Growing up, I loved all kinds of animals, but I’ve always felt especially drawn to these gentle giants. They are intelligent and social, soft but protective, statuesque yet unostentatious. After I graduated from college (bear in mind this was almost a decade ago!), my friends and I went on a trip to Phuket for some R&R, and somehow found ourselves at one of the “cultural theme parks” there. The theme park has one of the largest shows in Asia with trapeze artists, pyrotechnics, and of course – performing animals.
The minute we sat down I could feel my heart sink. What had we gotten ourselves into? As soon as I saw the elephant trainers force them to stand on their two front legs it hit me and I just couldn’t stomach what was to come: I had to get the hell out. To this day, I still deeply regret patronizing that establishment and won’t share a stock photo because I can’t even stand to look at one.
But look – I am not here to lecture or preach.
Without sounding too cliché, the more you know the better equipped you are to make a sound decision, one that’s right for you and your family. There are so many wonderful places around the world where you can support and nurture the growth and survival of elephants, and I would encourage you to look into all the different elephant experience options. I will say this though, I have since visited the Yala, Udawalawe and Kaudulla National Parks in Sri Lanka and witnessing elephants in their natural habitat is pretty darn incredible.
I also finally visited Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, a rescue and rehabilitation centre, and absolutely loved the opportunity to spend some quality time with the rescued elephants.
So, what are elephant sanctuaries and what do they do?
In general, an elephant “sanctuary” (or “park”, “camp”, “orphanage”) is a home for elephants that have been rescued or retired from the riding, logging, street begging and/or circus industries (just to name a few). It provides medical attention, food, water and space for them to live out their lives; however, given the lack of availability of natural habitat, elephant ownership or ongoing medical issues these elephants live in captivity and may not be returned to their natural habitat. Some, like the Elephant Transit Home in Sri Lanka, return the elephants to the wild to re-integrate with herds in national parks.
Many facilities that call themselves a sanctuary, park, camp or orphanage are open to visitors who can interact with these elephants for a price – the fee goes towards food, bills, salaries and so on so that the facility can continue to operate. However, if you are researching elephant experience places to interact with or observe animals, there are a few factors that you should bear in mind. According to the World Animal Protection organization, “If you can climb, ride, hug, hold or touch an elephant, chances are the elephant has been subjected to cruelty and is living in poor conditions.”
From the WAP’s Research Report on the conditions for elephants used in tourism in Asia: “A true elephant-friendly venue is purely observational for visitors, where the safety of visitors and wellbeing of elephants is not affected by the need to constantly control the animals. The elephants would be managed in humane ways through the mahout who allows a maximum of freedom or through advanced ‘protected contact’ techniques.”
Love and want to contribute to the well-being and conservation of elephants? Here are a number of ethical elephant sanctuaries, orphanages and national parks around the world that you should visit ASAP where you can observe elephants in a protected setting as well as in the wild.
There are some great articles that I’ve linked to below from travel bloggers who have taken the time to share their experiences at some of these places, and the World Elephant Day website is another fantastic resource for information on foundations, trusts and projects dedicated to elephant conservation, protection, research and education! A big thank you to the Instagrammers and travel writers below who were kind enough to let me share their photos! I encourage you to take a look at the rest of their Instagram feeds for more beautiful pictures.
1. David Sheldrick Orphanage, Nairobi
The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust operates one of the most successful orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation programs in the world, and is one of the oldest wildlife charities and a leading conservation organization. Their elephant orphanage in Nairobi National Park is open the public and you can visit to observe the orphans enjoying a milk feed and mud bath.
2. Yala National Park, Sri Lanka
Yala National Park is the most visited and second largest national park in Sri Lanka. It is located in the south of Sri Lanka and is a popular destination for those hoping to spot a spotted leopard as it boasts one of the highest leopard densities in the world. It also happens to be home to many elephants and other wildlife who roam freely within the park’s confines. Read more about Yala National Park and what you need to know before you visit here.
3. Amboseli National Park, Kenya
Amboseli National Park is one of Kenya’s most popular parks and home to the “Big Five”. The name “Amboseli” comes from a Maasai word meaning “salty dust”, and it is one of the best places in Africa to view large herds of elephants. Read more about visiting Amboseli here.
4. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is one of the older and more established elephant parks in Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand. Founded in July 2014, it is a joint initiative between members of the Karen hill-tribes and Chiang Mai residents who were concerned about the welfare of elephants in Thailand. Read more about visiting the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary here.
5. Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Tarangire National Park in Tanzania is the 6th largest park in Tanzania and is best known for baobab trees and massive herds of elephants. Though you can go on a wildlife safari in Tarangire all year round, June to September is best if you are hoping to view a large number of animals.
6. Elephant Nature Park, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Elephant Nature Park is an ethical elephant sanctury in Chiang Mai and is home to approximately 40 rescued elephants. It is located an hour or so outside of Chiang Mai and is just one of several projects operated by the Save Elephant Foundation; the park was established in the 1990s with the aim of serving as a sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants. The elephants at Elephant Nature Park have been rescued from riding and trekking camps, circus shows, forced breeding programs, the logging industry or from street begging. Read more about visiting Elephant Nature Park here.
Visiting Chiang Mai? Click here for 10 things to do in Chiang Mai that don’t involve riding elephants or petting tigers!
7. Nairobi National Park, Nairobi
Nairobi National Park may be a small national park, but is home to the endangered black rhino, lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, hyenas, buffaloes, giraffes and over 400 species of birds. Due to its proximity to the city it is one of the only national parks where you can see buildings and skyscrapers in the backdrop.
8. Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is home to dozens of elephant camps, sanctuaries and orphanages. But the dirty little secret is that few of these establishments put the welfare of elephants first; instead, too many of these places offer elephant shows and riding. The Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary is located in a remote village, about a five hour drive from Chiang Mai, and was co-founded by a passionate zoology graduate from Ireland and a Thai mahout who grew up with elephants in the Karen hill tribe village where they operate. Read more about the sanctuary and homestay experience here.
9. Kruger National Park, South Africa
Kruger National Park is one of the largest game reserves in Africa spanning 19,633 square kilometres. It is home to the Big Five and is one of South Africa’s most popular safari destinations for wildlife lovers.
10. Udawalawe National Park, Sri Lanka
Udawalawe National Park is located in the south of Sri Lanka and is a popular destination for those hoping to spot wild elephants. It is quite possibly the best place in Sri Lanka to see wild elephants throughout the year as there are a few hundred elephants within the park, and you can sometimes witness a herd of females moving or bathing together in the wild.
Sri Lanka’s biodiversity is one of the highest in the world. Click here for everything you need to know to plan your trip to Sri Lanka!
11. Nagarhole National Park, India
Nagarahole Tiger Reserve in Karnataka State in southern India was named after the river “Nagarahole” which literally means “Serpent River” in Kannada. The reserve, though best known for its population of wild Asian tigers, is also a habitat for elephants, leopards, deer and many other animal species.
Did you know that you can visit Nagarhole National Park from Mysore? Click here for my guide to visiting Mysore to practice Yoga!
12. Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe, Sri Lanka
View this post on Instagram
The Elephant Transit Home in Udawalawe is an orphanage for elephant calves. Unlike many other so-called “orphanages”, however, human interaction is kept to a minimum to maximize the chances of the elephants’ survival once they are returned to the wild and re-integrated with wild herds.
13. Minneriya & Kaudulla National Parks, Sri Lanka
These two parks host what is known as “The Gathering”. Once a year, the Asian elephants of Minneriya and Kaudulla National Parks congregate during the dry season near manmade tanks to drink, play and bathe. The two parks, though separate, are next to each other and divided by the “elephant corridor” jungle that stands between them. It is one of the best places to see dozens, sometimes hundreds, of wild elephants in Sri Lanka.
You might also like: The Best Places to See Wild Elephants in Sri Lanka
14. Samui Elephant Sanctuary, Koh Samui, Thailand
The Samui Elephant Sanctuary is the first elephant park in Koh Samui, offering no-riding elephant interaction experiences for visitors from all around the world. If you are visiting Koh Samui, check out Samui Elephant Sanctuary instead of one of the elephant riding camps on the island! Read more about Samui Elephant Sanctuary here.
15. MandaLao Elephant Conservation, Laos
View this post on Instagram
MandaLao is an ethical elephant sanctuary in Luang Prabang that opened its doors in November 2016, and is currently home to approximately one dozen rescued elephants. The 500-acre property is located about 30 minutes away from Luang Prabang’s Old Town, and is an ideal home for its elephants to roam free – unchained. No bull hooks, no riding, no chaining. Read more about visiting MandaLao here.
Have you visited an elephant sanctuary, orphanage or wildlife park that you loved? Please share your experience with me in the comments section!
