Recommended Elephant Sanctuaries

I recently started an internship at ENN doing research alongside the admins. I started this internship not knowing a whole lot about elephants and the cruelty that they face in the name of “entertainment” and “tourism”. I began researching and found horrific videos and shocking photos of the torture that these majestic animals go through for a “cute” Instagram post or a tick on someone’s bucket list.

The thing that saddened me though was how these people who ride elephants, bathe them, or watch them perform must actually care about elephants, or they wouldn’t have spent their money interacting with them; these people just don’t realize or want to realize that the activities that they’re participating in is actually hurting the elephants. This led me to wanting to find out where these people could have gone (or where you could go) to experience the majesty of elephants without harming them!

Thus, this list was created – a list of sanctuaries, with no-show, no-riding and no-bathing policies.

Save Elephants Foundation (SEF) Projects

SEF is an NGO that aims to help Thailand’s captive elephants. They have a couple of projects going on in South-East Asia, which are described below.

North Chiang Mai, Thailand 

Elephant Nature Park (ENP) is SEF’s biggest project. You can spend anything from half a day to seven days here feeding elephants, watching them bathe, and potentially volunteering to help with the day-to-day tasks.

There are also some programs called “Saddle Off” which have been initiated by ENP. At these, you can spend your day at camps that used to provide elephant riding and/or shows feeding elephants, watching them bathe, and hiking around the natural landscapes. It’s so important to go to these programs because it shows elephant riding camps/owners that they can maintain their elephants and earn a living by adopting an eco-friendly tourism approach.

There are another two programs in the mountains that don’t go to ENP. These also include feeding elephants watching them bathe, and hikes around the natural landscapes.

South Chiang Mai, Thailand

There are four different programs here; three are full day and one is only in the afternoon. Two of these programs also include cultural shows/presentations from the locals.

Kanchanaburi, West Thailand

There are two “Saddle Off” programs here – one is one day long and the other is two days long. Both include feeding elephants, watching them bathe, and hikes. For the two day trip though, there is also a visit to a cave and the Death Railway.

Surin, Thailand

The Surin Project was started to improve living conditions of elephants at the government-run Surin Elephant Study Center, which subsidizes 200 elephants and their mahouts to live there and not on the streets of Bangkok. Their aim is to show local mahouts that tourists are willing to go and spend their money to see elephants being elephants. You can volunteer for anywhere from one to eight weeks.

Siem Reap, Cambodia

The project here is trying to protect elephants’ natural habitat by restoring the rainforest and stopping illegal logging. You can volunteer here for one to eight weeks.

Website for all the above projects: https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/enp/

Phuket Elephant Park (PEP)

Phuket, Thailand

PEP is another sanctuary on Phuket Island. It’s next to a national park which creates an even more natural life and experience for their two chain-free elephants. It is relatively new  because it only opened in January 2018. However, it has a strong foundation and support system as the staff at PEP have been trained/worked at PES and/or ENP. This sanctuary only offers morning tours.

Website: https://phuketelephantpark.org/

Mahouts Elephant Foundation

Karen Hill, Thailand

Mahouts Elephant Foundation wants to return elephants to their natural habitat and create a system where mahouts can make money by allowing their elephants to be elephants. They currently only have one program called “Walking with Elephants”. You can spend three nights here (during which you spend two nights in a traditional hill tribe village, and glamp or camp for one night in the forest, where you’ll see elephants) or you can spend five nights here (during which you do the same as the three-night trip, but spend an extra two days and nights in the village where you can volunteer).

Website: http://www.mahouts.co.uk/

Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary (BLES)

Sukhothai, Thailand

BLES is an eco-friendly and self-sustaining sanctuary. It’s 600 acres and home to 14 elephants who can go wherever they want to go. They don’t accept a lot of visitors for the guests’ and elephants’ peace. People normally spend 3-5 days, during which you can hike, watch the elephants bathe, collect food for the elephants, and repair the elephants’ pens. BLES does not take day visitors nor do they accept walk-ins. However, it is currently fully booked until June 2019.

