Animal trips have always been special to my bi and me. Therefore, when we finally managed to return to Krabi, we didn’t miss any chances to visit the Elephant Sanctuary. Ideally, our plan had always been to go to an elephant sanctuary in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, where we can volunteer and get closely involved with them. Sadly, we still couldn’t make a trip to Chiang Mai this time, so the Elephant Sanctuary in Krabi became our best choice. We can assure you that it was one of the best highlights of our trip, and we’re ready to share our experience with you in this post.

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A Trip to the Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary

There are only a few elephant sanctuaries in Krabi, and the one we decided to visit was the Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary because it was the closest to our hotel. You can find the Elephant tour on their official website, but we preferred to book it through Klook because it is cheaper and more convenient. As it was only a half-day tour, the whole tour would take about 3-4 hours, and it came with two sessions: Morning (starting at 8 am – 12 pm) and afternoon (starting at 1 pm – 4 pm). We thought it would be nice to begin our day interacting with elephants, so we opted for a morning session instead. 

One of the great things about this tour is that it provides pick up and drop off from your hotel in Krabi, so you don’t have to worry about arriving late. Depending on each participant and their location, they will arrange their own schedule for pick-up, so it’s best to be ready at your hotel lobby at about 8 am. As soon as the van arrives, the ride will take about 10 minutes, and your elephant journey is about to start. 

Once you reach the sanctuary, the guides greet you and provide a lot of information about elephants. Everyone is welcome to ask any questions they have. The guides were English-speaking, so we could understand them just fine, except for the mahouts. They didn’t speak English, but they communicated with us through body language.

Tour Activity in the Ao Nang Elephant Sanctuary

Our first activity began with feeding time. We fed the elephants their favorite foods, such as bananas and sugar cane. The guide taught us the correct way to hold the food to feed the elephants, and he warned us not to run during feeding time because elephants will see it as a threat. 

Then, we learned how to make a healthy food supplement for elephants. It’s made from a mixture of a few slices of banana and ground feed pellets that contain vitamins, minerals, and water. We mashed it all together and rolled it into a ball before feeding it to them. Our hands might have gotten dirty, but we had a great time making healthy food for them.

Next, we got to experience a mud bath with the elephants, scrub them, and wash them in a pond. I could see those elephants enjoying getting bathed so much. I mean, who doesn’t like cooling water when the weather is extremely hot? As this bathing session is an outdoor activity and there is no shelter, make sure to put sunblock on your face and body.

Klook.com

My Thoughts

Overall, it was absolutely the best experience to be able to interact and get close to the elephants. We also witnessed how happy and well-treated those elephants were in the sanctuary. We enjoyed playing with those beautiful creatures. They were super gentle and even let us touch and hug them. 

The activity tour was amazing and well-organized. Not only were the guides friendly and knowledgeable, but they also provided a photographer with a professional camera to help everyone take photos of the entire activity and emailed them to us without any charges. It was definitely an unforgettable memory that was worth every penny. Whether on a solo trip, romantic or family trip, I highly recommend this activity to anyone traveling to Krabi.

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