When you are visiting Thailand, one of the things that you should ensure that you see during your trip, is the elephants. There was once a time when people would visit an elephant camp and ride these beasts of burden, but thankfully times have changes to these animals are kept ethically. When you are visiting Thailand, there are lots of places to see elephants in this way and below you will see some of the best ways to find an ethical elephant park to help you plan your trip.
The Best Time Of Year To See The Elephants
Most of the parks throughout Thailand where you can see the elephants are open year-round, so you can see them no matter when you visit. However, you may wish to choose the time of year carefully so that your trip coincides with the best weather when it is not too hot, or too wet. The popular months for tourists are between November and March when the weather is cooler and dry, from April to May, it is summer so can get extremely hot. From June to October, the weather is cooler, but it is the rainy season, so there is a high chance that you will get wet during your visit.
Where To See The Elephants
When it comes to finding an ethical elephant sanctuary, Thailand has many options available to you throughout the country. Below are some of the best places that you can visit and where they are located.
- Elephant Nature Park – Chiang Mai
- Elephant Jungle Sanctuary – Chiang Mai, Phuket, Koh Samui, Pattaya
- Elephant Hills – Khao Sok
- Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand – Hua Hin
- Phang Nga Elephant Park – Phang Nga
- Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary – Sukhothai
These are a few of the different parks that you can visit, and they all offer similar experiences when it comes to observing and interacting with the pachyderms.
What To Expect When You Visit
Whichever park you decide to visit, they will collect you from your hotel or where you are staying and deliver you to the park. When you arrive, you are often given a change of clothes so that you do not get dirty, and then you will be introduced to the elephants with plenty of food for them to eat. All your food and water are provided, and you will learn many things about elephants during your stay. One of the highlights of the trip will be taking the animals to the water and giving them a bath which you can help with and is a lot of fun. Some of the parks offer overnight stays, but f you are not doing this, in the middle of the afternoon it is time to say goodbye and make your way back to your hotel.