Website: http://www.blesele.org/

Samui Elephant Sanctuary (SES)

Koh Samui, Thailand

SES is the first elephant sanctuary in Koh Samui. It is inspired and supported by SEF. It’s a retirement home for five elephants who have worked all their lives in logging and tourism. You have to book in advance for either a morning tour or afternoon tour. Here you can feed the elephants, walk with them, and observe them as they forage, socialize, and play.now 

Website: https://www.samuielephantsanctuary.org/

Samui Elephant Haven (SEH)

Koh Samui, Thailand

SEH, which is supported by SEF and SES, is the second ethical elephant sanctuary in Koh Samui. It only opened in August 2018 and is home to three beautiful elephants. Sri Nin, Nong Pech and Moloair. Sri Nin, has taken the 2 younger elephants under her care. Its a wonderful sight to behold as they have now bonded as their own family. We recommend booking in advance, (a must) and you can choose either a morning tour or afternoon tour, for a wonderful family outing.

Website: https://samuielephanthaven.org/

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary (PES)

Phuket, Thailand

PES is a beautiful sanctuary for sick, injured, and old elephants rescued from the logging and tourism industries. It was the first ethical elephant sanctuary set up in Phuket. PES is home to 8 wonderful elephants, whom visitors get the opportunity to feed and watch socialize and bathe. You can stay for half a day, a full day, or even volunteer for anywhere from a day to a week. It is recommended that you book in advance.

Website: https://www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org/

Burm and Emily’s Elephant Sanctuary (BEES)

Chiang Mai, Thailand

BEES is a sanctuary for old, injured, retired elephants, where interactions between humans and elephants are on the elephant’s terms. The sanctuary only allows a maximum of eight volunteers. There is a farm where they grow fruit such as bananas, papayas, and passion fruit. At BEES, there is a strong emphasis on integrating into the local community and providing economic opportunities to the locals. You must book in advance and visits can be three nights or six nights or even a month or longer!

Website: http://www.bees-elesanctuary.org/

Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (KSES)

Chiang Mai, Thailand

KSES is a non-profit sanctuary, surrounded by forests, that opened in May 2016. It is home to 4 elephants which range from 4 years old to 55 years old. You can stay here in homestay accommodation for any length of time from 1 night to 12 weeks. If you choose to go here, you will be able to go on early morning hikes to see the elephants. In the afternoon, you can help conduct health checkups on elephants, research elephants’ behavior, and to teach English to schools, mahouts, and homestays. KSES recommends booking at least one week in advance and that you should be physically fit to hike the mountains to reach the elephants.

Website: https://www.kselephantsanctuary.org/

Elephant Valley Project (EVP)

Mondulkiri, Cambodia

EVP is home to 10 elephants, who can roam free around 1,500 acres of forest. It opened in 2006, making it Cambodia’s first ethical sanctuary. They are the most charitable elephant sanctuary in Asia as they donate over half their funds to other causes such as education, food subsistence, and health care. Their main goal, however, is to give elephants back their independence, natural behavior, and dignity. You can visit or volunteer from as short as half to day to as long as you want! Whilst there, you’ll get the chance to learn about elephants, local people, forest, and conservation.

Website: http://www.elephantvalleyproject.org/

Elephant Valley Thailand (EVT)

Chiang Rai, Thailand

EVT is a sanctuary in Chiang Rai opened by Elephant Valley Project. Here at EVT, there are 40 acres for 6 elephants to explore. It allows visitors and volunteers to stay in homestay accommodation for a length of time from 2 hours to 2 weeks, during which, as a visitor, you can watch and feed the elephants or, as a volunteer, help plant, grow, and cut elephant food and help with construction projects. EVT emphasizes that they want future visitors to simply watch elephants being elephants. Their 10 year plan is to rehabilitate and reintroduce the elephants to the wild.

Website: http://www.elephantvalleys.com/

 

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