Find out why the best elephant sanctuary in Phuket should be on your bucket list! Feed, bathe, and enjoy a buffet with elephants. Fun awaits!
Have you ever dreamed of looking into an elephant’s eyes? We have, and after months of researching the best ethical experiences, we chose the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary in Phuket, and it completely exceeded our expectations. We got to feed the elephants, help with their spa treatments, and hear their stories firsthand, and I promise, connecting with these gentle giants is an experience we’ll never forget.
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Best Elephant Sanctuary in Phuket
Elephant Sanctuary Ethics
As we step into the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary for our afternoon tour, we’re instantly swept away by the warm, fuzzy greetings from these majestic elephants! Can you believe we’re just inches away from one of the oldest ones, a wise 62-year-old? Her trunk feels like stubbly velvet, and I can’t help but smile as she nudges us, full of personality! But then, my heart sinks when I hear her story, she suffered a broken leg from a fallen tree while working in logging and was abandoned after that. It’s heartbreaking, but I feel relieved knowing she’s been in this sanctuary for six years, thriving alongside 24 other amazing females.
Before coming here, I did a lot of research because I was really nervous about animal encounters; not all of them treat the animals right. But this place is different! They rescue elephants from terrible situations, whether retiring from hard labor or escaping the horrors of circuses and logging.
What makes this sanctuary truly special is that it’s home exclusively to female elephants, each with her own incredible story of survival. None of these gentle giants were born here; they’ve all been rescued from heartbreaking situations and are now living their best lives. It’s a powerful reminder of why ethical animal encounters matter, so many elephants suffer in the wrong hands. By focusing solely on female elephants, the sanctuary avoids breeding, ensuring they can dedicate all their love and resources to these remarkable ladies who have overcome so much.
What really blew me away was how the sanctuary doesn’t just stop at their gates when it comes to caring for elephants. They go the extra mile—literally—by reaching out to rural areas to help injured elephants in need of medical care, even if they can’t come to the sanctuary. Their awesome team hops in their vehicles to travel to these remote spots, making sure these amazing creatures get the help they need.
Note: they do it all for free! They know that many locals struggle with transportation costs when it comes to getting sick elephants the care they deserve. It’s super inspiring to see such genuine love for these gentle giants, and it really shows just how important it is to look after them wherever they are on the island!
This isn’t just a tour; it’s a chance to witness the incredible work being done to help these elephants live the rest of their lives in peace and comfort. It’s a truly unforgettable experience!
Don't Do THIS!!
When it comes to elephant sanctuaries, not all are created equal, and it’s crucial to be aware of the difference. Unfortunately, some places that call themselves sanctuaries aren’t genuinely committed to the well-being of these incredible animals. You should NEVER ride elephants, it’s just not right. Many so-called sanctuaries actually breed elephants and train them to perform tricks for entertainment, which can be detrimental to their mental and physical well-being.
During our research, we stumbled upon tour packages from other sanctuaries that featured elephant rides and performances, and it made our hearts sink. These activities often mask the harsh reality of how these animals are treated behind the scenes. It’s super important to choose a sanctuary that prioritizes the elephants’ welfare, where they can roam free and live their lives as they were meant to. Always do your homework before booking—trust me, you’ll feel so much better knowing you’re supporting a place that truly cares for these gentle giants. Let’s be advocates for their happiness and well-being!
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Tour Package Options
There are a handful of different options available to meet, feed, or even take a mud bath with the elephants. We outlined all the tour options below ranging from one hour to six!
These options are wheelchair-accessible and family-friendly. The tours offer a hands-on, safe, and memorable experience where you can feed and shower elephants under the guidance of experienced handlers.
1. Half Day Experience - Most popular
We went with the Half Day Experience tour package at the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary (our review is below)! Let me tell you, this package had everything we needed for an amazing day with the elephants. We opted for the afternoon tour since we aren’t “morning people.” The afternoon tour ran from 1 PM to 3 PM, while the morning tour was from 8 AM to 10 AM.
What’s included in the Phuket: Half Day Experience?
- Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off: via shared shuttle bus
- You can check out all the pick-up locations here: Phuket: Half Day Experience. We stayed at this epic resort near Kata Beach which was included in the pickup zone.
