Wholesome experience. No torture or training tools, no commanding the elephants, no silly tricks, no uncalled for performances. The mahouts (handlers) do not command or when touch these elephants. They simply stand there and guide these creatures if they get too near the tourists (asking for fruit treats). You could get up close and personal with the elephants. Your only interaction with them is feeding of fruits as part of their daily intake. No taking bathes alongside them like you would see in some other 'sanctuaries'. You could see them roaming freely in this 30 acre area, taking baths, eating, or just chilling. These elephants (injured, old) are rescued from other camps around Thailand which forced them to do labour and acts as part of the tourist industry. I would recommend this to everybody who would like something different in Phuket. Amazing guides, amazing canopy treetop walk, amazing vegetarian lunch buffer and most of all, amazing elephants! One day, hopefully there are no more captive elephants and these sanctuaries will no longer be required. Peace.

A truly ethical elephant sanctuary. Not one that says sanctuary and you see crowds bathing with them and touching them. I can’t stress enough how important these details are, and how great this place is for these beautiful animals. Then, the experience was magical. Peaceful, super friendly staff, you can see elephants as they would behave in nature. Highly recommend the half day tour, it’s worth it. You walk both on the ground and the canopy, hear the insects and birds, see elephants literally smiling and spending good time. I loved it. The lunch afterwards is vegetarian (not easy to find over here!) and delicious.

Great experience, elephants are treated well and you get to see natural behaviour with a knowledgeable and respectful tour guide. Plus you get to feed elephants at a point which is fun and really enjoyable! The staff are all really friendly and can't do enough to help. The shop has lots of good products and part of the money goes to helping sick and hurt elephants in the sanctuary and ones they try and rescue.

A great morning spent learning about the elephants and the incredible work the sanctuary is doing to rescue elephants that are being tortured for tourist’s pleasure. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and passionate. The sanctuary has good visitor facilities and the buffet lunch was delicious with a good variety of food to enjoy. Highly recommend. My only complaint is that our package included snacks and refreshments upon arrival but our pick up from our accommodation was late (organised by the sanctuary) so we arrived about 10 minutes late and were rushed into the tour without being offered toilet break, snacks or water. However, they did provide water once on the tour which was nice as it was so hot walking around.

Loved our time at the Phuket elephant sanctuary. Staff was so kind and thoughtful. We booked our morning experience through Viator and it was seamless. We were picked up at our hotel and didn’t have to wait once we arrived. we were able to feed the elephants, get up close to them and their natural habitat, and also use the elevated walkway to view them from above. After that, we had lunch, which was provided. The staff was so kind to even accommodate for my daughter who has a tree nut allergy. Everything was very reasonably priced (we are from the United States). I would highly recommend this, especially for families.

Only elephant sanctuary to consider. 100% ethical. No forcing elephants to bath with you. You can see them really close. Touch them if elephant let you and feed them. Real sanctuary where elephants are safe and free. Beautiful experience. Food also delicious. Guide really informative and really interesting. Recommend with my all heart. More places like this! Spread awareness! No more hurting animals for tourism

Really awesome ethical elephant sanctuary, great way to spend a morning in Phuket. It's totally worth paying a bit more as the money goes back into saving more elephants and expanding the capacity of the park. The tour was super well organized and very impressive. Food was delicious and the prices in the store for souvenirs are very fair.

I would say it was a beautiful experience but it is not enough, because it was much more than that! I learned so much about the elephants, they are incredible creatures and deserve love and happiness. I am very grateful to Phuket elephant sanctuary and to all the volunteers for the job they are doing to save more elephants. Thank you so much🙏💖 Moreover, I loved the vegetarian buffet lunch, the dishes was so delicious!! I absolutely recommend this experience to everyone!! Love and respect for the elephants🐘 🐘

Very informative and respectful sanctuary. The guides are very interesting. The elephants get to roam freely in a large space, and bath as they want, without the stress of the crowd. You do get to offer them snacks, and to approach them in small groups. It's the perfect mix between a respectful and close experience with the elephants. Very cool bonus : breakfast and lunch are very good ! The staff is very professional and nice.

The best and most ethical sanctuary in Phuket , the elephants are rescued from the logging industry and riding camps mostly where they purchase older elephants to give them a good home to allow them to live a life free of torture and no being exploited . The elephants are on a 30 acre property with lush green forestry , the closest you will get us feeding them behind a fence . The guides will talk to you about their personalities and history of each elephant as you go round the sanctuary . They then provided an excellent buffet for dinner as well as a buffet for breakfast . Excellent value for money and happy to know the animals are looked after well.

