Elephant Sanctuary Laos | One-Week Elephant Support Program
Visit Elephant Sanctuary Laos to spend a week observing and supporting elephants living in their natural jungle habitat. Elephant Sanctuary Laos provides a caring home for rescued Asian elephants, in a remote forested area in Sayaboury Province, intersected by a river, providing plenty of space for the elephants to roam, forage, swim, and just be elephants. The sanctuary is home to over 10 elephants all of whom worked in logging in the past, except for the youngest elephant and later some worked giving rides to tourists. Now these elephants are able to live a better, more natural life where they can form small herds and develop friendships, and freely interact with each other.
The sanctuary offers visitors a life-changing opportunity to directly engage in conservation efforts through hands-on work to help protect elephants, a highly endangered species. Many who arrive as strangers depart as friends and dedicated elephant advocates, their hearts forever touched by the experience at our sanctuary.
As a volunteer at Elephant Sanctuary Laos, you’ll play a vital role in improving the plight of the Asian elephant and contributing to conservation efforts in Laos. Our sanctuary provides a haven for elephants who have endured abuse as working animals, offering them a safe and nurturing environment to recover and thrive. By joining us, you are actively participating in protecting their well-being and improving their living conditions.
Our sanctuary was founded by Saengduean Lek Chailert, the founder of Elephant Nature Park and an award winning conservationist. Lek is renowned for her decades long dedication to protecting Asian elephants and other animals so that they may live with dignity, free from fear.
The sanctuary also provides a safe refuge to many other rescued animals including dogs, cats, goats, cows, monkeys, chickens, rabbits, ducks, geese, turkeys and some tortoises.
Lek Chailert
Our one-week program at Elephant Sanctuary Laos offers visitors a unique opportunity to observe rescued elephants in their natural habitat, freed from riding and coercion. You’ll have the chance to prepare food for the elephants and learn about their individual stories and the underlying issues within the captive elephant working industry. In your free time, there are many fun and meaningful activities for you to take part in at our sanctuary.
Support the Herd
Observe rescued elephants interacting and foraging in their jungle habitat, while learning about their nature and individual stories
Highlights
- Experience the unique opportunity of spending time in close proximity to elephants
- Peacefully observe the intricate social interactions within the herd
- Enjoy the privilege of witnessing elephants behaving spontaneously in their jungle habitat
- Help care for the elephants by washing and preparing fruit for them
- Gain valuable background knowledge about the hidden realities of elephant tourism
- Learn about animal welfare and animal rights activism
- Discover a tranquil haven for all animals at our beautiful sanctuary
- Witness and contribute to an ethos of pure love, passion, and respect for all creatures
- Enjoy delicious vegetarian meals, freshly prepared each day by our friendly team
- Stay in charming bamboo bungalows set in a quiet location among fruit trees
- Experience being surrounded by an amazing natural landscape, encompassing rivers, forests & mountains
- Connect with people from around the world as part of a small group of volunteers
Elephant Support Program
What will I be doing?
Morning: Every day volunteers can enjoy watching the elephants eating their morning fruit treats before they head out into the jungle. After breakfast up until lunch volunteers normally do small jobs to improve or maintain our sanctuary, which may include construction work, unloading and preparing food for the elephants and giving love and care to our other rescued animals. The schedule is flexible, depending on priorities or the needs of our community.
Afternoon: Following lunch we generally take the boat down the river into the forest, where we spend plenty of time observing the elephants in their natural habitat until it’s time for them to walk back to the sanctuary in the afternoon.
Accommodation & Food
- Comfortable living on-site in beautiful bamboo / wooden bungalows with balconies amidst lush fruit trees and vibrant flowers.
- Accommodation may be solitary, offering lucky volunteers their own space, or shared with a maximum of one other volunteer.
- Enjoy healthy, tasty cuisine with three delicious meals provided daily.
- For those with hearty appetites, the option for an extra fourth meal is readily available.
Elephant Support Program Details
Number of Visitors: 6
Tour Type: One-week program
Volunteer Months: All year-round
Fitness Level: Good fitness level required
Age Suitability: Adults & children 14+
Getting There
From Luang Prabang: Take one of the 3 daily buses (7am, 9am, 2pm) to Sayaboury, operating from Monday to Sunday. With departures from Naluang bus station near the stadium in the morning and afternoon, this scenic journey takes approximately 2.5-3 hours and costs about $10 USD.
Rest assured, regardless of your arrival point – whether it’s the bus station or your hotel in Sayaboury – we’ll be there to greet you and bring you to our sanctuary.
What's Included
- Transportation from Sayaboury to the sanctuary and back
- A practical education on the challenges facing the Asian elephant
- Comfortable wooden & bamboo bungalow with beds, bedding, mosquito nets, fan, water cooler & two shared bathrooms with hot water outside the bungalows
- Three freshly prepared vegetarian/vegan buffet style meals provided daily, snacks, water cooler with filtered drinking water, tea & coffee
- Free Elephant Sanctuary Laos t-shirt
- English / German speaking guide
One Week Program Contribution
Adults 14+: 12,000 Baht per week
*Participants aged 14-18 years old must be accompanied by a legal guardian.
*Payment of the balance owing on arrival at the sanctuary by cash in Thai Baht or in Lao Kip, according to the current exchange rate.
*BOOK NOW for your unique and unforgettable sanctuary experience. See you soon!
