Elephant watching holidays travel guide

“You should expect to see elephants interacting in a natural environment and in a natural way. Elephants are highly social creatures with strong family bonds and friendships. Elephants that are allowed sufficient freedom will likely move in herds and carers may be able to identify social groups for visitors. There will likely be a great deal of communication between the animals in the form of trumpeting, rumbles and various other sounds. The elephants may also engage in play. Most importantly, the animals should be allowed the freedom to do as their instincts tell them and express their natural behaviours – none of which is possible in ride- and show-based venues, where elephants spend most of their day in chains – and not be forced into any interaction with tourists. In order to enjoy this experience safely, visitors should be mindful of the wild nature of elephants, behave respectfully of the animals (most of the time this includes keeping an appropriate distance) and follow the instructions given by trained staff.”

Sanctuaries doing good work for Asian elephants also exist in Thailand and Cambodia, but it’s very difficult to see elephants in the wild here, so although some organised holidays to these countries take in places such as the Elephant Nature Park for retired elephants near Chiang Mai, they don’t have enough elephant content to be classed as an elephant watching holiday – true pachyderm fans might be disappointed!

Some elephant watching holidays combine seeing elephants in the wild with a day or half day visit to a sanctuary. In Sri Lanka, for instance, you can visit the Elephant Transit Home (ETH) in Udawalawe, where orphaned wild elephants are treated, raised and released back to the wild, but then also spot them in Yala, Kaudulla or Wilpattu National Parks, or during the so called ‘great gathering’ of wild elephants. This is the largest Asian elephant gathering known to exist on the planet, and it takes place in Minneriya National Park in August and September, when more than 300 elephants gather to drink from a reservoir each evening.