Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve Ethical Sanctuary
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Phuket, Thailand
+46
- 3 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Why travelers loved this
·
Overview
Meet and interact with elephants in an ethical way at the Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve, an award-winning elephant sanctuary. Here, elephants roam freely, and their wellbeing comes above entertainment. While no bathing, touching, or hand feeding is permitted, you still see gentle giants up close, enjoying their natural habitat. This wholesome half-day experience includes the chance to prepare elephant food—and your own lunch during a Thai cooking class.
- Observe and photograph elephants in the jungle and at watering holes
- Prepare vitamin balls for the elephants with the mahouts (elephant handlers)
- Learn how elephant dung is recycled at the sanctuary
- Support the important work of an ethical elephant sanctuary
What's Included
- LunchThai Cooking clase demo (Half Day Program Only)
- Meet & feed our elephants with a hands-off approach
- Elephant jungle nature observation
- Elephant dung recycling center ( Half day program only)
- Making vitamin balls ( Half day program only)
- Water
- Experience tour guide
- Insurance
- Comfortable shoes
- Hat & sunglasses
- Your own water bottle for our water refill station
- Transport
Meeting and Pickup
Departure Point
- Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve, 100/12 Moo 7, Srisoonthon Rd, Phuket 83110 Thailand
What To Expect
1
Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve
Admission Ticket Included
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Infant seats available
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
5.0
based on 128 reviews
Review summary
Last 12 months
58 reviews
Select a theme to learn more
Travelers appreciate knowledgeable and engaging guides who provide informative, personal storytelling about elephant care and ethical sanctuary practices. The hands-on activities, including preparing and feeding elephants, offer close interaction and educational insights. The respectful environment and opportunities to observe natural behaviors are consistently highlighted as valuable aspects of the experience.
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Lunch was yummy, good elephant experience. We did the half day tour which included lunch, making food and feeding elephants
The experience was very fun. The staff was very welcoming and professional. The elephants were majestic and wonderful. I would highly recommend.
It’s walk through the park to see the rescued elephants. I recommend comfortable walking shoes. Awesome to see Closeup of elephants. Got to gather food to feed them in the troughs.
Great experience. Our guide Porsche was super friendly, kind, knowledgeable, and took her time showing us all areas of the sanctuary. The elephants are beautiful and majestic up close. Def recommend
Amazing experience. Guide is so knowledgeable. Elephants are beautiful and you get very close and can take amazing photos.
This was a wonderful experience. I learned so much about the elephants there and fell in love with Bow. She's super sweet and I took the most amazing picture with her. The caretakers are kind patient and loving towards the animals. I definitely want to become a sponsor to help the work they do at this sanctuary.
This is an ethical sanctuary. Nothing is done that will harm the elephants emotionally or physically. It was very educational as well as exciting!
This was an absolutely wonderful experience, and I highly recommend visiting this place! ❤️🐘
Unlike commercial elephant attractions where elephants may be mistreated for profit, this place allows you to see, feed, and spend time with these beautiful animals in their natural habitat, without forcing them to perform or making them do things for entertainment.
It was truly heartwarming to see the elephants being elephants and enjoying their freedom. If you want a meaningful and ethical elephant experience, I highly recommend choosing a place like this over attractions that exploit these gentle giants for money. A beautiful experience that I will always cherish! 🌿💚
This was such a fun experience!! We got so close to the elephants and were glad we chose a spot that is ethical and that really cares about them. Would highly recommend!!
One of the best elephants wildlife sanctuaries in Thailand. All elephants have an amazing story and kudos to this team for taking such good care of them. Elephant encounters were as close as they get. The mahouts were kind and our guide was super knowledgeable! Highly recommend this experience for everyone visiting Phuket!
We really enjoyed this experience. It was very chill and relaxing. We did the one which included the Thai cooking demonstration and lunch. That was a nice start to the afternoon, and the food was tasty! Simplest ingredients albeit easier to source locally! We loved how personal it was and how every elephant had a story and personality. We learnt a lot and had fun making the vitamin balls and prepping food for the elephants, even though our guide told us frankly, it was just to give us something to do! It was brilliant. Highly recommend as with each visit, you help these elephants!