You pay more for this sanctuary than the others that are around BUT this is by the far the most ethical of them all. I would highly recommend adding this tour to your trip, pay the extra money and support the project in what they're trying to achieve. You get to feed an elephant, watch them bathe naturally and experience them enjoying their new found freedom in a safe and protected environment. The tour guides are knowledgeable, light morning tea and lunch was delicious, gumboots were perfect for our walk about, they even supply umbrellas - great for shade on a hot day and the gift shop had great souvenirs at reasonable prices. We also enjoyed meeting other friendly tourists on this tour. You can take children on this trip, a great opportunity to build their awareness of how to take care of elephants.

An amazing ethical experience. So glad I chose this elephant sanctuary instead of others. We did the canopy walk which was plenty time, we got free snacks and drinks too which was nice. Shout out to Thomas who was our tour guide he was amazing, very knowledgeable and you knew he loved the elephants.

This was an ethical elephant experience that we truly enjoyed. We had an amazing time where we learned so much about the torture and harm many Thai elephants are subjected to and how this organization is trying to give a happy and peaceful final home for elephants who have more than earned their reprieve from abuse. We chose a package with pick up from our resort. We were driven to the check in center and then transferred to the actual sanctuary. From there we were given a great assortment of snacks and watched an informative video on how the sanctuary came into existence and how to be safe around the elephants and keep them safe as well while in the park. We were then split into groups and our guide led us through the park where we got to see the elephants up close, but still remained a respectful distance. Then we were able to view the elephants from the canopy walkways. At the end we were given a great buffet style lunch and driven back to the check in center, then our resort. We were so glad we came to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary and that this place exists to give elephants the chance to lead a happy, peaceful life. With so many places in Phuket exploiting and abusing elephants it is really nice to see Phuket Elephant Sanctuary offer a place where the animals are at peace and relieved from the grueling labor or giving rides to tourists, performing in circuses or the logging industry. These animals deserve our utmost respect and lead a dignified and happy life.

An elephant tour you can feel good about taking. This is the ONLY elephant experience in Phuket that does not exploit the elephants. No riding or bathing. These elephants are provided with a peaceful retirement where they can simply be elephants. The tour includes a delicious lunch as well. If you want an up- close experience with a staff that truly loves it's elephants, this is the place to go!

Pretty nice place. I don't understand why they call ethical sanctuary though. It is still pretty unethical, sexist and for-profit arrangement. They only accept female animals and only old ones. They claim that they buy old elephants for $40,000. But that's only to justify the expensiveness of the entry tickets imho. Think about it, why would a 70 year old elephant cost that much, given their life expectancy is 70 years. Also they let animals out from 8:30 am till 5:30 pm, while the rest of the time animals spend in a large, but confined space with about 100 Sq metres and nothing but sand on the ground. Per month they make $240,000 in revenue ($100 ticket x 80 visitors daily x 30 days) with costs of only maximum $50,000 (salary of 50 employees x $300 + lunches maximum $24,000/month + animal food). So it's a highly profitable show. Maybe I am wrong. But still overall the place is nice and the idea is great. At least retired animals get some rest once in their lifetime.

Incredible experience! You can tell they treat the elephants here with incredible kindness and care. Everything felt incredibly ethical and nourishing for the elephants. We were allowed to pet and feed the elephants on multiple occasions in a safe manner. Dinner was included and it was incredible! Lots of variety and left very full. Would highly recommend this place!

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is a MUST during a trip to Phuket. The work being done is incredible and it’s amazing to watch these beautiful animals freely roam. It is truly a sanctuary that honors the elephants in their natural habitat, while allowing you the opportunity to witness it all firsthand. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to answer any questions! The vegetarian meal at the end is also delicious! Highly recommend.

After reading a lot of reviews I decided to visit this sanctuary as one of the oldest of Phuket. Wasn’t disappointed even for a second, totally worth your time. Guides are amazing, animals are living their best lives now, not bothered or tortured anymore. Happy, free elephants are a heartwarming thing to witness, as well as a chance of an interaction with them when you’re given a spare minute to feed them after a long jungle journey. Highly recommend this experience! 100% ethical tourist attraction to spend a day at (and enjoy a lovely vegetarian dinner after!)

Me and my partner visit Phuket Elephant Sanctuary at the beginning of November 2021 for an afternoon with the Elephants. We choose to drive to the Sanctuary, how ever they can pick up from your hotel. We started in a tree type observatory where we where welcome with very friendly staff who looked after us and made us feel very welcome. They provided main snacks and drinks opinions. We had a 10 minute presentation about the sanctuary and how they look after all 12 Elephants and help them after being abused by work camps and tourist attractions. After the presentation we were allowed to walk amongst the elephants with our amazing tour guide Jeffy. The elephant now live in their natural environment which is attached to the in national park. After the tour we headed back to the observatory where we hand fed some of the elephants. We finished the day with an amazing prepared dinner which was vegetarian/vegan. We also were given then choice of a free t-shirt or bag. They had a cute gifts shop which all proceeds go back in to the sanctuary. The transportation was provided back to the office where we drove back to our hotel but they will also provide returns to your hotel. I couldn't recommend this place enough it was truly a magical experience. I will definitely be back to support this amazing place. Thank you to all the staff and the amazing work you are doing

This sanctuary is amazing! They really treat the elephants with the utmost care and have various programmes for visitors. We opted for the canopy walk as it fitted our schedule perfectly. Highly recommend that you visit this place so that you can enjoy these wonderful creatures in their natural habitat and support the sanctuary to rescue more elephants!

