An Afternoon With The Elephants At Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

This is a great story about the founding and operation of an ethical sanctuary for elephants. Many of the elephants who come year were abused in earlier life. Here they are well cared for and get to live in peace. The care-givers are excellent. The place well thought out and lovely.

The Phuket elephant sanctuary is a magical place. Our tour started with snacks and we learned about the elephant sanctuary both in China and Phuket after that we took a walk through the forest where we saw the animals in their habitat and how well they are now being cared for this is a place where tourist are allowed to swim with the elephants instead, this is a place where the elephants come first

This was an incredible experience. Amazing guide, educational, lovely lunch and great to see happy elephants saved from difficult circumstances. Highly recommend this.

Amazing experience. Get up close to the elephants in their natural habitat in a fully ethical and green experience. The veggie buffet was amazing as well and our guide ICE was very knowledgeable. Our family of 7 had a great time. Thank you so much for looking after the elephants and providing us with this experience.

Amazing experience. Get to see elephants being recovered and roaming freely in an ethical way rather than touristy ride or bathing.

Truly mesmerizing experience in one of the two only real elephant sanctuaries of Thailand, completely abolishing the practice of visitors riding, bathing or close-up foto-shooting with the gentle giants. Fantastic amneties on the side, wonderful lunch buffet, snacks, water, complimentary iced towels and proper shoes for the muddy walks. 10/10 🧡

What an amazing experience! The project is exceptional, walking around the forest floor surrounded by elephants was magical. Our guide Yaya was so informative, friendly and helpful. The elephants are so well cared for, it is easy to see. The relationship they have with their carers is beautiful. Would recommend to any animal lover. They provide wellies and raincoats - the heavens opened but it didn’t dampen any experience!

Nice, informative and relaxed. The workers and guides were all respectful and knowledgeable. Highly recommend as a hands-off elephant tour!

The driver arrived promptly to collect us from our hotel. Upon arrival we were warmly welcomed and greeted by the staff. They provide socks and boots to wear on the tour. There is a wide range of snacks available before the tour starts. The Elephants are free to roam without any riding, feeding or bathing. The tour lasted less than the three hours indicated but plenty time enough. The vegetarian buffet was very delicious just a little cold. They provided a full meal for my daughter with a nut allergy..

Amazing experience seeing how well the elephants are looked after here. It was sad to hear their stories but lovely to see they will remain here for the rest of their days cared for. We were picked up from our hotels and transported there, they explained the afternoons activities. They looked after us well. Food, drinks and snacks provided. I do think for a few hours excursion it was a bit too much food, snacks etc. when we arrived we were invited to sit and have a snack drinks etc then waited for a video explaining how the sanctuary was created which was informative, we then got to go and spend time with the elephants then back for more food and drinks, then transported back to the hotel. I would definitely recommend it and to know the money is to keep the sanctuary going is well worth a visit

This was such a great way to see the elephants in their natural habitat! You can really tell how much they care about the well being of the animals. Our guide, KT, was THE BEST. So fun to talk to and listen to, he told us stories about each elephant and knew everything about them. Highly recommend!

Highly recommend!! We were searching for an ethical elephant sanctuary after seeing the sad and cruel riding camps, this one was perfect! The elephants could roam freely, were looked after by their mahouts with no bull hooks, it offered a hands off experience but as tourists we could still get close to observe the elephants without disturbing them. The tour guides were so informative about where each elephant had been resuced from and we watched a short video at the start (very emotional). This sanctuary is more expensive but for a reason, as the elephants are genuinely looked after - please choose to support these ones not the riding camps or performative / bathing ‘sanctuary’s’. We also had a lovely meal at the end and welcome snacks and drinks. There is also an elephant hospital (the only one in Phuket) that support elephants all over Phuket. We were given wellies and lots of water and cold towels.