- Fluent English-speaking Tour Guide
- Elephant Interactions:
- Elephant Feeding : Included bananas and making medicine balls!
- Elephant Mud Bath: Full mud bath with the elephants
- Elephant Swim: Lake swim and scrub
- Elephant Shower: an outdoor, overhead shower that simulates rain!
- Food & Drinks: Full Thai buffet meal after the experience, including a cooking demonstration.
All of this came at 2,900 THB ($86.99 USD) per adult. Spending quality time with these gentle giants in their natural home was something we’ll always cherish. If you’re looking for an unforgettable half-day with elephants, this package is totally the way to go!
As much as you plan the elephant sanctuary, don’t miss the Best Food in Phuket!
2. Feed & Shower Experience
If you’re looking for a shorter but equally unforgettable experience, check out the Phuket: Feed & Shower Experience! In an exciting 1 hour and 30 minutes, you’ll get to interact with the elephants up close in the most ethical way possible.
You can feed these gentle giants fresh seasonal fruits and veggies and then help them cool off in a custom-built outdoor shower, it’s like a mini rainforest just for them! This is perfect if you’re short on time but still want to create lasting memories. The morning tour kicks off at 10 AM, and if you’re more of an afternoon person (like us!), there’s another session at 2 PM. It’s a quick but magical experience you won’t want to miss!
What’s included in the Phuket: Feed & Shower Experience?
- Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off: via shared shuttle bus to these pickup zones
- Fluent English-speaking Tour Guide
- Elephant Interactions:
- Elephant Feeding: Included bananas and seasonal fruits
- Elephant Shower: an outdoor, overhead shower that simulates rain
This package is 2,000 THB ($60.10 USD) per adult. Since it doesn’t include the mud bath or the swim it’s a little more “clean” fun and a great option for kiddos!
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3. Feed Me Experience
If you’re looking for another option, check out the Phuket: Feed Me Experience at Elephant Jungle Sanctuary! This 1-hour tour offers a fantastic chance to interact with elephants safely and respectfully in a beautiful natural setting.
Feed these gentle giants, snap unforgettable photos, and learn how to turn elephant poop into eco-friendly paper in our fun sustainability class. Available from 9 AM to 4 PM, this experience is perfect for those on a tight schedule. Book ahead to secure your preferred time and create memories you’ll cherish for a lifetime!
What’s included in the Phuket: Feed Me Experience?
- Entry Fee: Explore the sanctuary and see the elephants up close!
- Elephant Feeding: Includes all the fruit needed to feed them!
- Drinks: Stay refreshed in the heat
Exclusions
- Transportation isn’t provided, so get ready to plan your own adventure!
All of this was just 900 THB ($27.05 USD) per adult! Spending quality time with these gentle giants is a memory we’ll cherish forever. If you’re on the hunt for an unforgettable experience with elephants, this package is an absolute must-do!
Looking for more to do? Try the Perfect Day Trip to James Bond Island Phuket.
4. Watch Me Experience
The Watch Me Experience lets you observe elephants in their natural habitat from a respectful distance, ensuring an ethical and educational adventure. Spend three unforgettable hours watching these magnificent creatures roam, forage, and bathe freely in the beautiful jungle of Phuket.
Perfect for photography lovers and anyone keen on learning about elephant behavior, you’ll also get to feed them and help prepare their meals. With morning tours from 8 AM to 10 AM and afternoon tours from 1 PM to 3 PM, it’s an ideal way to connect with these gentle giants in a more natural and meaningful way.
What’s included in the Phuket: Watch Me Experience?
- Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off: via shared shuttle bus to these pickup zones
- Entry Fee: Your admission to this ethical sanctuary is covered, giving you access to all the fun!
- Fluent English-speaking Tour Guide
- Food & Drinks: Enjoy a delicious traditional Thai meal to refuel after your time with the elephants, plus refreshing drinking water to keep you hydrated.
- Elephant Interactions:
- Observation Platform: Observe from the platform as they interact in a more natural habitat.
- Elephant Feeding: Get hands-on and help feed these gentle giants by making their meals!
