What to Know Before Visiting an Elephant Sanctuary

While one of the more popular activities in Thailand and across Asia, choosing a wildlife sanctuary or animal rescue park can be half the battle, but worth every minute of planning. Narrowing down your choices to the best one for your family is just the first step. Next, you have to pack and prepare the kids for the incredible experience.

For those choosing one of the responsible sanctuaries on our list, these tips will help prep the kids for a thoughtful, engaging and fun experience with elephants in Thailand.

Mentally Prepare

Make sure the kids (and other rambunctious members of your family) understand these animals are wild, most likely rescued from abuse and you are on their turf. Understanding the elephants are home and being visited by your family is a good way to teach respect and kindness toward animals. The interactions, whether feeding, bathing or walking, with elephants will be an incredible experience if you approach it with a calm attitude and truly take in the experience — and understanding the high probability of getting dirty, especially if the elephants like you. 

What to Wear

Most likely on a day tour of a wildlife facility, you will do a fair amount of walking and standing. Dress comfortably and wear walkable shoes that can get dirty. Layer up with light, breathable fabrics you can easily take off and change if you get too dirty — especially if you plan on bathing the elephants. Load up on insect repellent and sunscreen to protect your skin and plan for a day in the wild.

Bath Time

Speaking of bathing, if your family has the opportunity to shower the elephants, take it, but prepare to get wet and muddy. Don’t be afraid of getting close to the animals with the experts nearby, as they can help you get the big guys clean. If you don’t want to get dirty or the kids don’t want to get too close, watch as the others bathe the elephants from the side. You’ll have all the joy of the experience without pushing the kids too far out of their comfort zone.

What Not to Expect

While most photos of interactions with elephants in Thailand include rides through the water, don’t expect this to be the case — especially not at the sanctuaries recommended in our list.

Historically, elephants have been abused in order to get them to submit to a rider using inhumane methods. For this reason, not many reputable sanctuaries and rescues force elephants to host human riders. Oddly enough, an elephant’s back isn’t as strong as people might assume based on their size and rides can actually result in long-term pain. If you do see rides available at parks in Thailand, it’s usually for a limited amount of time, but ultimately is not the best way to interact with an elephant.