13 ethical elephant sanctuaries in Thailand Otherwise, one can enjoy by observing them being in their natural surroundings, bathing, playing, foraging and roaming. If you want to visit ethical elephant sanctuaries in Phuket then thats great. They take all necessary measures to educate people around the globe about the beasts and are vehemently opposed to any unnatural methods that can jeopardize the welfare of elephants. Ethical Elephant Sanctuaries in Phuket: An Elephant Never Forgets! Im Teresa, and Im on a mission to explore the world through responsible cultural and adventure travel, and through deeper, more meaningful local experiences. Leks work and passion continues to inspire all those committed to helping animal welfare and conservation, both in Thailand and beyond. The cost of one of these Happy Meal rice balls is 30USD per day for all the elephants, which is not much, but it can quickly add up. Join small groups to feed and bathe with elephants in serene surroundings where elephants roam free Enjoy intimacy with friendly rescued elephants 1 2 3 4 5 Spend 1:30 hours at our ethical elephant camp. Tours are conducted in the morning at 9.30am and in the afternoon at 1.30pm. A Guide to The Most Ethical Elephant Sanctuary in Phuket, Thailand This is like living in the Jungle Book, for real! This is a cheaper choice than some of the other parks but elephant welfare is still at the forefront. Phang Nga Elephant Park in the small, rural village of Phang Nga. Phuket | Elephant Jungle Sanctuary Another thing to look out for is whether the mahouts (the elephant keepers) use bullhooks, punish the elephants in any way, or whether they force the elephants to do something they do not want to do. Hi ,would anyone know if it is possible to visit Phuket Elephant Sanctuary from La Flora Khao Lak as a day trip , or does anyone know if La Flora run this trip themselves , failing that is there a pick up point in khao lak for the Sanctuary. It is a mini traditional Thai village where over 30 individuals live with their families and friends. It is an ethical elephant sanctuary in Phuket that work diligently to create an environment that is as natural-friendly as possible for visitors and the animals. I would urge you to avoid pseudo-sanctuaries, as well as other visitor attractions that use elephants (or any other animals) for human entertainment, and choose to visit an ethical sanctuary like PES that has the interests of the elephants at its heart. Visitors get a plethora of opportunities to spend time with the lovely residents and interact with them physically. It is the pioneer of ethical sanctuaries that introduced the concept of ethical elephant tourism in this region. where you learn about the cruel process of domesticating an elephant, known as crushing. Elephants are thought to be among the most intelligent creatures, yet tragically, unfriendly humans frequently mistreat them. Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, Paklok, near Phuket Town Source This place which borders the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park was the first to introduce the concept of ethical elephant tourism. Phuket has a number of elephant sanctuaries that, sadly, are not true sanctuaries, but rather they use elephants as a tourist attraction, and I worried that PES may be one of them. Tubtim, another one of his elephants also started suffering from a hind leg injury. About Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the first ethical elephant sanctuary in Phuket. The ticket doesnt include elephant rides, shows, bathing, trunk hugging, elephant kisses, sitting on or lying on the elephants, as this is not available at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. Price: 2500 Baht for adults, 1,900 Baht for Children below 10 years olds. Only individuals over the age of seven are permitted to use the riding-on-the-neck service. The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, near Naithon Beach. Alternatively, arrange a taxi through your hotel. As a result, our tour was definitely shorter than what it would have otherwise been. They provide a natural environment for elephants, have a no-riding policy, and prioritize the well-being of the elephants. 3-4 hours. 2. The program ends with a buffet lunch that prepares for both veg and non-veg guests. Amazing, Ethical and animal friendly Sanctuary. You can choose from two different programs, the Elephant Care Experience and the Family Elephant Experience, both of which come with an English-speaking guide. I realise that a lot of people have riding or bathing with elephants on their bucket list, but this is very harmful to the elephants, and sometimes people do this due to lack of awareness of the impact this has on the animals wellbeing. Sai Tongs journey to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary started with a message from a visitor who spotted the poor elephant in February 2018, tied to a tree in the blistering heat. "Captive elephants should be allowed to live as naturally as possible, so if they are forced to display unnatural behaviours - such as dancing, painting or playing football - this is being done for. Back to what we were saying about elephants having personalities- each one is individual, and youll be sad when you have to say goodbye! The nice thing about Phang Nga park is that you get paired up with an elephant for your whole visit and you really get to know them. These guys have earnt