After my first visit to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand, I kept thinking I wanted to visit another one as soon as I could. The experience was just so unbelievable. Being able to touch and walk and feed these giant animals was amazing to say the least.
So, it got me thinking that I needed to find all the best no ride elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. I decided to write this post with short summaries and links to each of their sites so you can find the best sanctuary that is the closest and most convenient to you when you visit Thailand.
But, not all elephant sanctuaries are alike, so I will give you some information on what to expect.
What are Elephant Sanctuaries?
Most elephant sanctuaries in Thailand are places that will have rented, bought or adopted elephants. Usually these elephants were in the logging industry, tourist camp shows, street shows or just plain were mistreated or injured.
Because the logging industry in Thailand was banned in 1989, many mahouts “an elephants trainer/owner” and their elephants had no means to an income. This led to more and more migration to the cities to perform on the streets or in tourist camps.
These elephant performances for tourists consist of rides, painting, football, dancing and just plain street begging. None of which is natural for elephants. Elephants are not bred to be domesticated like dogs and house cats. Therefore, they are and always will be wild animals.
That being said, the sanctuaries are in between letting them go into the wild where some would not survive, and giving them a more open and natural place to live where they can also be cared for.
Can You Ride these Elephants?
Although most ethical sanctuaries don’t allow riding, there are still some that do. I have chosen sanctuaries that don’t allow riding elephants because it is just one more thing that is not natural for them to do.
If you do chose a sanctuary that lets you ride, only ride bareback on the front shoulders and for short periods of time. Elephants spines are not meant to bear the weight of a person let alone a big basket.
Can You Swim with the Elephants.
This all depends on the sanctuary. Some allow it and some don’t. Although it is popular throughout South East Asia to swim with elephants, there are three main reasons not to.
- In more remote areas, it is culturally insensitive to the locals to strip down to shorts or bikinis and swim. They are much more conservative and rarely show body shape or much skin.
- Elephants would never choose for people to join them because they prefer to move freely, lie down and swim around. With people in with them, they have to be still and can’t enjoy themselves. And besides, Asian elephants weigh an average of 3-4 tons. A wrong move could be serious.
- There is a real risk of bacterial infections due to the fecal matter and urine in the water or mud used by elephants.
If you do choose to swim with elephants, make sure the water is moving “like a stream” and keep a safe distance by splashing the elephants, not literally being up on them. Give the elephants space to have fun with less stress.
Besides, you will be up close during your visit when you are feeding and walking with them anyway.
13 Destinations Throughout Thailand to Visit No Ride Elephant Sanctuaries.
Northern Thailand.
Chiang Mai.
This foundation has a Walking With Elephants pilot project located in a rural Karen hill tribe village in North western Thailand. The elephants spend every day roaming free in the forest as their mahouts earn a sustainable income bringing tourists in to see them.
The WWE packages offered are Wild Camping or Glamping for 4 days and 3 nights or Volunteering for 6 days and 5 nights. This is a wonderful way to immerse yourself in the culture of the Karen tribe as you will be staying with a host family.
Activities include: Tracking elephants, learning all about elephants, learning fabric and bamboo basket weaving and much more.
Life packages are also 4 days and 3 nights. But, you will learn more about the cloud forests and visit rice fields or visit coffee fields depending on the season, visit the temple and much more.
My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting Happy Home on our last trip to Thailand. The people are warm and welcoming here. They talk about the elephants and what they do at the sanctuary.
You can book half day morning/afternoon or full day. You will arrive and meet one of the elephants. Then change into traditional Karen clothing and cut sugar cane to feed the elephants.
Next you will meet more elephants and feed them as you and the elephants walk down to the river where you can play in the water with them. After that, you walk back, change clothes and eat a prepared Thai Buffet.
Although this sanctuaries home is Chiang Mai, they offer visits to different villages to the North of Chiang Mai city and South of Chiang Mai city. They also have projects in Kanchanaburi (North West of Bangkok), Surin (North Eastern Thailand) and Cambodia.
Elephant Nature Parks packages are too numerous to list here. But, they offer short visits, single day visits and overnight (2 days + 1 Night) stays. Volunteering and Volunteer Vet (7 days).
This is also a no riding sanctuary that offers a one day elephant visit and a two day elephant land and jungle trek package. Each package offers the same first day with preparing medicine and feeding the elephants. Walking 45 minutes with the elephants through their habitat. After lunch go to a mud bath and then to a waterfall to bathe.