Exclusions
- Bathing with Elephants: Bathing with the elephants is not included, but you’ll still have plenty of opportunities to interact with them in a respectful (and cleaner) way!
This package is 2,900 THB ($86.99 USD) per adult. This is a more educational and observational experience that is still just as impactful!
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5. Walk with Elephants Experience - Most interactive
The Walk With Elephants Experience is a full-day, 6-hour tour kicks off at 8 AM, where you’ll set out into the jungle with the rescued elephants and discover their incredible stories. This is the half day tour plus an additional three hours to trek through their jungle landscape on property and see the elephants interact away from the crowds.
Get up close and personal as you touch, feed, and photograph these gentle giants while learning about their behaviors in their natural habitat. Enjoy a delicious homemade Thai lunch, then dive into fun activities like preparing medicinal soil for the elephants and giving them a mud spa treatment!
If you’re ready for a full day of unforgettable experiences with these amazing elephants, this is the perfect tour for you!
What’s included in the Phuket: Walk with Elephants Experience?
- Hotel Pick-Up and Drop-Off: via shared shuttle bus
- Fluent English-speaking Tour Guide
- Elephant Interactions:
- Jungle Trek: Trek through their lush landscape and observe the elephants in more natural environments
- Elephant Feeding : Included bananas and making medicine balls!
- Elephant Mud Bath: Full mud bath with the elephants
- Elephant Swim: Lake swim and scrub
- Elephant Shower: an outdoor, overhead shower that simulates rain!
- Food & Drinks: Full Thai buffet lunch, including a cooking demonstration and snacks throught the tour.
This tour comes in at 6,000 THB ($180.30 USD) per adult! This is a great option if you really love animals!
For a true foodie experience → Best Restaurants in Phuket.
What to Bring
To make the most of your experience, here’s a handy list of essentials to bring along, ensuring you’re comfortable and prepared for a day filled with fun and exploration.
- Sun Hat: Shield yourself from the sun while exploring the beautiful sanctuary. You will be outside the entire tour.
- Bathing Suit: If you booked a swim, shower, or mud experience, you’ll need a suit you don’t mind getting dirty!
- Sunscreen: Our go-to brand for reef-safe and good coverage.
- Insect Repellent: This is best for mosquitoes, flies, and ticks. Plus it’s a lotion so you waste a lot less than sprays.
- Towel: Perfect for drying off after wards. Packs lights, dries quick, and doubles as a blanket for travel!
- Change of Clothes: They have communal showers for everyone after bathing activities so you can shower and change!
- Walking Shoes: This is definitely needed if you are doing the Walk with Elephants Tour!
- Bring a Copy of your Passport Photo with Passport Number: A photo worked just fine for us!
- A Phone Strap: If you want to take photos, I would recommend your phone since it’s likely waterproof and if you bring a strap you can still go hands-free. You could also bring a small fanny pack like I did but it will get dirty!
Our full Phuket adventure is here, get all the inspo you need!
Our Half-day experience review
Feeding the Elephants
We get to feed them bananas, literally a whole basket full! And yes, they eat the entire banana, peel and all! Each elephant can consume about 10% of their body weight daily, so you can imagine the sheer amount of food they need.
Everyone gets split up into smaller groups of around 10 people with their own elephant so that there’s less crowding and we all get our chances at photos and feeding!
We also got to meet the biggest elephant in the sanctuary, she weighs five tons and devours a whopping 500 kg of food daily! Our guide jokingly calls her belly a “food baby,” and honestly, after a week in Thailand, I totally get that vibe.
Tips: When you see an elephant backing up with its tail in the air, it’s time to give them space.
After the bananas, we get to feed them rice balls, and the process is hilarious since we get to make the rice balls ourselves! We hide medicine in their food and create these funky rice balls filled with bananas, rice, tamarind fruit, and roasted pumpkin. The elephants go wild for them, and let me tell you, it’s pure joy watching them munch away, with rice and banana flying everywhere!
Note: With over 200,000 muscles in their trunks, these elephants are pros at grabbing food, no matter how we hand it over.
Honestly, feeding the elephants is not a quick task, it’s more like an all-you-can-eat buffet that lasts forever! We’re having such a blast that I never want it to end.
