day. Return times depend on traffic and weather.
Morning: elephants first, cooking at noon, home mid-afternoon. A light, early breakfast works, because you won't eat again until about 12:30.
Afternoon: you cook and eat soon after arriving, then spend the rest of the afternoon with the herd. Lunch is around 14:00, so have a late breakfast or a snack before your 11:30–12:00 pickup.
Full day: the elephant session comes first, then the guest bamboo raft on the Mae Wang River, then a long cooking-and-eating block before the drive back.
Vegetarian, vegan and other diets
Here is exactly what the live pages say: "Please add your dietary request during checkout or message us in advance. Vegetarian requirements are easy to accommodate."
What that means in practice:
- Vegetarian: say so in the dietary field at checkout. That's all you need to do.
- Vegan, food allergies, gluten-free, halal or other medical diets: the booking pages don't spell these out. Message ThaiEleHub on WhatsApp (+66 98 858 9666) before you pay the deposit, and get the answer in writing.
- Children: the child fare (ages 4–8) covers the same day. Whether a smaller or milder plate is offered is not published, so ask if your child is a fussy eater.
Who this day suits, and who it doesn't
Good fit if you:
- like the idea of a cooking session built into an elephant visit, rather than a separate cooking class
- want an ethical day where you watch the elephants from a distance and feed vitamin balls at a table
- are vegetarian and happy to note it at checkout
Think twice if you:
- want to bathe with elephants. Big Boy does not offer bathing with elephants.
- have a serious allergy and can't get written confirmation before booking
- find standing tiring: the pages mention standing time at the feeding table and the cooking station. Distances, stairs, terrain and toilets: confirm with the sanctuary.
Booking, date changes and cancelling
You book on the product page with no account, and your date is held once the 25% deposit payment succeeds. Date changes go through WhatsApp at least 24 hours before the tour starts, subject to agreement and availability. Cancel at least 24 hours before your scheduled tour start time for a deposit refund. Stripe, our payment processor, keeps its 6.5% processing fee. This fee is not charged or kept by ThaiEleHub. Cancellations made within 24 hours of the scheduled tour start time are non-refundable. Bookings made within 24 hours of the scheduled tour start time are non-refundable once paid. No-shows are charged the full tour price; the deposit is not refunded. Full rules: cancellation and refund policy.
FAQs
Is lunch included on Big Boy tours? Yes. All three Big Boy tours on ThaiEleHub list a local meal as included, with a Pad Thai you cook yourself plus other local Thai dishes.
Can vegetarians join? Yes. Add your request at checkout or message ahead; the live pages say vegetarian requirements are easy to accommodate.
What about vegan food or allergies? Not covered on the booking pages. Ask on WhatsApp before paying the deposit and get a written answer.
Do I feed the elephants my food? No. The elephants' food is vitamin balls at the feeding table, and you watch them from a distance. The Pad Thai is your own lunch.
Book your Big Boy day
Dietary question? WhatsApp ThaiEleHub on +66 98 858 9666. About the camp: Big Boy Elephant Sanctuary and what Big Boy is. What to wear: elephant sanctuary clothing guide.