This sanctuary does not involve bathing with the elephants (and of course not riding) because it can be stressful for them sometimes. The half day tour starts with feeding the elephants, then a guide leads you into the jungle where you can see the elephants up-close in their natural habitat. This is the most ethical sanctuary in Phuket, as the elephants are completely free to roam around the jungle. Great vegetarian lunch and a t-shirt are included! Overall recommended!

This is how you should intersect with elephants, no painful shows and rides, all the elephants here have been rescued from logging or tourist shows and are free to wander in 30 acres of sanctuary. Elephants all have their own mahout to act as a companion and helper. They may come to you, or they may not, the guides and mahouts are on hand to make sure everyone gets along. Morning sessions will allow you to give some of the elephants a generous elevenses of fruit. In practical terms, the reserve is a short pickup ride from the office/car park and the centre itself has a complimentary breakfast, drinks, bug spray, parasols/umbrellas, socks and wellies (in wet season, there will be significant muddy areas, ankle boots will not cut it!) and a great lunch too. There are plenty of (Western style) toilets and a small gift shop. Not the cheapest centre, but nice to know you're actually helping the elephants. The founder used to run a more tourist oriented place and realised it wasn't good for them, so founded this spot. Worth the extra £/€/$/¥ to actually help these wonderful animals.

Best decision we made during our trip to Phuket was to visit the sanctuary. The staff have a lot of love for not just elephants, but also cats and dogs. It was amazing to see the elephants in their natural habitat looking happy and relaxed. Our guide, Jeffy, was amazing. He was very knowledgeable, had very good English and clearly cared for the animals very much. Whenever we come back to Phuket we will visit the sanctuary for sure as the money raised through each ticket sale helps rescue another elephant.

One of only a handful of ethical and sustainable elephant sanctuaries in Thailand. A truly incredible experience seeing these great creatures now living happily after being rescued from their traumatic former lives. There’s no riding or forced bathing with visitors which was very pleasing. The place is also great and very well organised. Our tour guide, Alex, was very experienced and knowledgeable too. Please go here if you’re in the area and do not support parks or tourist attractions where animal cruelty / forced behaviour is involved.

Great for a mess-free elephant experience, with their new canopy walk that lets you observe elephants from above! They are legit-- many of the elephants are blind and injured and thus they have someone to look after them and care for them 24/7-- one caretaker (called Mahout) per elephant. Our guide KT was super knowledgeable and entertaining and you can tell everyone at the sanctuary really cares about the elephants. The videos and orientation communicated really well the need for rehabilitation about how elephants are being treated in Phuket and Thailand. I got to feed an elephant which was a really special experience and they really educate you on how to deal with them. Facilities and timing with other groups were seamless.

We went into this trip with no expectations and were very surprised. The facility for the elephants and us guests is a dream. It is created with great attention to detail. We believe after this trip that the elephants are doing very well in this beautiful place. The elephants do not live in captivity but in a community of humans and animals. The trip is highly recommended if you want to get very close to an elephant. The animal sitters and all employees are friendly and courteous. Just fantastically beautiful here 😊

If you want to see elephants in Phuket, you have to go here and not one of the other awful tourist attractions where they get treated so poorly. There is no riding of the elephants, no bathing with them, they are left to do their own thing with the keepers, but if you care about the welfare of the elephants, you will appreciate this. Although you do get to feed them, which is a lot of fun. They have loads of space to roam around freely and are clearly treated very well. The place is also set up very well for tourists and has lots of little touches to make you feel looked after, from bottles of water when you go out to see the elephants, to cold towels when you get back, followed by a delicious spread for lunch, as well as snacks before you go out. Staff were amazing, too. Would absolutely recommend this place for people of all ages.

Such an amazing place where they actually love and care for the elephants! It's an amazing way to experience elephants without supporting a horrible entertainment industry that was typical years ago. Our guide, Hannah (I don't know if that how you spell her name) was fantastic and so so knowledgeable about all the elephants at the sanctuary! We learned all about their lives before they arrived and exactly what your money for the entry fee goes towards. I couldn't recommend it more!