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Mud Bath with the Elephants
Did you know that elephants absolutely love their mud baths? And for good reason! Since they don’t have sweat glands, they rely on mud and water to cool down and regulate their body temperature. Their large ears, packed with blood vessels, help circulate cooler air, but nothing beats a good mud soak!
As they slather mud on their skin, they’re not just indulging in a spa day; they’re also creating a protective barrier against pesky insects and harsh sun rays. Despite their tough exterior, an elephant’s skin is surprisingly sensitive and can get sunburned. So, when you see these gentle giants rolling around in the mud, know that they’re enjoying a natural sunscreen while keeping cool and comfortable!
We couldn’t help but reminisce about our mud bath experience in the Dead Sea, but let me tell you, this mud bath with the elephants is on a whole new level of fun! Watching the elephants position themselves and guide us on where to slather the mud feels like a game of “follow the leader.” And let’s just say, I ended up with mud smeared all over my arms after one of them decided to give me a playful slap with her tail.
My parents were having a blast too; my dad was relentless, covering my mom in mud while she tried to get some on me as well.
The mud smells… well, let’s just say it’s not the best fragrance out there! I made the rookie mistake of washing my hands in the water and then wiping it on my face. Lesson learned: not a good idea.
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Swim with the Elephants
We quickly realized that the elephants here have a playful side that’s absolutely charming! Many of them we’re in circus shows before coming to the sanctuary so their old habits often come back with crowds of people. They know how to put on a show for us; one of them was clearly relishing the attention, playfully acting out and soaking in our reactions.
And then there were the ones having a grand old time hiding underwater, peeking out with just their trunks up like they were playing a game of hide and seek. The good thing is they aren’t forced to do any of this anymore and are encouraged to spend their time how they like, even if they don’t want to join in a bath!
While we bathed with them, we used the brushes to help brush off all the mud and help cool them off. After the lake, we headed up to the showers to hose off any remaining water and give them some drinks of water.
One of the elephants was scratching her ears against a tree, looking like she was coming back from a day at the spa, while another threw dirt all over herself to help her cool off and protect herself from bugs.
We were supposed to head for a shower, but honestly? We were the last ones left, completely captivated and not ready to walk away from these magnificent animals. We could have stayed forever, soaking in every moment and interaction! It felt like we were part of their world, and I just didn’t want it to end.
Travel smarter → Must-Know Tips for Visiting Phuket in 2025.
Lunch
Lunch was even more interactive than I anticipated, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it included in our package! The buffet spread was incredible, featuring a ton of delicious local options that made it hard to choose just one. Everything was so good! Just when I thought it couldn’t get better, they announced a small cooking demonstration, and guess who got picked? Yep, me! I was still fresh from the shower when they called for volunteers to make pad thai, and I thought, why not?
So there I was, a bit bewildered, walking up to the cooking station while five other people looked on. I jumped right in, excited yet slightly clueless about what to do next. Somehow, I ended up stirring up a storm, and despite nearly burning myself with the hot pan, my pad thai turned out looking pretty fantastic! The experience was not just fun but also gave me a newfound appreciation for this beloved dish. The laughter and camaraderie made the meal even more enjoyable, leaving me with a full belly and happy memories.
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Souvenirs
As if the incredible day wasn’t already packed with unforgettable moments, the tour also included some fantastic souvenirs! We each received a tote bag that was both practical and stylish, along with envelopes made from the infamous elephant poop paper, yes, you read that right! To top it off, a professional photographer captured all the day’s highlights and shared the photos with us via Dropbox the very same day.
Before we said our goodbyes, the tour guides handed out those delightful poop envelopes as souvenirs, jokingly suggesting we gift them to friends or loved ones with a playful request for them to “kiss the envelope.” It was a hilarious way to remember our adventure!
But honestly, it’s hard to say goodbye when you’ve spent the day bonding with these gentle giants. If they offered me a gig as a poop catcher, I’d leap at the chance just to hang out with them a little longer! This experience has been nothing short of magical, and I can’t wait to come back. Until next time, Elephants!
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So, what are you waiting for? Grab that passport and check off your bucket list, your unforgettable adventure with these amazing elephants awaits! Trust us, it’s a MUD-mazing experience you won’t want to miss!
