Looking for a Good Place to See Elephants in Thailand
During our trip to Thailand, we really wanted to see elephants. But we wanted to do it in a way that felt right.
We absolutely did not want to ride elephants, watch them perform tricks, or see animals being made to work for tourists. It was important to us that the elephants were well cared for and allowed to live as naturally as possible.
My daughters therefore started looking for different organisations and places where we could see elephants. They read reviews and looked carefully at how the animals were treated. Eventually, we found a small accommodation where three elephants lived.
Before our stay, we contacted the accommodation, DioLom Elephant Farmstay, to ask if we could feed the elephants. We received confirmation that we could, so we were curious to see what the place would be like.
Things turned out to be a little different when we arrived
When we arrived, we actually couldn’t do anything with the elephants. We weren’t allowed to feed them, and we couldn’t simply walk around with them either.
Of course, that was a little disappointing.
The owner explained that the following day, for an additional fee, we could feed the elephants, walk with them and even swim with them in the river.
The only thing was that none of this had been mentioned beforehand.
So we talked to him about it. Not angrily, but because we felt this should have been communicated more clearly. Especially for people who deliberately choose a place because they care about animal welfare.
It turned into a very pleasant conversation. The owner was incredibly kind and understood exactly what we meant.
Since I run a B&B myself, I explained how important I think it is for guests to know exactly what they can expect before they arrive. In the end, we actually sat down together and updated his Booking.com listing.
It was made clearer that feeding the elephants, walking with them and swimming in the river were activities that required an additional payment.
So, in the end, what started as a small misunderstanding actually resulted in better information for future guests.
We didn't want a full-day elephant experience
We didn’t want to spend an entire day doing activities with the elephants.
We simply wanted to see them, spend some quiet time around them and give them some food.
So we were allowed to come back the following day to feed them.
And that’s when we got a completely different impression of the place.
There were three elephants, and each elephant had its own caretaker. The owner told us that they were fed approximately every hour and were free to walk around.
What stood out to us most was how gently he treated the animals. He knew them well and was clearly very involved in their wellbeing.
But the story behind the elephants made an even bigger impression on us.
Rescued from a difficult past
The owner told us that he had rescued all three elephants.
They had spent many years working hard. Among other things, they had been used to carry heavy logs and to carry people. They had also been beaten.
According to the owner, the rules in Thailand have changed and elephants can no longer be used for the same kind of heavy labour. In some neighbouring countries, however, this still happens.
He had bought these elephants to make sure they would not have to return to that kind of life during their remaining years.
Instead, they could roam freely, were given plenty of food and were well cared for.
Hearing their story made us look at the animals differently.
They weren’t simply three elephants we happened to see during our holiday. Each of them had a history, and their owner had deliberately taken them out of that life.
1,000 baht a day
Our accommodation itself was very simple. We stayed in basic little huts, and at first we thought the price was quite high compared with other accommodation in the area.
But when we learned how much it cost to care for the elephants, we understood the higher price a little better.
Feeding one elephant cost around 1,000 baht per day. That’s approximately €25.
Per elephant
And there were three of them.
When my daughters heard this, they both wanted to contribute some of their own money.
In the end, together they gave 3,000 baht. That was enough to cover approximately one day’s food for all three elephants.
I thought that was such a beautiful moment. It was completely their own idea. They simply wanted to do something for the animals they had been so excited to see.
Our encounter with the elephants
The next morning, we were allowed to prepare their food and feed them.
There were no tricks and no show. We could simply spend some quiet time with the animals, feed them and watch how they interacted with their caretakers.
And that was exactly what we had been looking for.
Of course, as a tourist, you can never know exactly what happens behind the scenes. To some extent, you have to trust what the owner tells you and what you see for yourself.
But what we saw was a man who clearly cared deeply about his elephants and invested a lot of time and money in their wellbeing.
And perhaps it was actually a good thing that we didn’t get everything we expected beforehand. Because of our conversation with the owner, we ended up learning much more about the place and the stories behind the animals.
A special memory
The accommodation was simple, and the communication about the activities could definitely have been clearer beforehand. But by talking openly with the owner, we gained a much better understanding of the place and the care the elephants received.
And despite everything, we look back on the experience with a very good feeling.
We had been looking for a place where we could see elephants without contributing to animal suffering. In the end, we met three elephants, each with their own story, an owner who clearly cared deeply about them, and we were even given the opportunity to contribute to their daily care.
And perhaps the most beautiful part of it all was my daughters.
They didn’t just want to see the elephants. When they heard how much it cost to feed them every day, they wanted to contribute some of their own money.
Three elephants, 3,000 baht and a small gesture that made the experience even more special for us.
An encounter we won’t soon forget.