It was a very informative tour. The elephants are safe in their hands. All of the elephants were taken care of, as they had certain disabilities. They gave us some delicious food, great information on what they do day to day, the importance of elephants to Thai culture and the guides were excellent at taking us around the grounds.

This is an amazing place, my experience from start to finish was absolutley perfection.The staff are all so friendly and welcoming. The facilities are spotlessly clean. You are given snacks & drinks on arrival followed buy a wonderful buffet after the walk around the sanctuary. The elephants are well cared for and loved by the staff and mahouts. I would never visit an unethical place so animal welfare and good treatment was priority for me and this place exceeded my expectations. I was blown away by how well ran the place was, how much the elephants are cared for. This was a really emotional experience for me, when you hear the stories about where the elephants were rescued from and how some of them are now injured and traumatised as a result. They are now living out their retirements in an amazing place set over 30 acres of lush land for them to roam around and finally be at peace and allowed to be an elephant, not a slave to evil greedy humans. If I was rich I would give this place a lot of money so they can continue to help rescue elephants in need. I really hope one day you reach your goal of rescuing 25 elephants in this sanctuary and being able to expand. Thank you so much for the once in a life time experience! Not a single bad word to say, and I dont know how anyone would not love this sanctuary.

Great place to visit if you like elephants and looking for close encounters. I did the half-day tour and was able to feed an elephant fruit. You will be provided snacks and drinks on arrival.. Watch a nice video & then get a tour guide to show you around & trek you through the preserve. Currently they have 12 elephants they care for. Note: this location does not do rides, paintings or show. It's raw organic encounters with elephants. The canopy skywalk is great way to get up close and get great photos. Afterwards they feed you a nice Thai style meal and depending on your package get a free t-shirt. They do have a nice gift shop that's not expensive (ex. Custom T-shirt 300baht). I really enjoyed it and was a one-of-a-kind experience. If you are in Phuket don't overlook this gem.👍

A superb experience! If you are hesitant to book due to the price, don’t wait! This place is well worth the cost and the experience is truly ethical. You do get to feed the elephants in the beginning and then walk through the sanctuary to learn about each one of them that has been rescued, mostly from the tourism industry. A delicious lunch is included and coffee and fruit in the morning. You will be proud of yourself that you took the ethical route and paid for a good cause!

One of the most spectacular places we visited on our honeymoon. The staff here are so obviously dedicated to these animals and make sure the visitors have the most meaningful experience while ensuring the elephants are respected. I highly recommend this sanctuary. I did a lot of research to ensure we visited a sanctuary with the highest ethical standards and Phuket Elephant Sanctuary was it. I highly recommend this sanctuary if you’re in Phuket as their proceeds are used to save more animals from the awful riding camps and logging industry that is so common in Thailand.

Such a wonderful experience! Cannot say enough about this place. The staff are super friendly and helpful, the food was excellent. Life changing place 🙏 will visit again. The staff are so devoted to the care of these awesome animals.

This is good for an "ethical" elephant sanctuary though I did some research afterwards and found while these elephants ARE in a better environment than before, they're still not allowed to truly roam free. Please do your research and if possible find elephants in a national park with no feeding, bathing or riding. The park pays 40-80,000 USD per elephant but they're still a business and they're making money. The tour was nice and the lunch was really good, I just can't provide 5 stars knowing these elephants are still captive. It's basically just a large zoo for elephants.

The elephants are so lovely to See. It was a Great adventure for us. They live like in Freedom there in Peace. The Guide Tell a lot of the Sanctuary and each Elephant. And Great Food for us

We had such a great experience here! This is one of very few ethical elephant parks in Thailand. There is no riding or bathing, but you do get to feed them. These are older, rescued elephants that have had hard lives. I tested up learning some of their stories. The lunch served was fantastic and there’s also a great gift shop.

A wonderful experience seeing the elephants enjoying their natural habitat. You can tell this establishment truly cares for their elephants. We chose the morning option which started around 930 with a short introduction video about the origins of the place and safety. Then a feeding experience followed by an hour long walk to observe the 10 or so elephants doing their thing. A great vegetarian buffet lunch was served around 12 and ended at 1. Highly recommend.

we had an absolutely wonderful time at the elephant sanctuary, the tour was extremely well organized, from hotel pickup, the engaging presentation, the information from our tour guide — all the way to the super tasty buffet. we got to meet so many elephants, most of them were so friendly and allowed us to be close. one of the highlits was feeding them ❤️🐘 would highly recommend — plus: you get to support this project with your ticket 🙌

We found it hard to find a truly ethical elephant sanctuary as many say they are(but you can still wash elephants etc). However we had a wonderful experience here. You can feed the elephants behind a barrier and on their terms. You then walk around the sanctuary observing from a close but safe distance. These are elephants who have retired from other tourist shows who are disabled. We had a wonderful experience and felt the place truly put the elephants first.