Dinner is also provided for the two day stay. The accommodations are at their hostel.
The second day you will eat breakfast, feed the elephants, cut some grass then head to the jungle to learn about herbal plants. Trekking is about one and a half hours and then lunch is provided.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary offers five packages such as a Morning Visit, Afternoon Visit, Full Day Visit, One Day Walk With Elephants or Overnight Visit.
The One Day Walk is an excellent way to interact with elephants in a more relaxed way. You will feed, interact and play with them in their environment as you learn about their history.
Along with the mud spa and river, you will have 1.5 hours to walk in the jungle with the elephants. The last faze is to trek and see 1 or 2 more sanctuaries and learn about the local area.
Maechaem, South West of Chiang Mai.
If you are looking for a sanctuary that allows the elephants to be elephants, then this is the one for you. This sanctuary has a hand’s off-no contact policy and has 10 elephants roaming through 750 acres of forested land.
Besides observing the elephants, your visit will also include assisting the sanctuary with preparing elephant food, cleaning elephant areas and helping with other rescued animals.
Depending on how long you stay, depends on how much you want to learn and contribute to the sanctuary. The main program is Monday to Sunday with overnight stays available also. Day visits are only allowed if you make your own way to and from the sanctuary.
Lampang, South of Chiang Mai.
Although this is not a sanctuary, I think it has a place here because of the work they do for elephants. They help owners with advice about their elephants. Created a Mobile Vets Project to help diagnose and treat elephants throughout Thailand and much, much more.
You can visit the world’s first elephant hospital 7 days a week from 8:30 to 5:00 pm at no charge (donations are gratefully accepted). Bring your own food, drinks and cameras, but don’t bring food for the elephants.
I have included their Facebook page because their website has no address or map.
Facebook page
Chiang Rai.
The first ever elephant sanctuary in Chiang Rai, covering 40 acres with their own home stay oasis. Elephant Valley offers Half Day, Full Day, Overnight, Volunteer Full Day programs and you can even make arrangements to stay as long as you want.
If you ever dreamed that you could fall asleep and wake up to the sounds of elephants purrs and trumpeting, this is the place to stay. They have remodeled an old farmhouse and wrapped an elephant proof fence around it.
Now you can be surrounded, 360 degrees, by elephants, while eating your meals or drinking a beer while playing pool. Want to watch elephants while you sit in bed? No problem here.
North Eastern Thailand.
Baan Tha Klang, Surin.
The Surin Project is located in the small village of Baan Tha Klang. This sanctuary has a one to eight week volunteer program. The projects main focus is to get some of the elephants in the study center out into more natural settings where volunteers can walk with them and observe them.
The Surin project does not own the elephants, the elephants are owned by their mahouts, which can leave at any time. Although there can be 150-200 elephants living in the Study Center, the Surin Project can only support 12 at a time.
Basic accommodations and excellent meals are provided during your stay.
Central Thailand.
Sukhothai, North of Bangkok.
Another volunteer based sanctuary that has a typical guest stay of five days. Shorter stays are also available. Every day can be a different experience here as guests share in all aspects of the elephants world.
This sanctuary uses a hands off approach to allow the elephants to be elephants and to make their own choices.
Kanchanaburi, North West of Bangkok.
Elephants World is situated just outside the village of Kanchanaburi and cares for over 30 elephants and staff.
Their programs consist of a Day Program, an Overnight (2 days 1 night) Program, and a Mahout Program ( 1-4 weeks).
The mahout program is very rewarding at Elephants World. You will learn all about Asian elephants while taking care of one elephant during your stay.
As you are working with the mahout, you will feed and gather food, clean the elephants area, learn the elephant commands and learn the culture of the mahouts life.
Pattaya.
This Pattaya sanctuary offers three programs to choose from. Morning Visit, Afternoon Visit and Feed Me Program. All will immerse you in the elephants life and allow you to be close to these elephants.
The Feed Me Program is for those that are on a budget and have a little less time but still want to get up and personal with elephants. While learning fun facts about their care and feeding them, you will learn how to make paper products from their poop fibers.
Phetchaburi, Cha-Am and Hua Hin area.
At WFFT, the full and half day tours are designed so visitors can learn about the rescued animals at the Wildlife Rescue Center and Elephant Refuge.
This is a great option for you to learn everything there is to know about wildlife conservation and animal welfare in Thailand.