Pin this for later!
WOW this is amazing and such a great idea! I definetly bookmarked your blog and will be coming back often in the future to check out all your new and awesome ideas! I really can’t express how much I love this enough!
So glad you enjoyed the post, Sophia! Happy World Elephant Day!
I am obsessed with elephants and I love this post!! I’m hoping to go to the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai in the next year or so. I would actually just love to volunteer in an elephant sanctuary for an extended period of time… that would be the life (:
OMG me too! Maybe we should plan to meet in Chiang Mai!
Beautiful pictures. I rode an elephant years ago when I first went to Thailand and before I knew any better, but it breaks my heart to see people doing it now. Posts like this are so important to show people how much more majestic elephants look in the wild without the chains and bull-hooks. Great write-up!
Thanks so much lovely! I had a lot of fun putting this piece together. I have also ridden on elephants before and I just didn’t have any clue about the process behind “taming” the elephant. I’ve also seen the swaying action that a lot of elephants exhibit when they’re chained up from birth, and it just breaks my heart.
Amazing post! Love of the idea of using Instagrammers posts on a particular subject as the photo content; the photo of the elephant in the wing mirror of the car is especially ingenious. We’re actually in Chiang Mai at the moment and we are hoping to get a chance to see some elephants so will definitely check out the link. Thanks! Love C and D x
Thanks guys! Honestly Instagram is where I turn to for my travel inspiration so it only made sense! I would definitely recommend that you check out the rest of these IGers’ feeds! 🙂 Have fun in Chiang Mai, I would love to hear how your visit goes!
I visited an elephant orphanage in Kenya. They were SOO cute, and it was so sad that most of their Moms had been killed by ivory hunters. 🙁 Luckily they get rescued and rehabilitated so they can go back into the wild. R
Have you seen that people have been staining an elephant’s tusks to render it useless to ivory hunters? I hope it continues and works!
Great post! Drawing attention to issues like this in tourism is important. I have bookmarked some of the blog posts you linked to so I can read more!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the post, Courtney! I think it’s so important to arm ourselves with all the information we can before making a decision about where to spend our money.
This is so lovely, Flo! I feel insanely strongly about animal cruelty and tourism, especially because it still seems like people just aren’t aware (or worse, they know and still don’t care!). Elephant riding seems like a no brainer now, but I still log on to occasionally see random Facebook acquaintances talking about it! It’s never, ever okay! Thanks for sharing all these photos 😀
Thanks so much for taking the time to read through, Samantha! I think most of the time it comes down to a lack of awareness. In the past, I too have ridden elephants because I just didn’t have any idea about the cruelty behind the practice. Hopefully we can do a small part in increasing awareness on the issue!
I’m excited to find another blogger who values ecotourism! I used to love going to zoos and places like that until I realized the traumatic lives these animals live. I’m definitely doing more research and gaining awareness in the activities I participate in when I travel.
Thank you for taking the time to read through, Brooke! I think it’s all about research and awareness – hopefully we can encourage people to make an informed decision!
Great collection of photos! Elephants are so majestic. I once visited a touristy elephant park an Phuket years ago, and it makes me sad now to think about it 🙁
That’s exactly how I feel too! I wish I had read up on the issue before I spent my money there.
Thanks heaps for this Jo! We’re currently in Sri Lanka and have been debating visiting Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. I read mixed reviews on the treatment of animals here, so will continue my research before making a decision. Your pictures are amazing though – thanks for sharing your love of these beautiful creatures!!! X
Kim, that’s exactly why I haven’t been to Pinnawala! Super mixed reviews. You should look into Minneriya, Yala or Udawalawe National Parks if you want to see elephants in their natural habitat!
This is awesome, I’m actually hoping to go volunteer at the Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai later this year.
Oh fantastic! Let me know how that goes – everyone I know who has been there has nothing but great things to say.
Flo this is amazing! I’ve always wanted to visit Elephants and it’s so important to go somewhere fair that treats their animals well. Gorgeous collection of the beautiful giants! Thanks so much for joining us on FlyAwayFriday again this week! xo
Thanks for taking the time to read through, Kana! Elephants are such an important species for so many reasons, I just hope we can collectively do something to raise awareness about their treatment!
What magnificent photos of the elephants! Great collection. These are such special creatures it is a shame only now people are waking up to the harm that is done through some tourist operations though. They are such beautiful animals.