What an absolutely amazing experience! The facilities and land are just gorgeous. The staff are lovely. This is an ethical facility helping injured and old elephants that experienced many, many years of cruelty, abuse, and torture. The intro video is emotional - I definitely got teary-eyed! At the beginning there is a nice snack spread with beverages.You store your things in lockers so don't bring big bags. Our guide was Tutor.  He is a cheerful and nice man.  Tutor explained the name and background of each elephant we saw and the sad lives they had before. These elephants can't be released to the wild due to their injuries and old age. They looked quite happy at the sanctuary. Dedicated keepers that serve as chaperones to each elephant literally just follow the elephant around all day. The elephants go wherever they feel like and aren't told what to do other than when it's time to handfeed them. You get to feed them (behind a barrier so they don't just eat all the fruit on the table) which is awesome. I got a very funny elephant who was very choosy on what she liked and didn't like. Later, you get quite close to them without any barrier as they roam, bathe, and eat peacefully throughout the sanctuary. You do walk on the actual ground so wear good shoes. Later, you go on the skywalk which has several nice viewpoints. At the end, there is a really great lunch buffet with plenty of vegan and gluten free options. After lunch, you can visit their cute shop where I went overboard but funds help support the sanctuary. Truly one of the highlights of my trip to Thailand and one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.

Great to see these Beautiful Animals in their natural habitat without being worked and abused for human entertainment. Thank you for the awareness and your loving spirit to these marvelous creatures

Good concept but price of ticket is not so good

One of the highlights of a Thailand trip. A sanctuary for mistreated elephants that treat these majestic animals the way we should be. Both children and adults loved feeding them and learning about the elephants in their natural setting. The staff were super friendly and vegetarian lunch was delicious. This tour is totally worth the cost.

Eye opening, educational experience. The elephants are older and have had rough lives. Enjoyed seeing them eat and play with each other. There are other 'parks' that let you interact more with the elephants, but that really isn't in the best interest of the animals. They should be allowed to be left alone and live out the rest of their lives in peace. They are well cared for here and I highly recommend going to this sanctuary and supporting their efforts.

They work on funding provided by tourists coming to see these awesome creatures. The elephants here are safe, relatively free and when you visit these wonderful ladies (they are all female, sorta OH&S thing), you help fund not only thier upkeep and the fantastic work going on presently, but also future rescues and ventures in aid of these beautiful creatures of our planet.

An honest and genuine retirement home for elephants who have either been working with lumber or carrying tourists. Most of the elephants have been hurt in some way, blinded or broken legs/hips and the people at PES are doing a great job in relieving these great animals of pain and struggle. Every elephant has their own caretaker and their needs are seen to. The guide we had spoke English very well, could answer any questions and did a great job at telling about each elephants story. We did the 90min canopy walk, perfect if you have a child with you. You get to walk around the area, see all the elephants and learn about them and then you get to feed one of the elephants with fresh fruits and then you get to feed yourself with fresh fruit and cold drinks. 10/10

Such an incredible experience at the elephant sanctuary yesterday. It was clear to see that the elephants were the main priority and were genuinely cared for and looked after. There was no doubt in my mind that the animals were treated with care, respect and dignity. We got up really close and experienced them naturally. We even got to make snacks for them which was a really special part of our tour around the sanctuary. Our tour guide Tik was incredible too. She educated us on multiple parts of elephant life and her passion really made us excited about our visit. To make the experience even better they had a full vegetarian buffet with delicious vegan options. Also all gift purchases in the gift shop went towards helping get more elephants in the sanctuary and provide care for them. It was one of the best days we’ve had in Phuket and I would not hesitate to go back to Phuket Elephant Sanctuary.

An amazing morning spent with the elephants! After being checked in, we received socks and wellies and were directed to pick up some light snacks and a drink. The introduction and video were very information and then we got split into our groups and headed off to see the elephants. We saw them in the Hydrotherapy pool, from tall bridges, walking around the park and even got to feed them some fruits. The park is huge! Plenty of space for the resident elephants to roam in. There is absolutely no riding of elephants (thankfully!) and all of the team at the sanctuary are very knowledgeable and happy to take questions. We had a fantastic time finding out more about the elephants and felt comfortable visiting, knowing that they are treated well here. A must visit in Phuket!

This place is a paradise for old elephants . The program starts with an intro about how this place came about and we connected with it instantly. Refreshments are served at the start and end of the program. Post intro, a tour as per the selected program takes place... nd it is awesome.... You can see the elephants up close and personal without touching them or disturbing them. It's a treat to watch and is a must visit place for an entire family. The elephants roam freely, are happy and well kept.... The caretakers are really sensitive about their well-being . All proceeds from the program goes towards the maintanence of this place.. so it makes all the more sense .... We left with a bigger heart than we had come. Worth a visit!

