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.
Photos of elephants we hate
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.
The terminology surrounding elephant sanctuaries can be confusing, but we explain the differences between sanctuaries, orphanages and camps and discuss their ethics.
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.
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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