The Grab driver had a difficult time navigating the dirt road up to the entrance, but everything else was great. It was very interesting learning about what constituted abuse of elephants. It was fun to feed and learn about each elephant. It was a nice learning experience.
We had a wonderful experience at the elephant sanctuary in Phuket! 🐘❤️ It was amazing to see the elephants up close, feed them and spend time with them in a respectful environment. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and clearly care deeply about the elephants. A beautiful and memorable experience that we would definitely recommend!
What a lovely experience! This was truly an ethical elephant experience and you can tell the keepers really care about these beautiful animals. We helped make food balls for the elephants and saw many different ones up close and watched them eat. Our guide was very knowledgeable, we learned a lot!
Wonderful!! You see the elephants up close. You can tell they are loved and well cared for. Such a calming and well manicured environment for the beautiful elephants.
So fun to see elephants! Just a heads up, you do not get to pet, feed or touch the elephants here. It was super fun to see them up close though!
If you want pure happiness, this is the place to be. As a solo traveler I often find it hard to just enjoy but this experience was absolutely amazing! I opted for the half day with lunch and WOW- From taking you to meet each and every elephant and their backstory, to helping feed them, to even making paper, this experience was absolutely amazing. Getting to see the elephants so close while still letting them live their own way without harm was eye opening and unreal! Highly recommend for all ages !
This is the best way to see Elephants up close and in an ethical way. You get to up close and get great photos of these magnificent animals. Your money goes a long way to helping this center in its mission.
This was an amazing day. An excellent tour. More than expected.
This was an amazing day. An excellent tour. More than expected.
This is a wonderful opportunity to be in the presence and respect these magnificent animals, without exploitation or causing any distress to them. The elephants are well loved and cared for and enjoy all the freedom possible within the boundaries of their enclosure. Of course complete freedom to roam in the wild would be ideal, but is restricted by their histories of burden. What a wonderful experience which we enjoyed very much! Thank you for your continued work. Hopefully more funds can be found along with another site, so that more than 6 can be supported in the future and give more of these special animals a better life, away from exploitation and distress.
I had a really great experience here, I did the tour with lunch and got to cook some thai food after visiting with the elephants. Glad it is a no-touch, no-bathing sanctuary, which makes it better for the elephants
This was a very interesting and informative visit to the elephant sanctuary. Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. I learned a lot about elephants and their personalities. Also about the treatment of elephants in the past. I would highly recommend a visit to the elephant sanctuary.
This was such a beautiful experience! My guide was super knowledgeable and I really enjoyed my experience! All the elephants seemed well taken care and the handlers were attentive. If you are looking for a true ethical experience this is definitely the place!
What a wonderful place! From start to finish, this was an incredible experience like no other. My guide, Porsche, was so knowledgeable and really took the time to educate me about these beautiful creatures. I thought she had been doing this for years, and she shocked me when she said she'd only been there 2 months! I got to cut fruit and vegetables for the elephants, and then we fed it to each of them. We also prepared vitamin balls (elephant sushi) and made paper from elephant dung. Just when I thought it current get any better, Porsche did a cooking demo and prepared for me a wonderful meal of Tom Yum soup and Pad Thai, both of which were delicious. I am so glad the operators were able to change my 90 minute tour to the half day at the last minute. Well worth the time and money to support this group. This is a don't miss experience.
You get to be close to elephants. Elephants were very happy and friendly. Everyone was very informative and helpful. What an excellent experience.
We had the most incredible half-day experience at the Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve! Our guide, Porsche, was absolutely fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, and made the whole tour engaging from start to finish. Plus when we couldn’t get a taxi home she helped us book when at the end even though they had closed.
We loved making food baskets and fun “sushi balls” for the elephants, and it was amazing to see how they recycle elephant dung in such a sustainable way. The Thai cooking class at the beginning was great and the reserve were very accommodating for dietary requirements.
The reserve is clearly dedicated to the elephants’ wellbeing, and you can feel the care and respect in everything they do. It’s a completely hands off approach, so no bathing the elephants or touching them, which was a must when we were booking this tour as a lot of reserves claim their ethical but still allow people to touch the elephants. Highly recommend this tour to anyone visiting Phuket, it was one of the best things we did in Thailand
If you’re visiting Phuket and want a truly meaningful animal experience, I can’t recommend the Elephant Nature Reserve Sanctuary enough.
