Phuket Elephant Nature Reserve Ethical Sanctuary

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.

Amazing. We were keen to avoid seeing wildlife being exploited for tourism and this Ethical Sanctuary was perfect. The knowledgeable guide talked us through how the elephants are rescued and looked after, acknowledging their needs and creating an environment tailored to their natural needs and instincts. We were still able wander around the open area with our guide to see them close up and interact via providing them with food rather than touching or feeding them directly. We were delighted to see them comfortable and happy. So rather than visiting wildlife where they are forced to "perform" for tourists, giving rides/being touched/washed I cannot recommend this highly enough - and by visiting this Sanctuary you could help establish this model and help Thailand move their wildlife enclosures to this more sustainable and compassionate model.

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.

A great experience. Loved seeing these elephants roam around, not chained up and not trained for tricks etc. The hands off experience does not take away from the magnificence of these beautiful animals. Our guide was very informative and clearly respects and is passionate about the sanctuary and looking after these animals for the rest of their days

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.