It's wonderful to see how elephants in Thailand can live. Without being busy with forced labour for tourists. Just wonderful to see it like this

Fantastic experience with a wonderful tour and great guides. Most guide groups with no more than 4/5 people. The meal at the end was a real bonus and would highly recommend as an experience not to be missed

Beautiful place for elephants to call their home. Friendly staff. Everything is clean and well organized. Knowledgeable guides. Most importantly it’s their mission which is to rescue these beautiful elephants

Absolutely amazing experience! This elephant sanctuary offers a truly ethical and respectful way to spend time with these beautiful animals. It is clear that the elephants’ wellbeing and comfort come first, and the experience feels responsible and authentic. The staff were incredibly kind, helpful, and knowledgeable. They were happy to answer all our questions and made the whole experience enjoyable and comfortable. 🐘❤️

A great afternoon learning about how the sanctuary cares for elephants that come for re-homing from all over Thailand. Knowledgeable guides who give specific details about all the elephants in their care. The tour is all about seeing elephants in their natural environments. Staff were all wonderful and the meal / food provided was very good. Would definitely recommend.

Extraordinary experience! It’s worth it.

We specifically went to this Elephant sanctuary as we wanted a place that looks after the elephant and doesn't push it to do anything. The choice of what it does is entirely with the elephant. As a consequence, don't be surprised if you don't get to stoke one of them. It is a privilege if you do. Sadly we didn't. Do go though as it is a wonderful experience and you do get close to them.

We booked directly with the sanctuary. The tour guide Ice Cream was quite frankly outstanding. Knowledgeable, polite and excellent at taking our photos. The sanctuary is breathtaking in it care for the elephants. They are very clearly the priority and the environment is excellent. The video presentation is accurate and disturbing. Don’t ride elephants, don’t swim with elephants go to the Phuket Sanctuary and see them in their retirement home.

Absolutely amazing experience. Staff were incredible and the elephants were mind blowing

From start to finish this tour was a great experience for our young family. To learn about each elephant’s past life, and to know they’re living their best retirement. You can see the staff care about the elephants wellbeing. Our guide Rudi was wonderful and insightful, no matter the question. 100% recommend for anyone wanting to see an ethical environment for elephants. The lunch provided was delicious.

Great experience. Would recommend, they care slot about the elephants and our guide Woody was amazing - super knowledgeable.

It was nice to learn about the elephants especially in a way that was not harming them. The employees really care about the elephants too. The food provided was also good. There's a gift shop on site as well that had nice things. Wear pants though because you have to walk through the forest to view the elephants. A lot of the shrubs will hit your legs. They provide boots for walking.

This was a fantastic experience. It was deeply rewarding to engage with these majestic animals in their natural habitat in a respectful and balanced manner. The stories of the elephants were movingly told by our guide, Thomas, who was a human encyclopedia with all knowledge on elephants and elephant behaviour. The setting was beautiful, the food was simple but delicious. It was a highlight for our family on our Phuket trip and highly recommend for anyone who cares for these amazing animals.

Such an incredible experience. The staff are so knowledgeable and passionate in the care and service they provide to not only their guests but also the elephants. So much complimentary snacks and drinks. They also provided umbrellas to shade from the heat, cool towels and cold water to help with the heat. Our tour guide was Patty, and she was so incredible with the insight and knowledge she had to share about the elephants. She was able to go into depth about each elephant, where they had came from and even who their friends with and their personality characteristics. Also includes free little surprise at the end. You can tell they are truly passionate and committed to the safety and wellbeing of all their elephants. They also showed us an informative documentary, which was very moving and highlighted how important elephants are in our ecosystem, and how important it is to invest and develop ethical sanctuaries and promote ethical practices to protect these buetiful creatures. We still got to get up close to watch and take pictures, while also respecting their habitat and their personal space. I could not recommend this place more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A truly wonderful and unforgettable experience. It is obvious that the elephants are treated with great love, respect, and care. The animals look relaxed and happy, and it was heartwarming to see them freely roaming, eating, socializing, and even wagging their tails. The guide was extremely knowledgeable, intelligent, and passionate. We learned a lot about the elephants and their individual stories. Everything was very well organized and professionally managed. In our opinion, if you travel all the way to Phuket, this sanctuary is absolutely worth visiting. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to see elephants in an ethical and natural environment.

