Samui Elephant Sanctuary

As another comment has said, if you only visit one elephant sanctuary in your life, make sure it’s this one. This is a genuinely ethical sanctuary with no bathing, riding or excessive touching. Many of the elephants have been rescued from other tourist sites around Thailand where riding and bathing has been offered and are now being given the life they deserve. It’s clear that all of the staff deeply care for and love the animals. The tour groups are kept small and there are only 2 entry times per day (at 9am and 2pm). They provide transfer from hotels and a lovely vegetarian buffet at the end. I left this experience relived that there is at least one place in the world where elephants are truly being cared for. Can’t recommend highly enough.

It was truly a wonderful experience. It gave our children a chance to understand that although the elephants in the sanctuary are now being cared for and enjoying a peaceful life, many of them spent 40–50 years working hard for humans — carrying logs or giving rides. Personally, I don’t think that should ever have happened. The staff at the sanctuary genuinely care about the elephants. We even prepared food for them by hand — it was a little messy (and slightly gross!), but still a very meaningful experience. Even though the meal provided was vegetarian, the food was absolutely delicious.

Amazing experience feeding and learning about rescued elephants. All costs contribute to helping the sanctuary care for these elephants. I would highly recommend visiting to support their efforts. Our guide was informative and funny. We chose the 1.5hr visit but could’ve stayed longer. The pick up/drop off to your hotel is very helpful.