Local Guides World
li re
2 reviews on 1 places
We wanted to visit the elephant sanctuary as showed on google maps and ended up here. As we saw the one remaining elephant in a chain standing there we did not go in. I'm not sure what this is supposed to be but I fear that for money you get whatever you want, including riding.
Wouldn't call it Sanctuary. There's a big misunderstanding and misuse of the word SANCTUARY. This is very misguiding. Better than places that offer trekking but closer to a zoo or petting zoo more like.
We took a taxi on our own from Khao Lak and told the driver (and showed him on google maps) Eco Elephant Sactuary Khao Lak. First, we were driven to what he believed we mean- a lonley and chained elephant next to the street (on google maps this place shows as Eco Elephant Sanctuary too). We were shocked by this and showed him again where we wanted to go. He then drove us 1 km further to, according to google maps, Eco Elephant Sanctuary. Ok.
Entry was 1200 baht/adult.
For a real Sanctuary, I'd have no problem paying that. I have visited animal sanctuaries and they were very different. In a sanctuary the animals have lots of space and do what they want and come close if they want. That's what makes it different to a zoo or animal show... that's what makes it a sanctuary. They are not on display the whole day long for tourists to watch and touch.
The feeding (you get a bucket of bananas) is nice enough. The elephants come close to fetch the bananas. As all 7 elephants were standing in the enclosure it was hard to see whether they could go somewhere else too or if their space was bigger. There's no information about that.
The space seemed rather small for 7 elephants, although we didn't see chains. But no need for them, when the place provides such display.
The bath: for each group of tourists one or two elephants are moved to the bath. (Behind the trees is a little path where carers move them to the bath. They elephants don't just go there, they are controlled with hooks on sticks which they put aside as soon as they are on display for tourists) It seems they want to offer the tourists some kind of attraction. We didn't see poking devices or needles during the bath but they were frequently pulled and pinched in their ears while they bathed, a sensitive area for elephants. As this is a common way to control these animals the "sanctuary" sadly gets a showcase- character.
Sadly, we could not find a true sanctuary, which deserves the word SANCTUARY.
I guess, as long as tourists EXPECT to see something and get something worth their money, places cannot turn into true sanctuaries. For this to happen, people who choose to visit such places, have to understand that these animals might not come close but have to be watched from a far. If they don't want to bath right now, then they don't. We went to the place because we wanted to see whether the bad reviews were true... and sadly, Sanctuary doesn't mean the same as at home.
However, we hope the money we paid is used for something good as the people who work there and run the place surely just try to do the best they can.
We took a taxi on our own from Khao Lak and told the driver (and showed him on google maps) Eco Elephant Sactuary Khao Lak. First, we were driven to what he believed we mean- a lonley and chained elephant next to the street (on google maps this place shows as Eco Elephant Sanctuary too). We were shocked by this and showed him again where we wanted to go. He then drove us 1 km further to, according to google maps, Eco Elephant Sanctuary. Ok.
Entry was 1200 baht/adult.
For a real Sanctuary, I'd have no problem paying that. I have visited animal sanctuaries and they were very different. In a sanctuary the animals have lots of space and do what they want and come close if they want. That's what makes it different to a zoo or animal show... that's what makes it a sanctuary. They are not on display the whole day long for tourists to watch and touch.
The feeding (you get a bucket of bananas) is nice enough. The elephants come close to fetch the bananas. As all 7 elephants were standing in the enclosure it was hard to see whether they could go somewhere else too or if their space was bigger. There's no information about that.
The space seemed rather small for 7 elephants, although we didn't see chains. But no need for them, when the place provides such display.
The bath: for each group of tourists one or two elephants are moved to the bath. (Behind the trees is a little path where carers move them to the bath. They elephants don't just go there, they are controlled with hooks on sticks which they put aside as soon as they are on display for tourists) It seems they want to offer the tourists some kind of attraction. We didn't see poking devices or needles during the bath but they were frequently pulled and pinched in their ears while they bathed, a sensitive area for elephants. As this is a common way to control these animals the "sanctuary" sadly gets a showcase- character.
Sadly, we could not find a true sanctuary, which deserves the word SANCTUARY.
I guess, as long as tourists EXPECT to see something and get something worth their money, places cannot turn into true sanctuaries. For this to happen, people who choose to visit such places, have to understand that these animals might not come close but have to be watched from a far. If they don't want to bath right now, then they don't. We went to the place because we wanted to see whether the bad reviews were true... and sadly, Sanctuary doesn't mean the same as at home.
However, we hope the money we paid is used for something good as the people who work there and run the place surely just try to do the best they can.