The Best Elephant Sanctuary in Phuket for Ethical Tourism

Written By: Carli

Carli

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Phuket has elephant “sanctuaries” throughout the island, but not all are created equal.  Find out which ranks as the best elephant sanctuary in Phuket. 

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• The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket: why pick an ethical sanctuary
• What makes an elephant sanctuary ethical?
• The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket: Phuket Elephant Sanctuary
• How to find sanctuaries outside of Phuket
• The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket FAQs

The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket: why pick an ethical sanctuary

There are different reasons why you will find elephants living in sanctuaries, but the main reason is that they are unable to live in the wild.  Sometimes this is because they’ve been living in logging or elephant camps and are no longer useful to their owners.  Other times they have been injured and would not be able to continue living in the wild. 

It is important to only support ethical elephant sanctuaries because these sanctuaries have a vested interest in the health and safety of the animals, rather than making a profit.  Going to an ethical sanctuary will ensure you find the best elephant sanctuary in Phuket Thailand. 

What makes an elephant sanctuary ethical?

There are many elephant refuges or sanctuaries throughout Phuket but not all of them qualify as ethical sanctuaries.  It is important to visit an ethical sanctuary because this means they put the health and welfare of the animals first. 

1. Absolutely no riding the elephants!  You’ll see different places throughout Phuket and Thailand that offer elephant rides, and these are highly problematic.  A true sanctuary or refuge will not have animals performing for tourists. 
2. No bathing with the elephants.  First, why would you want to get in that lake or river water in the first place?  Hard pass.  But also, if the elephants are trained to bathe and splash water on tourists, then they’re just there to perform, rather than enjoy their life as a wild animal.  This is also potentially dangerous for both humans and elephants. 
3. Elephants should be free roaming.  Many places label themselves as sanctuaries, but still chain up their elephants rather than let them move freely about the space.    

One area that is a bit of a grey area is feeding elephants.  The truth is, they need to eat, and they require a lot of food.  So long as they aren’t having to do tricks for their food, and they have some barriers between the tourists, I think it’s perfectly fine. 

The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket: Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

The best elephant Sanctuary in Phuket is the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary.  This sanctuary has been rescuing and housing elephants since 2016.  They currently have 13 rescued Phuket elephants living at the sanctuary.  Here, the elephants roam freely throughout much of the 30 acres of the jungle sanctuary.  

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary was the first ethical sanctuary in Phuket.  They continue to be the leader in the region for rescue, treatment and care of sick and older elephants, which makes them the best elephant Sanctuary in Phuket.  

As they have grown over the decade they are able to continue to rescue more animals, and provide the best elephant care in the area.  Each elephant has their own personal caregiver (Mahout) to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the elephants, especially while visitors are present. 

What to expect when visiting the best elephant sanctuary in Phuket 

First, you will check in at the office for your tour.  If you do not choose a package with transportation, and drive yourself, make sure to arrive around 30 minutes prior to the tour time.  

After check in, visitors are driven in the back of open air trucks to the sanctuary.  Next you will go to the dining room where snacks are available while you watch a video on the history of the sanctuary and the reason for why they exist. 

The videos about the treatment of elephants in the camps are hard to watch, and it’s truly heartbreaking hearing the stories of what some of these beautiful creatures have endured.  However, they help reinforce the mission of the sanctuary and why these places are so important to support. 

After the videos you will be broken into your designated group.  Your guide will walk you through the sanctuary to view the different elephants. There is also a large canopy walkway to view the Phuket elephant park from above.  This is a great way to see the elephants in their natural habitat.  The park can be very hot, especially when outside of the covered areas.  Hats and sun umbrellas are recommended, especially for the longer tours. 

While on the tour, if the elephants start to walk toward your group, you will be guided out of the path of the elephant as they will always have the right of way at the park.

What tours are available at the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary?

There are three different elephant sanctuary tour options available, from 1.5 hours to all day.  Each tour provides the opportunity to feed the elephants, however this is optional and you can choose to abstain. 

There will be opportunities while on the tour to get your photo near the elephants as they graze nearby. 

Morning/afternoon with elephants tour

This tour is either an all morning or all afternoon tour.  Both tours are 3.5 hours long with a Thai vegetarian buffet included in the price. The morning tour starts at 930 am, whereas the afternoon tour starts at 130pm. 

The cost is $95 per person without transportation.

Sanctuary Canopy Walkway Tour

This tour is the shortest of the three options. The canopy walkway tour is listed as only 90 minutes, and has 4 available times: 930, 10, 2 and 230. 

This is the tour I took, which was excellent, however was much longer than advertised. I signed up for the 10 am canopy tour, but was there for nearly 3 hours.  I arrived at the park just after 10 am, but did not get on a truck back to the office until 1230 pm.  While I enjoyed my time at the park, it was an extra hour beyond what I had planned in my day.  If you book this tour, make sure you plan for it to last longer than the 90 minutes as advertised. 

For the cost, this tour is the best deal (especially with the bonus hour) at $60 per person, without transportation. 

A Day in the Life of an Asian Elephant Tour

If a few hours isn’t enough for you, enjoy a much more immersive all day tour. This tour includes further education about elephant behavior and habitats.  Beyond feeding the elephants, you also help prepare their meals.  This tour is from 930 am to 5 pm and includes both lunch and dinner buffet.  

The cost is $220 per person without transportation.

How to get to the best elephant sanctuary in Phuket

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is located in the northeast part of Phuket, adjacent to the Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. 

There is a main office where you will check in, and if you have a car, park.  Then you will be driven to the park in your tour group, in official vehicles.  If you are driving, be sure your map location is for the office (along the highway) and not the park itself, as you will not be able to drive or access the park in a personal vehicle.  There are tours that include transportation to and from the park. 

From Phuket City, the drive is anywhere from 30-60 minutes. The drive from Patong is 40-75 minutes.  From Kata the drive is 45 – 75 minutes. Driving in time in Phuket really varies and can be incredibly slow at times.  Make sure to plan enough time. 

Renting a Car in Phuket: Everything You Need to Know

How to find sanctuaries outside of Phuket

When looking up sanctuaries in other areas like Chiang Mai or elsewhere in southeast Asia, be sure to check their website to see what they offer and read reviews from visitors. Responsible Travel also provides an in depth list of ethical sanctuaries throughout SE Asia. 

The best elephant sanctuary in Phuket FAQs

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