This place is everything I hoped it would be. I got to observe these magnificent elephants from just 5–6 feet away — completely undisturbed, on their own terms. No performances, no tricks, no pressure to entertain. Just elephants being elephants: playing, interacting with each other, and living as close to a natural life as possible. Knowing that these animals will never be sent back to work again made the whole experience deeply meaningful. There’s something powerful about witnessing a creature that size moving through the world with that kind of peace and freedom. The staff were wonderful and the food was excellent — a full experience, not just a visit. I’m so glad this sanctuary exists. If you’re looking for an ethical elephant experience in Phuket, look no further. This is it.

Special thank for Khun woody to take us to see the final elephant life in Phuket sanctuary we love it and definitely we will come back soon ❤️

An excellent experience, and very worthy cause. Ask money generated from this goes back into purchasing more dustressed/ injured elephants to live or their days at the sanctuary. An awesome day out, totally recommended.

The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary organization is doing wonderful work for elephants who have suffered from abuse. This experience was one of the highlights of my trip. Everything was exceptional from the moment guests arrive, we were offered refreshments and snacks. The staff is so friendly and their level of care for the elephants is truly outstanding. Our guide Jeffy, was so knowledgeable and amazing. He knew every elephant’s name, age and history. We discovered each elephant had an impactful story, and how they came to call the sanctuary their home. Their love for these magnificent creatures is genuinely inspiring and limitless. At the end of the tour, they provided a delicious vegetarian lunch. If you want to support an amazing cause, I recommend this magical experience if you are in Phuket.

Amazing experience it was such a beautiful place and great care of the elephants

We had a fantastic experience at the elephant sanctuary and it was one of the highlights of our trip. Our children absolutely loved it. There were plenty of opportunities to interact with the elephants in a way that felt playful, engaging and, most importantly, respectful to the animals. It was clear that the focus was on the elephants' wellbeing rather than entertainment, which we really appreciated. The staff were friendly and informative, and the whole experience was very well organised. It was also nice knowing that our visit was helping to support the sanctuary's work and the ongoing care of the elephants. Everyone in our group, from the children to the adults, came away smiling. If you're visiting Phuket and travelling as a family, I would strongly recommend adding this to your itinerary. It's fun, memorable and offers a much more meaningful experience than some of the traditional elephant attractions.

Second time in Thailand and second time visiting the sanctuary. I will never go to one of the many elephant tours around Phuket I did my research and this is by far the most ethical and true sanctuary in phuket. Of course you want to hug and interact with these beautiful animals but considering their life prior to the sanctuary they were just used for working and entertainment it’s heartbreaking. I loved the fact that there’s no touching, feeding riding or bathing just walking amongst these giants was a treat and created a memorable afternoon. This place has grown and improved over the years and I wish I could do more to help support an important cause.

A fantastic way to connect with nature and the elephants in the utmost respectful way. No touching, no bathing, no chains, just old rescued elephants having a second chance in life, having the chance to be free, cherished and nourished. Beautiful experience, absolutely recommend. Let's start creating change by choosing places where animals are treated like living beings, not like objects.

What a magnificent place. It's amazing how these people actually care about the elephants welfare and ensure people can be close to these amazing creatures, still respecting their space and allowing a safe and natural interaction. On top of everything they have the first elephant hospital in Phuket, where we could see how they take care of an elephant with a fractured leg. I hope this place keeps growing and rescuing more elephants and more people support these type of responsible tourism.

Amazing experience with Minnie as our guide. She had answers to our million questions. The passion to care for the elephants is obvious. All the facilities were great and lunch was delicious. We were well taken care of throughout the trip, including our transfer from the resort and back. Kids loved it, parents too.

Amazing experience to see the elephants in their preserve and walk amongst them. They are well cared for

Our family of five, including three teens, had a fun and informative afternoon at the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary. We had a smooth pick up from our hotel and easy transport to the sanctuary. All staff were welcoming and very engaged in their tasks to help care for the injured and aging elephants. Would highly recommend.