What To Bring
Travel Documents
- Full passport valid for the duration of your stay along with a valid visa
Essential Items
- Change of clothes for several days (on-site laundry available), hat, sunscreen, sandals/flip-flops, walking shoes / hiking boots, torch, towel, bug repellent, toiletries & personal medication, rain jacket (seasonal), warm clothes for colder nights (seasonal), long trousers, refillable water bottle
Pocket Money
- Bring a little pocket money for personal expenses not provided
Communication
- Note that there's no Wi-Fi available, only internet access by SIM card (Provider UNITEL) costing about US$10.00
Don’t Worry
- If anything is forgotten, our on-site staff will assist in organizing necessary items if needed
Seasonal Recommendations
- June to October: Rain gear
- November to February: Warm clothing
Book Elephant Sanctuary Laos
Searching Availability...
Elephants at Elephant Sanctuary Laos
Visitors at Elephant Sanctuary Laos
Location & Accommodation
Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Project
This is a small ethical elephant sanctuary project with a limited number of guests. Our model is based on ensuring the well-being of the elephants, which means no riding or other unnatural activities.
Reviews
Location
Find Elephant Sanctuary Laos on Google Maps
Further Inquiries
Contact Elephant Sanctuary Laos directly via What’s App: +8562093007957
About Your Volunteer Program
Start: Monday 8:00am – 8:30am – pick up from your hotel in Chiang Mai city and bring you to our office. If you are staying outside the city center you will need to arrange your own transportation to our Chiang Mai office. Volunteers can pay the outstanding balance for your volunteer week, complete an insurance form, and provide a copy of your passport at our office. The minivan will leave to travel to Journey to Freedom between 8:45am – 9:00am.
Travel Time: Around 2.5 – 3 hours (safety talk en route to project).
Transport Details: Transfer from an air-con minivan to a 4WD pickup for the last 20 minutes of your journey to the project.
Return: Arrive back in Chiang Mai city on Sunday afternoon 1:30pm – 2:00pm.
Duration: One week only. Volunteer positions start on the Monday and end on Sunday.
Accommodation: Volunteers stay in shared traditional style wooden housing. There are beds in the rooms each with a mattresses under a mosquito net and bedding is provided. One shared room has 6 beds and the other room has 5 beds. One hot water shower, 2 cold water showers and 3 shared toilets are located near the houses. There are 2 traditional style bamboo bungalows at the entrance of the project for couples with a bathroom downstairs. Electrical outlet plugs are available for charging devices in all rooms.
Facilities: Dining area overlooking rice paddies with hammocks, gift shop selling Karen style shirts and traditional pants, coffee & tea, cold water dispenser. Bottled water, soft drinks, and beer are available for purchase at the shop.
Items Provided: Free Journey to Freedom t-shirt, rubber boots, & ponchos in the rainy season.
Baggage / Luggage Allowance: One standard check-in sized rucksack / suitcase / bag & one day pack per person.
What to Bring: Change of clothes for 7 days, long pants and long-sleeve shirts, shorts and t-shirts, gardening gloves, hat, sunscreen, sandals/flip flops, walking shoes or hiking boots, towel, camera, insect repellent, flashlight, toiletries & personal medication.*Bring clothing and items suitable for wet weather if visiting in the rainy season (June – Nov). If visiting in the cool season (Nov – Feb), bring some clothing suitable for cold weather. If you would like to bring items for the local school students (aged 2-5 years old) such as pens, coloring pencils, notebooks, coloring books, story books, A4 paper, games, toys, etc. they will be much appreciated.
Travel Insurance: Volunteers are required to have travel insurance covering medical expenses and emergency repatriation.
Vaccinations: Please contact your doctor or vaccination centre in your country for details on recommended vaccinations.
Operational Months: All year round.
Age Suitability: Adults & teenagers over 16 (participants younger than 18 years of age must be accompanied by a legal guardian).
Fitness Level: Moderate – daily walks through the jungle – sometimes up steep hills in muddy conditions.
Topography: Jungle, mountains, hills, grassland, rice paddies & stream.
Location: Mae Wang, South of Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand.
Nearest Airport: Chiang Mai (CNX) – we recommend you stay in Chiang Mai city the night before your volunteer week begins. Please note that we cannot collect you from Chiang Mai Airport – only from your Chiang Mai city hotel or guesthouse.
Booking Details: Bookings close 3 days before you are due to visit. When booking online, a 30% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your booking. The balance can be paid by cash or credit card (+3%) at our Chiang Mai office on Monday morning – the day that your volunteer week commences.
Thank You for Supporting Elephant Sanctuary Laos
We would like to thank Trunks Up for supporting the elephants at Elephant Sanctuary Laos throughout the past few years. We are grateful for your ongoing generous support of the rescued elephants at our sanctuary.
How Journey to Freedom is eco friendly & sustainable
- Project grows grass and bananas for the elephants and the elephants are able to forage in the jungle.
- Supports the local community by buying bananas & sugarcane from nearby farmers for the elephants and vegetables for the guests.
- Forest protection program - volunteers are invited to tie blessed ochre colored sashes around trees in the forest to protect them from being cut down and in the rainy season plant saplings. Volunteers also learn about and plant shade grown coffee in the surrounding area to preserve the forest.
- All crops are grown organically – no chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used.
- Elephant dung is composted in a large pit and given to local farmers to fertilize their crops.
- Rubbish is recycled and left over food and scraps are given to the pigs in the local village.
- Project structures incorporate natural materials including bamboo, farmed wood, and leaf roofing.