Beautiful grounds.They run a very clean and organized operation. Our guide was amazing and seemed to have a very good relationship with the elephants. She told us stories of where they had been and some of them they had even given endearing nicknames. Very cute. I would highly recommend this sanctuary.

I am fully supportive of the ethical approach taken by the sanctuary. The place is very nice and you do learn quite a few things about the elephants and their conditions. We took the morning tour which included lunch buffet (which was really good for such a set up). Only thing that I was frustrated with is the short duration of the interactions with the animal (less than 2 hours on a 4 hour program). I would have liked to be able to spend a bit more observing the animals and a little bit less on things like eating and waiting

Choose this place for ethical elephant sanctuaries! I was looking for places that didn’t abuse elephants, but at the same time have a close encounter with the elephants. We were there for the PES Canopy Walkway program, and we definitely enjoyed ourselves! Ya ya, our guide was jovial throughout our entire time at the sanctuary, and you could clearly see her love and understanding of the various rescued elephants there. We definitely could tell that the elephants were happy to be in the sanctuary and we were glad that there was an area where they could be safe and well taken care of. The sanctuary also had great service - umbrellas were provided when it was raining towards the end, and refreshments and fruits were provided at the end of the tour. We definitely enjoyed ourselves and would most definitely recommend people to support the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary!

Truly one of the greatest experiences of my life. This is a truly ethical sanctuary where the elephants are so well cared for. Thankfully there is no riding or bathing with the elephants. Instead you observe them in the jungle in their most natural state. The tour guides were so friendly and knowledgeable. You can see how much the staff care about the welfare of the elephants. Would recommend this place to anyone visiting Phuket.

It's a beautiful place, very well kept. Only downside is you don't really see a ton of things. You walk around, you see the beautiful view and a few (around 4-5) elephants. You can pet the elephants and get very close. At the end you get to feed them some fruit, and that's the whole experience. The place is well kept and the elephants are treated like kings, which is what's really important eventually. The only reason I don't give them 5 stars is the price.

Had an unforgettable experience here this morning. The pick-up from the hotel was a bit late, but that's because of heavy rain. We were told that the elephants love the rain, and that's believable as we saw many of them standing around, playing with mud and eating happily. The guides are knowledgeable and communicate well, the elephants are beautiful despite their sad background stories a d the facilities at the sanctuary were kept clean.

Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is great for learning about elephants and how many regular owners are cruel and force them to live in inhumane conditions. You are toured around the plot of land seeing the different elephants and learning everything. Overall a very interesting and enjoyable day trip.

Didn’t feel like it was an actual sanctuary and perhaps just one elephant as I didn’t see any others and felt perhaps the food we gave it was all she had to eat that day ?!

Amazing!

The Blonde loves elephants so I knew a visit to a sanctuary of sorts was on the cards for our time in South East Asia. But with so many to choose from, why choose Phuket Elephant Sanctuary? This place is mentioned in the 2018 Guardian article "How ethical is the elephant ‘sanctuary' you're visiting?" and from our time there it is clear to see that the rescued elephants (a herd of older ladies to be precise) are treated like royalty. None are forced to put on a show for your visit and it is obvious that you're fitting into their schedule of activities, rather than the other way around. Cleaning the elephants in the aptly named hydrotherapy pool was a personal highlight whereas The Blonde loved feeding one of the lodgers fresh fruit and vegetables at the conclusion of our tour of the park. Well maintained, well staffed and we left after being well fed - the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is a cause worth spending your money on.

This place is so wonderful. When we first arrived we got a full video presentation about how the sanctuary came to be and the progress the owner made to make it what it is today and what they want to do for the future, it was really inspiring. We got to feed the elephants in the morning but that's as close as you're allowed to go as they want them to have the most natural environment as possible. All of the guides know everything about every elephant - name, age, where they came from and their story. It really showed how much everyone cares about the elephants and their welfare. This is the best experience and I'd highly recommend supporting this cause.

Beautiful and fully run for elephants benefit not tourists...

Lovely elephant. Don't forget to give them banana :)

(Translated by Google) A really great experience. A lot of effort has been put in and if you want to support the right one, this is the place for you. The price is really reasonable for this sanctuary. (Original) Eine wirklich tolle Erfahrung. Es wurde sich sehr viel Mühe gegeben und wer das richtige unterstützen möchte, ist hier genau richtig. Der Preis ist für diese Auffangstation wirklich angemessen.