Thanks for taking the time to read through, Juliette! I feel like elephants have such emotive eyes. I just hope that collectively we can do something to raise awareness about their treatment!
I’m going to the elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai next April for my 21st and I can’t wait! Thank you for sharing this post, I think it’s super important that people realise how damaging tourism can be to elephants, and that there are places you can see them without harming them!!
What a wonderful way to spend your 21st! Please let me know how it goes, maybe I’ll even see you there next April! 😉
I love this post!! I love how you worded it and shared such a great message! So glad to see you again this week for the link up and can’t wait for next weeks! Xo Chloe
So glad you enjoyed the post, Chloe! Thanks for taking the time to read, and for your contribution 🙂
Thanks for sharing this! I’m starting to become more mindful and I wish there were more people like you in the world who talk to people and educate them instead of giving a holier than thou attitude. (Believe it or not, someone did that to me!) We all make mistakes when it comes to animals, (myself included) but it’s good to learn and get the message out there.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this, Gina! I think the key is to raise awareness: my parents used to take me to zoos all the time, and I’ve been to places that provide less-than-acceptable care to animals – we all make mistakes 🙂
What an amazing post Flo! I had a similar experience in Thailand, that’s when I realised these beautiful animals deserve to be treated with so much more love and respect than what they are getting at these shows. It’s wonderful that you are able to educate others and raise awareness 🙂
Thank you so much for reading this, Priti! I think the key is awareness – if people have all the facts at hand then they can make an educated decision 🙂
This is such a helpful list! I would love to visit one of these places and see these elephants in person! 🙂
I hope you make it to one of these places, Julia! 🙂
I remember going to the circus as a kid and crying because I felt so bad for the animals.
I think if you’re going to travel, be responsible. Don’t add to an animals torture.
Elephant sanctuaries are incredible 🙂
I think it’s all about education and awareness, Brooklyn! Many people are just unaware about the behind-the-scenes “training” and abuse 🙂
What a great post. I love elephants and am grateful for posts like this so that I can make better decisions as to which organizations I support with my patronage. I also used to have a shirt that said elephants make me happy. 🙂
I need to get me one of those shirts!
I’ve been looking for something like this!
I’m heading to Asia and wanting to volunteer with Elephant Sanctuaries but I’ve read of so many scams!
Will definitely save this post and get back to it when I’m in Thailand! They are such underestimated gentle creatures it so great to raise awareness of such places rather than paying for other atrocious acts :@
I really enjoyed my time at Elephant Nature Park so that’s one to look into!
Yay! I just LOVE this! I accidentally ended up in a place with unethical animal treatment as well, but got out as soon as I could. Instead of beating myself up about it, I always do a TON of research now before I go anywhere involving animals. Thank you for this amazing list. I hope I can visit them all some day!
It’s all about awareness and having all the facts! I have yet to go to a “turtle sanctuary” because I’ve read SO many mixed reviews!
Loved this post 🙂 I’m 100% with you: drawing attention to issues like this in tourism is so important ! I rode an elephant years ago when I first went to Nepal…¨but elephant riding seems like a no brainer now. We all make mistakes when it comes to animals, (myself included) but it’s good to learn and get the message out there. Gorgeous pictures collection of these beautiful giants ! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this! 🙂
I am like you an elephant lover. We have also been to Elephant nature park in Chiang Mai. It is incredible important what they do there. We have been to the orphanage in Nairobi. A little bit touristic, but they do good work. We have seen many elephants in Kruger NP and Addo elephant park in South Africa. Also Kenia and Tanzania has good NPs. We are going to Sri Lanka in August and there are still a lot of elephants used for working and tourist industry. I will not go to the Pinnawela orphanage we go to the Elephant transit home. And offcourse the best thing is to see them into the wild!
What is your experience how Sri Lanka people treat the elephants?
I have never been to Pinnawala as I’ve heard that there is mistreatment of the animals there, but I have heard that the government is hosting a training program to help the mahouts learn how to better care for the elephants. The elephants in the national parks look as they should – wild.
Elephants are still used in religious processions and festivals in Sri Lanka, and some temples will have “resident” elephants chained on temple grounds. Unfortunately this is still common and a truly sad sight.
I believe this is accurate. Two of the sanctuaries I have been to (Sheldrick Elephant orphanage and Mandalao) were on this list. I will definitely look into the others. Well done!!
We loved our time at Mandalao – what a privilege it is to walk alongside these gentle giants! Thanks for taking the time to read this.