There are hundreds of animals to see at this sanctuary including the elephants, so expect a very rewarding experience from this visit.
Southern Thailand
Phuket.
This sanctuary has stunning views of beaches and jungles, which will also add to your experiences with elephants. Their packages are Morning Visit, Afternoon Visit, On Day Walk With Elephants, Overnight Visit and Feed Me Program.
The Overnight Visit is a way to get away from the hustle and bustle of Phuket. You will walk with elephants in the jungle and observe elephant interactions while they roam free.
There is a mud and swim portion along with an authentic Thai Buffet. After eating dinner, you can retire in a one of a kind living space. Glamping.
Here, the elephants roam, socialize with each other and bathe freely in expansive fresh water lagoons. There is no swimming with the elephants at this ethical sanctuary.
This sanctuary offers Morning, Afternoon, Whole Day, Private and Volunteer Programs.
The Private Program offers a dedicated tour guide that will take you through the regular morning or afternoon program. The guide will give you in-depth knowledge of the work done and the elephants at the sanctuary.
After spending some time with the elephants, a vegetarian Thai Buffet is served.
Phuket Elephant Park offers a half day program that starts at 9:30 am and ends at 1:00 pm. The tour starts with a video presentation about captive elephants in the logging and tourism industry and how they rescue them.
After the video, you will get up close, feed and walk with them as they roam, forage and bathe. A vegetarian lunch will be served along with tea, coffee and snacks.
At Phang Nga Park, they offer an Elephant Care Experience and a Family Elephant Experience for half a day, morning or afternoon.
The tour starts with the Kwan-Chang’s (elephant handler) daily routine of an elephant health check. Next, you will walk in the jungle with an elephant and prepare the food for feeding.
There is a rock pool that you can swim in with your elephant and then you will eat a freshly cooked traditional Thai lunch.
Koh Samui.
As Koh Samui’s first ethical elephant sanctuary, they provide insights into the nature of the Asian elephants in their care. You will have the opportunity to feed, walk and observe them as they forage, socialize and play.
The morning and afternoon programs offer a welcome and a video about the sanctuary and why elephants need protection. Then you will prepare food and meet and feed the elephants.
After feeding them, take a leisurely walk and observe them foraging, bathing and playing in the mud pit. At the end you will enjoy a vegetarian Thai Buffet.
This sanctuary has two programs; one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Visitors will have the opportunity to spend quality time with elephants in their natural home.
You will meet you English speaking guide, change into traditional Karen clothing and proceed to feed and interact with the elephants. The elephants will then play in a mud spa and walk to the water where you can join them.
Guests at Samui Elephant Haven will have the experience of learning about elephants while feeding them and observing their behavior. There is no swimming, riding or performing allowed at this ethical sanctuary.
Wear clothes that you don’t mind getting dirty and that are respectful to the local culture (no bikinis or overly revealing clothing).
The programs are half day morning or afternoon and offer a vegetarian Thai Buffet at the end of each visit.
Khao Sok, Surat Thani.
Elephant hills is located in Khao Sok National Park and has Thailand’s first Luxury Tented Camps called “Glamping”. There are even overnight stays at a Floating Rain-forest Camp available.
There are several tours available at Elephant Hills to accommodate everyone’s needs. These include several Soft Adventure Tours and even Honeymoon Tours, as well as recommended tours for Families, Seniors, Solo Explorers and Couples and Honeymooners tours.
Keep in mind, this is an all inclusive sanctuary and your stay will be 2-4 days depending on what package you choose.
Krabi.
Another no ride sanctuary for visitors to the Krabi area in Southern Thailand. Spend half a day “morning or afternoon” learning, feeding, walking and playing in the mud and pool with the elephants.
Take pictures and videos and eat before your ride back to your accommodations.
Bonus: National parks that have wild elephants.
Khao Yai National Park is located around 1 hour 45 minutes North East of Bangkok. You can do a day trip, camp, stay in the parks accommodations or stay in the surrounding areas lodging.
Although it is not necessary to have a guide to visit the park, you might want to hire one if you are planning on doing some major hiking deep into the forests.
Kui Buri is located around an hour South of Hua Hin. This national park is the best for seeing wild elephants, with an almost 99% chance that visitors will see them on any given day of the year.
The parks headquarters has a campsite with a visitor center and basic facilities. Tents are available for rent. There are no restaurants in the park.
Happy Elephants in Thailand!