From the moment we arrived, it was clear this place genuinely puts the elephants first. There’s no riding, no performances—just respect, care, and space for these incredible animals to live peacefully. You can feel the difference immediately.
We had the chance to walk alongside the elephants, feed them, and watch them interact naturally—bathing, playing, and just being elephants. The staff were knowledgeable, kind, and clearly passionate about what they do. They shared each elephant’s story, and you could tell these animals are not just cared for—they’re loved.
Everything was well organized, clean, and thoughtfully run. It didn’t feel commercialized or rushed at all, which made the experience even more special.
If you’re going to visit elephants in Thailand, do it the right way—this is the kind of place that deserves support. An unforgettable experience for all the right reasons.
If you’re going to go to any sanctuary I would go to this one. The caretakers clearly love elephants and respect them so much. I loved supporting a great cause and learning all about elephants. I think the 90 minute session was perfect
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much!
"If you're going to go to any sanctuary I would go to this one" — what a powerful, clear recommendation! We're deeply grateful you're encouraging others to choose us!
What really touches us is your observation that "the caretakers clearly love elephants and respect them so much." You're absolutely right — that love and respect is completely genuine. It's not just their job, it's their calling. They've devoted their lives to these rescued elephants.
We're so glad you loved supporting a great cause and learning all about our elephants! Education and rescue work go hand in hand — understanding why sanctuaries matter helps transform elephant tourism.
Thank you for visiting and for your strong recommendation! 💚
We'd love to welcome you back anytime.
With gratitude,
The PENR Family
Great ethical elephant experience! Would highly recommend if ethics are your priority. Plenty of great interaction and picture opportunities because you get to prepare their lunch and are very close to the elephants but you are not allowed to touch the elephants at all. Wonderful experience!
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you so much for this wonderful review and strong recommendation!
"Great ethical elephant experience!" — exactly what we strive for!
What really moves us is your statement: "Would highly recommend if ethics are your priority." That's 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 the message we need travelers to hear — if you prioritize ethics, PENR is where you should go. Thank you for making that so clear!
We love your observation: "Plenty of great interaction and picture opportunities... very close to the elephants but you are not allowed to touch the elephants at all." That's 𝗲𝘅𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 the balance we work so hard to achieve! You don't need to touch elephants to have meaningful interactions, capture amazing photos, and create lasting memories. Proximity and respect working together.
Thank you for understanding and appreciating our no-touching policy while still having a wonderful experience!
We're so grateful for your support! 💚
We'd love to welcome you back anytime.
With gratitude,
The PENR Family
You DONT get to touch the elephants.
No riding elephants.
It's more of a family educational experience, not necessarily fun for groups of friends . ( I booked thinking I would get to ride but it was genuinely my mistake I guess) .
Other than that it's informative and involving.
Response from Host, Apr 2026
Thank you for your honest review and for acknowledging the misunderstanding!
We want to be very clear: 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. Our name — "Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve 𝗘𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆" — our website, our booking descriptions, and all our materials explicitly state that we are a 𝟭𝟬𝟬% 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀-𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 with no riding, no bathing, and no touching.
𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗢𝗡'𝗧 𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗘 𝗔𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦:
Riding elephants requires brutal "breaking" training as babies, causes spinal damage, creates chronic pain, and forces submission through fear. Bathing tourists with elephants causes stress, crowds them, and removes their agency. Hand-feeding creates pressure and anxiety.
These activities harm elephants — physically and psychologically. We will never compromise our elephants' wellbeing for tourist entertainment, ever.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗘 𝗗𝗢 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥:
Educational, observational experiences where you learn each elephant's rescue story, prepare their food, and witness natural behaviors in a peaceful environment. It's designed to be meaningful, informative, and respectful — exactly what you experienced.
We're genuinely glad you found it "informative and involving" despite having different expectations! And we truly appreciate your honesty in acknowledging it was a booking mistake rather than blaming us for something we never promised.
𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗨𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗩𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗦:
If you want to ride, bathe, or touch elephants, PENR is not the right choice. If you want to support genuine ethical elephant care and learn why those activities are harmful, we'd love to welcome you.
Thank you for visiting and for your honest feedback!
With respect,
The PENR Family
Member Pricing
From
$34.87
per personWas $36.70(-5%)
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve Ethical Sanctuary
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