My Adventure with Elephant Jungle Sanctuary

Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is located near Chiang Mai and they also have one near Phuket and Samui. I chose them because of the reviews and I will go back because of the Service.

Only been around since 1994 this ethical group has raised enough through tours and donations to feed, house and provide medical treatment to so many.

Each location offers a morning visit and afternoon visit. I chose the morning visit but wish I did the full day it was that magical.

Chiang Mai also offers a full day visit, and overnight visit and volunteer

Phuket also offers a feed me program, a feed me and shower program, and overnight and volunteer.

Samui also offer a feed me program, a feed me and shower program.

Depending on which location you are visiting you will be picked up from your accommodation and taken to the sanctuary. For Samui it is a 20 min drive, for Phuket about an hour and for Chiang Mai it is one and a half hours.

After your scenic tour to the camp you will arrive and learn about the camp and the elephants. After that you will change into traditional Karen clothing, which is a warm poncho so dress for the heat.

Once you are dressed you will be given some bananas and sugar cane to feed them, and then it begins. As the elephants make their way to the feeding area the ground shakes, some taking their time while others come running in for the food. You can touch, feed and learn about each one. Where they came from and what their story is.

After some feeding and great pictures we make our way to the mud bath. Here the elephants and you get a little or a lot muddy. It is great seeing them roll around. Then you make your way to the river for some much needed cleaning off.

Once everyone is clean you make your way back to the camp and have some much needed snacks and food. This is a great time to sit around and meet people from all over the world and share your experience.

So the full day visit is very similar to the half day however you get more time with the elephants. Along with that you also get to learn how to make medicine balls and feed them. I would chose this only because I really enjoyed the time with the elephants and wish I had longer to see how they live.

Overnight and Volunteer

When I go back to Thailand this will be on my list of to dos. You have a full day visit and after dinner you make your way to camp. After a great nights sleep you get up for breakfast join a group in a trek and stop for some lunch. After lunch trek to another camp to enjoy some time with more elephants. Maybe you will be lucky and get to see a baby elephant.

The volunteer program helps out the Karen tribe but it is such a great learning experience. Learn the elephants behavior, get an understanding of the care and abut disease of domestic elephants and so much more.