(Translated by Google) * Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, set in 10 hectares of lush tropical jungle, buys sick, mistreated and old elephants for a well-deserved retirement. “Of the 6000 elephants listed in Thailand, only 2000 are free creatures. The other 4,000 are beaten, tortured, in order to become docile to tourist attractions 🐘 » The only contact we have with the elephants is at the start of the visit when we feed them. During the rest of the visit, we observe them living their lives. If you are going to Thailand BOYCOTT elephant rides and "false sanctuaries" where you can swim with them! (Original) *Phuket Elephant Sanctuary, établi sur un terrain de 10 hectares de jungle tropicale luxuriante, rachète des éléphants malades, maltraités et vieux pour qu’ils aient une retraite bien méritée . « Sur les 6000 éléphants répertoriés en Thaïlande, 2000 seulement sont des créatures libres. Les 4000 autres sont battus, torturés, afin de devenir dociles pour les attractions touristiques 🐘 » Le seul contact que nous avons avec les éléphants est en début de visite lorsque nous leur donnons à manger. Pendant le reste de la visite, on les observe vivre leur vie. Si vous allez en Thaïlande BOYCOTTER les balades à dos d’éléphants et les « faux sanctuaires » où vous pouvez vous baigner avec eux !

The elephant are very friendly, and the staff are hospitable.

(Translated by Google) Very beautiful park! A great time! (Original) Très beau parc ! Un super moment !

(Translated by Google) The last house of elephants (Original) บ้านหลังสุดท้ายของช้าง

I did volunteer work here for my birthday. I loved it! Sincerely, Tameassa

Amazing place with an amazing mission

(Translated by Google) The park is relatively new. We did a lot of research before our visit to find a real ethics tour. First you get about 1 hour of education and training on the history of the elephants. Likewise behaviors towards the elephants. I didn't have the impression that elephants had to work here. The helpers have a structured day in this park. Groups of visitors come discretely and can feed elephants. a lunch buffet is also included in the price. Even after the tour ended, we were able to see the elephants again with the tour guide. We were answered all questions. We also never had the feeling that the answers were glossed over. Overall, the park was very authentic and honest in its concept. There is no riding and bathing together. The expensive ones are doing really well here. (Original) Der Park ist relativ neu. Wir haben vor unserem Besuch lange Recherchiert um eine wirkliche Ethik Tour zu finden. Man bekommt zunächst eine ca. 1 Stündige Aufklärung und Schulung zur Historie der Elefanten. Ebenso Verhaltensweisen gegenüber der Elefanten. Ich hatte hier such nicht den Eindruck das Elefanten arbeiten müssen. Die helfenden haben in diesen Park einen strukturierten Tag. Besuchergruppen kommen so eher diskret hinzu und können Elefanten füttern. zudem ist im Preis ein Mittags-Buffet inbegriffen. Auch nach Beendigung der Tour konnten wir nochmals zu den Elefanten mit der Tour Führerin. Uns wurden alle Fragen beantwortet. Wir hatten auch nie das Gefühl angelogen bzw. Antworten beschönigt werden. Der Park wirkte im ganzen sehr authentisch und ehrlich in seinem Konzept. Hier gibt es kein Reiten und gemeinsames Baden. Den teuren geht es hier aber wirklich gut.

One of the best places to visit in Phuket...well run, clean, and for a great cause. A fun and memorable experience. Highly Recommended.

(Translated by Google) Very big (Original) ตัวใหญ่มากค่ะ

This is a wonderful place to see the elephants. You get to see them in their natural habitat while feeling like you’re making a difference. Female elephants are cast aside when they get injured or don’t cooperate in the elephant shows. This place takes them in and nurses turn back to health. The lunch they served with our tour was delicious too.

(Translated by Google) It is another natural tourist destination that is very attractive. (Original) เป็นสถานที่เที่ยวเชิงธรรมชาติอีกแห่งหนึ่งที่น่าเที่ยวมากครับ

(Translated by Google) like (Original) ชอบ

If you want to visit an elephant sanctuary — this is the one to visit! Elephants are not chained, you can not ride or bath them, after visiting many animal sanctuaries for research purposes — this one and the one in Phnom Penh are the best!

This place is a great ethical way to get close to elephants. All the rescued elephants get to roam around the large sanctuary, and they let us get fairly close to them (and even feed them). Staff were very friendly and the facilities were clean. Complimentary drinks and a light snack we’re also included in our package.

Amazing experience on the half day tour observing the free elephants wandering around. The staff are friendly and passionate about elephant welfare and have stories to tell about each one that we encountered. Would highly recommend this experience!

Lovely elephant sanctuary with a great & friendly staff that cares a lot for the elephants. This is the place to go for ethical elephant interactions. The canopy walkway is incredible, and will only get better as the years go on I’m sure.