I have a life long love of elephants. The pick up was promp and on time and after we arrived we had time for snacks and refreshments, quite a long time actually, over 45 mins. You start on the raised walkway. I was expecting the elephants to be wandering around below us at will, which they were to a certain extent. But to make sure we could all see an elephant, piles of food were left in various locations so the elephants stayed still whilst eating, this felt a little staged. A similar set up was in action when we went down to ground level. All the elephants have a mahout keeping an eye on them. Th elephants are obviously well cared for but not completely free roaming, they return to a secure area at night. There was one elephant at the attached hospital, with a broken leg, she had fallen down a ledge while pulling logs. She seemed happy with her broken leg supported. You are split into small groups and allocated a guide, it’s very accessible and suitable for all ages, although the jeep ride down is a little bumpy! The lunch was excellent, a vegetarian buffet, all the snacks and drinks were free flowing. Our trip finished with a very orchestrated feeding session, we all queued one behind the other to give an elephants some fruit, they were behind two barriers. This has now been discontinued thank goodness. We enjoyed our trip but not as much as other similar elephant sanctuaries in Thailand.

Absolutely the best, saving elephants from work they should have never been doing is admirable. Each elephant is treated so well and given the best life they can have.

This was a once in a lifetime, incredible experience. The passion the workers have for their job and elephants is a joy to witness and absolutely promising for the future of the species. Would highly recommend this to all who are interested, and to those who wish to gain a little perspective.

Had the most amazing experience and was great seeing all the retired elephants in a natural environment living a life in the jungle instead of being put to work or in a zoo. The team were amazing, the foods and drinks laid on were great and the whole package was a great price and good to know all the money is being spent on caring for the animals and providing a amazing opportunity for visitors and the animals to interact without interfering with the animals themselves. Would Say this is a must for anyone visiting the area.

The most amazing experience walking with beautiful elephants that have been worked so hard and have now been rescued. Boots and socks provided, umbrellas for heat or rain and a superb vegetarian buffet. This has been highlight of my holiday and would recommend to everyone as a very ethical sanctuary

Clean bathrooms Solid food/snacks and plenty of water Gentle and hungry elephants Passionate staff who care deeply about what they do

We had the most incredible experience at Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and I cannot recommend it enough. From the very beginning, you can feel that this place is genuinely about the elephants. The visit starts with an educational video explaining the history of elephant tourism in Thailand and why ethical sanctuaries like this one are so important. It was powerful and emotional, and it really set the tone for the day. What makes this sanctuary different is their true hands-off approach. There is no riding or bathing. The elephants here have been rescued from logging and tourism industries and are now able to roam, forage, bathe, and socialise naturally. Walking along the canopy walkway and observing them from a respectful distance was such a special experience — you feel like you’re witnessing them just being elephants, on their own terms. The staff and guides were knowledgeable, kind, and clearly passionate about animal welfare. You can tell the mission here is education and long-term change, not entertainment. If you are visiting Phuket and want to see elephants, please choose somewhere that genuinely prioritises their wellbeing. Supporting ethical tourism matters, and this sanctuary is doing things the right way.

Such an amazing experience and wonderful story of how the sanctuary came to be. The tour guides were very kind and informative and the elephants look so healthy and beautiful. Glad to see real sanctuaries in Phuket. I definitely recommend to all. The lunch was delicious, the environment looked safe, the staff looked genuinely caring, it was a wonderful and ethical experience.

Informative and fully educational! Length of visit appropriate. Tour guides are experienced and could arouse visitors's interest. Crowd size is well controlled. The food was delicious, we enjoyed very much. The visitor centre, shop and washroom were very clean. Thanks all the staffs.

Enjoyed seeing the elephants and hearing all about each elephant and its story and characteristics. Seems like the elephants are content and well looked after. The grounds are big enough for the elephants to roam around. A well-organised visit with a knowledgeable guide and the pickups and food were good.