Volunteer travel guide
Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world.
Sanctuary, park, camp or orphanage
As commercial logging is slowly being outlawed across Southeast Asia, many elephants are unable to continue working. Without an income their owners cannot feed or support them – this is where the elephant sanctuaries come in.
An elephant sanctuary is, in theory, a place where 'retired' elephants can come and live in peace, no longer needing to work in order to feed themselves. Rescued elephants may also be brought here; those who have been maltreated, injured or orphaned in the wild or made to ‘beg’ on the streets to get money from tourists.
An elephant camp may also contain rescued or retired animals, but it is also traditionally associated with training them. Elephant camps offer rides to tourists, as well as performances such as painting, dancing or music. The elephants may also demonstrate the skills they used when working, such as carrying logs.
An elephant sanctuary is, in theory, a place where 'retired' elephants can come and live in peace, no longer needing to work in order to feed themselves. Rescued elephants may also be brought here; those who have been maltreated, injured or orphaned in the wild or made to ‘beg’ on the streets to get money from tourists.
An elephant camp may also contain rescued or retired animals, but it is also traditionally associated with training them. Elephant camps offer rides to tourists, as well as performances such as painting, dancing or music. The elephants may also demonstrate the skills they used when working, such as carrying logs.
Our Elephant conservation Vacations
Elephant conservation project in Namibia
Preserve the beautiful desert elephants of Namibia!
From
£995 to £4995
11 days
ex flights
Elephant refuge volunteering in Thailand
Volunteer with rescued elephants in an inspiring refuge
From
£970
7 days
ex flights
Big five conservation in South Africa
Volunteer with the Big Five in South Africa.
From
£595 to £5995
8 days
ex flights
Rhino and elephant conservation in Zimbabwe
Integrate conservation efforts with the local community
From
£895 to £6395
8 days
ex flights
South Africa volunteering with the big five
Take part in the conservation of Africa's wildlife.
From
£995 to £5995
15 days
ex flights
Elephant conservation vacation for families, Namibia
Elephant conservation volunteering project for families
From
£1450
11 days
ex flights
Performing elephants
Unfortunately, there are no regulations regarding the treatment of captive elephants across Asia, so you will need to do more than just look at the name to know what goes on in each location. Despite the name, many sanctuaries and orphanages do use chains and their elephants are forced to perform or give rides – so look at their website, along with review sites to see what other travelers have to say.
All the sanctuaries featured on Responsible Travel have been screened; we do not support any performances or elephant rides – so you know that you are not contributing to the poor treatment of elephants.
All the sanctuaries featured on Responsible Travel have been screened; we do not support any performances or elephant rides – so you know that you are not contributing to the poor treatment of elephants.
Anne Smellie, from our supplier Oyster Worldwide:
“We have had some very bad experiences. In Thailand I went to visit some elephant ‘sanctuaries’ to establish volunteer programmes. What I witnessed was elephants in chains, being forced to play basketball, dance, paint pictures and generally entertain western tourists, who sadly were delighted by this. As part of the experience they went for treks with the elephants, which were being hit with bull hooks by their mahouts. What I experienced in those few days was extremely troubling, and actually led to an implementation of policy for us to state what sort of organisations we would work with. Needless to say, it was not this one.”
“We have had some very bad experiences. In Thailand I went to visit some elephant ‘sanctuaries’ to establish volunteer programmes. What I witnessed was elephants in chains, being forced to play basketball, dance, paint pictures and generally entertain western tourists, who sadly were delighted by this. As part of the experience they went for treks with the elephants, which were being hit with bull hooks by their mahouts. What I experienced in those few days was extremely troubling, and actually led to an implementation of policy for us to state what sort of organisations we would work with. Needless to say, it was not this one.”
Our top Elephant conservation Vacation
Elephant conservation project in Namibia
Preserve the beautiful desert elephants of Namibia!