Amazing experience! We chose to visit PES to support an ethical sanctuary that does not allow riding or bathing the elephants and were extremely happy with our experience. It was very educational to learn about the horrific elephant tourism throughout Thailand, but so happy to see that elephants are being rescued and getting the care they deserve! The elephants at the PES all seemed very happy!! We got to feed one of them, see the hydrotherapy pool, learn how they rehabilitate and care for the elephants, and took a walk through the sanctuary to see each elephant and learn their names and stories. The facilities are exceptionally clean, the food provided was great, and the staff was friendly and knowledgeable. I highly recommend visiting and supporting the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary!

(Translated by Google) The place has a very good atmosphere. (Original) สถานที่บรรยากาศดี มากๆเลยครับ

Amazing experience -meeting, feeding and bathing the elephants. #NoRiding

(Translated by Google) We booked a private tour and it was a really unique experience. You are first greeted and paid on site, then you are brought to a vehicle around the corner. With this you drive together with the guide into the jungle for a few minutes. First you show a 15 minute information film, then the tour begins. We started with the hydrotherapy pool and were allowed to spray the elephants with water. We took a walk across the grounds and saw all the elephants - once we were a few meters away from you. No barriers - you are face to face with these beautiful animals. I am impressed by how peaceful these animals were and how much they seem to enjoy it. Our guide explained a lot to us and spoke good English. Finally, we were allowed to feed a whole fruit basket to 2 elephants. You shouldn't ride or swim with the animals here. I can recommend this experience to everyone! (Original) Wir haben eine privateTour gebucht und es war ein wirklich einmaliges Erlebnis. Man wird erst begrüsst und bezahlt vor Ort, dann wird man zu einem Fahrzeug ums Eck gebracht. Mit diesem fährt man gemeinsam mit dem Guide ein paar Minuten in den Jungel. Zuerst zeigt man einen ca. 15 Minuten Informationfilm, dann beginnt die Führung. Wir starteten mit dem Hydrotherapy Pool und durften die Elefanten mit Wasser abspritzen. Wir haben einen Spaziergang über das Gelände gemacht und alle Elefanten gesehen - einmal standen wir wenige Meter vor einem entfernt. Keine Absperrungen - man ist direkt Auge in Auge mit diesen schönen Tieren. Ich bin beeindruckt wie friedlich diese Tiere waren und wie sehr sie es zu geniessen scheinen. Unser Guide hat uns viel erklärt und sprach gutes Englisch. Zum Schluss durften wir einen ganzen Obstkorb an 2 Elefanten füttern. Hier darf man nicht reiten und auch nicht mit den Tieren baden. Dieses Erlebnis kann ich jedem empfehlen!

Truly ethical

Amazing place with very informed guides. So lovely to see these beautiful animals being saved from cruelty and looked after in their natural habitat. well worth a visit. You get to learn about the elephants, take lots of pictures, and feed them too. Excellent trip. Would go again. Highly recommended. Please ensure you go to ethical sanctuaries.

(Translated by Google) I like it (Original) ชอบครับ

I had a wonderful experience visiting the sanctuary. Everybody who works there seems to treat all the animals with the respect they deserve. Amazing vegetarian buffet with many vegan options. Definitely a highlight.

Good experience

The elephant sanctuary was an amazing and eye opening experience, thank you so much from both of us. It was fascinating to hear the age and stories about which industry each of the 10 elephants had been rescued from (Most from logging and tourism). The stories about each of their past lives had me in tears, so it was very special to see them well looked after. We loved the ethical focus of the sanctuary maintaining the elephants true behaviour. There were aerial walk ways so we largely didn't interrupt the elephants in their natural habitat. We also saw two elephants in the hydrotherapy pool doing rehab for the injuries, one of which had a broken leg. All the elephants are females ranging from 25-60years old, costing 600ktbt to 2m tbt to rescue. Very happy to have supported this ethical sanctuary. As a side note, the whole organisation was a well oiled machine from hotel pick up to induction to a lovely lunch. We were well looked after.

In Phuket, there is no shortage of animal themed tourist attractions. However, there is only one elephant sanctuary. The high level of compassion and knowledge the PES Staff have for the animals in their care is truly touching. Our morning with the elephants is without a doubt one of the highlights of our time in Phuket.

Such an amazing eye-opening experience. The guides were informative and spoke great English. The facility itself is well-kept and the food you get at the end was a nice touch. This is the ONLY way you should experience elephants in Thailand - ethical and a very worthy cause.

This place is magical

Fantastic and educational experience. If you want to spend time with elephants in Thailand do your research and find an ethical sanctuary that treats the animals well.

If you want to visit an ethical elephant sanctuary where you can observe the elephants without harassing them, this sanctuary is the one for you. It may seem expensive for a visit but you get a great buffet meal and your money helps protect and save older, injured elephants. People of all ages should come here!