Good to know before you book

Yes — every tour has a with-transfer option. Our regular pickup area is Chiang Mai city, roughly a 5 km radius from the Old City, which covers most hotels and hostels. If you are staying further out, we’ll message you before your trip — usually we ask you to take a short Grab to a meeting point in the city. Morning pickups run around 07:30–08:00, afternoon pickups around 11:30.

Absolutely — most tours have a cheaper Self-Drive rate. The base camp is in Mae Taeng, about 1 h 15 to 1 h 30 north of the old city. Self-drive guests arrive at 10:15 for the morning session or 13:15 for the afternoon — on jungle-trek days it is 10:00, because the walk starts earlier.

Normal rain doesn’t stop us — the river just runs a little quicker. Only a serious storm can cancel a trip, and our guides make that call on the day, on safety alone, using the community water-level marker at the bridge. If the river is too high we tell you before pickup and move your date free, or refund in full. Season by season, the river is explained in our guide to the best time of year for tubing.

Yes — every booking has free cancellation: day tours up to 24 hours before your start time, the 2-day overnight trip up to 48 hours before pickup, and room-only villa or dorm stays until 7 days before check-in. Full payment is taken when you book (secure card payment via Stripe) and refunds go back to your original card, typically within 5–10 business days. Full details in our Terms of Service.

Morning tubing sessions and all full-day combos include a home-cooked Thai lunch at the base camp. Afternoon-only tubing doesn’t. On the river, drinking water and snacks are free; cold soft drinks are ฿30 and beer or hard seltzer ฿60 — drink first, settle up at the end.

Yes. Everyone wears a life jacket, fitted at the base camp, and the tubes are tied together so the group floats as one. A guide is on the water with you the whole way, and we add an extra assistant when there are non-swimmers in the group.

From 1 year old, depending on the water level that day. In the cool season (November–February) and hot season (March–May) the river is low and calm and toddlers normally join. In the rainy season (June–October) we check the river each morning and may set a higher minimum that day. The guides make the final call, and kids always get an extra assistant guide alongside them.

Usually, yes — when the water is calm, grandparents float too. It depends on mobility and the river conditions that day, so tell us who’s coming and we’ll advise honestly.

Between 50 minutes and 1 hour 15, depending on the water level — higher water moves you faster. If the elephants are in the river, we stop and wait for them, which nobody has ever complained about.

Flat. We float the calm stretch of the Mae Taeng, not the rapids. In the low-water months the current does not even reach grade 1; in the wettest weeks of the rainy season it is grade 1–2 at most. You drift with the river, tubes tied together, a guide in the water beside you. The grade 3–4 rapids you may have read about are further along the same river and run by rafting companies, not by us.

Yes. SaGee Waterfall has a children’s section and an adults’ section, and there is no minimum age for the children’s one — one-year-olds play there. Nobody is made to slide: the guide demonstrates first, and then it is up to you, and for kids up to the parents, which section to try or whether to slide at all.

No — we do not run rafting trips. The Mae Taeng is one of the best-known white water rivers in Thailand, and other companies raft grade 3–4 rapids further along it, with minimum ages of 7 to 15 depending on the run. We are not one of them. We float the calm water: tubes tied together, life jackets on, a guide in the water beside you, from one year old. Same river, different water. We do not run the rapids ourselves — but we work with a rafting company on the same river, so if that is the day you want, message us and we will arrange it rather than sell you the wrong trip.

Swimwear and a dry change of clothes. Flip-flops or sandals are fine — you do not need water shoes. We lend waterproof phone pouches, glasses straps and life jackets for free. Lockers are free too — bring a small padlock or rent a key for ฿100. There are four hot-water shower rooms with shampoo, conditioner and body wash for afterwards. Full list in our packing guide. Full list in what to pack for river tubing.

The route drifts past a small riverside elephant camp near the end of the float, so you’ll often see them along the bank. On our elephant observation programs you go ashore and watch quietly from a distance for about 30 minutes while your guide tells their story. They’re animals, not scenery — sightings from the tube can’t be guaranteed.

No. Our policy is observe-only: no riding, no bathing with them, no shows, no chains. You watch them live their day from a respectful distance. Read why at Our Elephant Policy.

We don’t use that word — it’s unregulated and means whatever the brochure wants it to mean. What we can tell you plainly: the camp is small and locally run, the elephants live free along the riverbank, and visitors observe without touching. Judge it by the policy, not the label. How to tell the difference: choosing an ethical elephant experience in Chiang Mai.

Huay Kub Kab the Villa is five minutes from where the tours start: one large mountain-view villa, two poolside villas and a 16-bed dorm, from ฿3,490 per night with breakfast for two included. Check live availability and book online on the Huay Kub Kab the Villa page — or send us your dates and we’ll confirm personally.

No — dorm guests use the shared hot-water bathrooms at the base camp, about 30 metres away. Each bed has its own privacy curtain, reading light and power socket, and the room is air-conditioned.