Where To Find An Ethical Elephant Experience in Thailand

Phuket is mostly popular for its pristine beaches as well as its beach and pool clubs, making it one of the most ideal vacation destinations in Thailand, especially during the summer.

But did you know Phuket has even more to offer?

It is also home to many majestic elephants under the care of wildlife reserves. One such reserve is the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary!

At Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, you can spend half a day getting up close and personal to Phuket’s majestic elephants.

Elephants are one of the most important animals in Thai culture. They are involved in many Buddhist ceremonies, plus they also are integral to agricultural practices. The Karen tribe lives in perfect harmony with these adorable colossal creatures, so they’ve been referred to as the “Caretakers of Elephants.” They believe that, as human beings, we should find it important to develop peace, love, and understanding with animals, and they wish to showcase this to anyone visiting the island.

In this elephant sanctuary in Phuket, the Karen people will do just that! Members of the tribe will brief visitors about the mission-vision of the sanctuary as well as its history before providing them with traditional Karen garbs to wear. Throughout the duration of the experience, they will help the tribe prepare the natural supplements that they provide to the animals, all while being introduced to the elephants. It’s during this part where the tribespeople will talk about the pasts of these animals as well as teach you their behavioral patterns and characteristics so as to help you how to go about ethical interactions with them.

Guests may also take a dip into mud spas together with the elephants and cleanse the mud off their bodies after!

After helping out the tribe with their preparations and hanging out with the elephants, guests will be treated to an authentic Thai meal (with vegetable options) before the experience ends.

Considering that visitors will enter a jungle, it’s best to pack some insect repellent as well as a hat. Since there’s a bathing activity in mud, bringing a bathing suit, a towel, and extra clothes is also highly recommended.

If you’re looking forward to meeting Phuket’s famous elephants and want to interact with them through ethical means unlike riding, then you’re in for a treat because through Klook, you can book a half-day activity that will allow tourists to enter the reserve and interact with the elephants under the accompaniment and guidance of the tribespeople.

You may even select between morning and afternoon visits, just feeding them, or the mud spa bath and wash! The selections are comprehensive enough to suit your schedule preference! You can also choose to check out Klook's other elephant experiences, one that even includes a nice cool swim with the gentle giants at Lucky Beach!

Whichever adventure you pick, you’ll be sure to end the activity with a better understanding of elephants and how to ethically interact with them, may they be the ones in Phuket or when you encounter them in other parts of the globe.

Travellers who book this activity will have to adhere to the health and safety protocols of its operator.