From
£995 to £4995
11 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2023: 8 Oct, 22 Oct, 5 Nov, 19 Nov, 3 Dec
2024: 1 Jan, 15 Jan, 29 Jan, 12 Feb, 26 Feb, 11 Mar, 25 Mar, 8 Apr, 22 Apr, 6 May, 20 May, 3 Jun, 17 Jun, 1 Jul, 15 Jul, 29 Jul, 12 Aug, 26 Aug, 9 Sep, 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2 Dec
2023: 8 Oct, 22 Oct, 5 Nov, 19 Nov, 3 Dec
2024: 1 Jan, 15 Jan, 29 Jan, 12 Feb, 26 Feb, 11 Mar, 25 Mar, 8 Apr, 22 Apr, 6 May, 20 May, 3 Jun, 17 Jun, 1 Jul, 15 Jul, 29 Jul, 12 Aug, 26 Aug, 9 Sep, 23 Sep, 7 Oct, 21 Oct, 4 Nov, 18 Nov, 2 Dec
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Elephant conservation or need help finding a vacation to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Sanctuary pros & cons
Cons
Elephant Family exists to save the Asian elephant from extinction. It works to expose the illegal smuggling of elephants and to stop calves being captured from the wild to supply the tourism industry.
Their campaigns manager Jo Cary-Elwes explains more:
“Wild adults are often killed so that the babies can be captured to be sold into tourist camps. After being taken from the forests, calves are tied up, starved and tortured to ‘tame’ them for a life in captivity. Many die from stress, or because their bodies simply can’t take the beatings. At Elephant Family, this illegal trade is the focus of our key campaign because it is having a devastating impact on wild populations.
Their campaigns manager Jo Cary-Elwes explains more:
“Wild adults are often killed so that the babies can be captured to be sold into tourist camps. After being taken from the forests, calves are tied up, starved and tortured to ‘tame’ them for a life in captivity. Many die from stress, or because their bodies simply can’t take the beatings. At Elephant Family, this illegal trade is the focus of our key campaign because it is having a devastating impact on wild populations.
With the growth of tourism and the constant demand for Asian elephants in captivity there are strong incentives to take them from the wild – it’s a lucrative business. People love elephant calves, so they will generate greater revenue and they are also easier to train.
One of the other big drivers of this trade is known as ‘buy to rescue’, when sanctuaries or camps buy elephants to ‘rescue’ them. The sanctuaries may take care of the elephants, but they are fuelling the trade by creating a market and providing smugglers with money to go out and capture more elephants."
- Read more on the Elephant Family website.
- Read how elephant tourism is fuelling cruelty.
Pros
From a supplier, who wishes to remain anonymous:
“Personally I believe that sending volunteers to help out at ethically-run camps where they may still offer some limited trekking is an equally important part of the equation, especially since the more volunteers that are sent, the more money is raised and consequently, the less time needs to be spent actually offering rides to tourists.
It is a complex problem but it is my personal belief that to only support sanctuaries where no riding takes place could run the real risk of negatively impacting those who are not able to offer that “luxury” at this point in time.”
More about Elephant conservation
It's long been a highlight of many vacations in Asia, but riding elephants could lead to the extinction of wild populations, and often involves cruelty to the animals in order to sustain it.
Asia has a long history of keeping elephants in captivity, to be used in wars, in the logging industry and now in tourism, and we ask what their role might look like in future.
We explain why Responsible Travel no longer promotes elephant rides in sanctuaries or in national parks, based on recommendations by vacation companies and wildlife charities.
Did you know there are two species of elephants? Can you tell them apart? And did you know that elephants, can be right- or left-tusked? Read on for more elephant facts and useful links.
Nothing beats seeing elephants in their natural habitat, whether that's in the jungle, savannah or desert. Our interactive map reveals where to encounter elephants in the wild.
Performing elephants, chained elephants, ivory, zoos and howdahs all make for very sad images, which we really don't want on our memory cards after a vacation to Southeast Asia.
Read our list of elephant sanctuaries we do and don't support, based on our comprehensive review of all the elephant sanctuaries featured on our site.
In 2007, we looked into Pinnewala Elephant Orphanage to find out if it really was an ethically-run sanctuary. The following year we removed all trips featuring it from our site. Find out why.
Elephant trekking and captive elephants are complex issues. We spoke with vacation companies, wildlife charities and NGOs to help us form our stance on elephants and tourism.
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