Phuket Elephant Sanctuary

Retired working elephants live on about 30 acres of forest on the edge of Khao Phra Thaeo National Park in north-east Phuket; visits are observation only, with no riding, bathing or feeding. The half-day programme takes about 3.5 hours, and a 90-minute canopy walkway tour fits a light rest day. On a training week: it is walking and standing in the shade of the forest, with no swimming and nothing that loads the legs, so it suits a full rest day or a morning off. The morning programme finishes in time to get back for an afternoon session. From the camps: the sanctuary is in Pa Khlok, about 45 minutes by car from the Chalong and Rawai camps and about 30 minutes from Bang Tao. A Grab there and back is the simple way to go if you do not ride a scooter.