their rest! The sanctuary that we visited, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, is one of the first elephant sanctuaries in the island of Phuket, and the first to truly champion ethical tourism. However, when his former employer decided to change his business model and started killing snakes for soup for Korean tourists, Montri, who did not agree with this practice decided to move back to Phuket which had started to recover in 2006. SROY FAH Rescued 8 FEBRUARY 2018 This place also allows visitors to feed and touch the residents. Learn about them, get in touch with them, feed them and bath them in their natural habitat. Dont carry any bananas on you as they might get stolen. You will receive sugarcane and bananas to feed the elephants. Asia has a long history of keeping elephants in captivity, to beused in wars, in the logging industry and now in tourism, and we ask what their role might look like in future. Jao Thong is a 68-year-old tuskless bull, and our second male elephant rescue since Ampans arrival in May 2022. Bangla Road, Read More As the first ethical elephant tourism experience in Phuket, we rescue sick, injured and old elephants, welcoming them back into their indigenous habit. Another famous and TripAdvisor's 5-Star Rating sanctuary, Green Elephant Sanctuary Park has its solid vision of animal welfare. Elephant Sanctuary Phuket : Tree Tops Elephant Reserve Phuket We booked and paid for a hotel transfer with our sanctuary tickets but they picked us up 2 hours late. Not cheap, but so worth it. 100, Moo 2, Paklok, Thalang, Phuket Thailand, Phuket Elephant Sanctuary - All rights reserved. If you just fancy a brief visit then thats fine too; a half-day experience costs 3,000 baht, or $96. Her grandfather was a traditional healer who helped local people in his community and the injured or sick animals brought to him by the villagers for healing. Our interactive map reveals where to encounter elephants in the wild. However, I had a looming question while we walked around the sanctuary. Are you going to ride an elephant? At present, there are roughly 3,500 farmed elephants and 3,340 wild elephants in Thailand. The ticket includes a delicious Thai lunch, and you will be provided with mosquito spray, wellies and socks if its muddy and wet, umbrellas for the rain or the sun, and rain coats. It's long been a highlight of many holidays in Asia, but riding elephants could lead to the extinction of wild populations, and often involves cruelty to the animals in order to sustain it. Free cancellation. There are, however, a handful of elephants at PES that are comfortable around humans, so it is possible to get close to them at a feeding station, where you can hand out pieces of fruit to those elephants who would like some. I was touched by the gentle connection each mahout (elephant carer) has with his elephant. The Phuket Elephant sanctuary is leading the way when it comes to the ethical treatment of retired/rescued elephants. the logging industry carrying logs as heave as her own body. more. I was very impressed by the whole concept. Their keepers watching them from distance, never got any physical when giving instructions. While visiting, you may participate in a Thai cooking class and have a delectable Thai lunch. You can also book a hotel transfer for convenience which, depending on where you are staying in Phuket, itll cost an additional 800-2,000 THB. After a short presentation about their vision and mission, you will have a chance to take care of these adorable creatures by feeding, mudding, and showering them. 17.00 - Return to our office in Paklok. Unlike traditional elephant camps that emphasize animal shows, Elephant Sanctuaries are the place that properly takes care of these amazing creatures. Animal care and proper treatment of animals are the main concerns of all sanctuaries. 3.5 hours of activities are dedicated to treating elephants in the Half Day Elephant Care program. A half-day visit includes a buffet lunch, and there are showers for you to rinse off after your swim. Our new, 600-metre-long and 6-meter-tall canopy walkway is the only one of its kind in Phuket and takes ethical elephant tourism to new heights literally! Another sister project by Save the Elephant Foundation, the sanctuary is leading the way when it comes to the ethical treatment and rehabilitation of retired . As always, all views are my own. Teresa is an award-winning travel blogger based in London. One of the things that I was really happy to see is that there is no bathing or any sort of interaction between visitor and elephant, allowing the animals to be themselves and behave as naturally as they would in the wild. Bordering the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary offers a true final home for overtired elephants who have suffered from working long hours in the logging and tourism industry. Price: 4900 Baht for adults, 2900 Baht for children below 14 years old. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher, During this inspiring, interactive and informative experience, you will spend many up-close moments with our rescued elephants. NO. With 12 elephants in its care, PES focuses on rescuing older elephants that can no longer work in the logging industry and whose owners no longer have a function for them. A week-long stay allows you to integrate into the life of the sanctuary, helping to prepare food, clean enclosures and care for the elephants.