Elephant Sanctuary
where is the elephant sanctuary located?
It is not just 1 elephant sanctuary but three elephant sanctuaries that you can visit in South Africa, Namely:
Plettenberg Bay located at Animal Alley, The Crags
Hazyview located close to Kruger National Park
Hartbeespoort located on the R512 Old RTB rd
All the sanctuaries have the same offerings which include interacting with the elephants on a very personal level. The sanctuaries pride themselves in being a safe haven for elephants found all over Africa. Therefore, you can be sure that the elephants are being treated well and are not victims of animal cruelty in any way. I, however, had the opportunity to visit the Hartbeespoort sanctuary on my visit to the area therefore the below will be specific to that branch.
elephant sanctuary prices
I happened to visit the sanctuary on my birthday (just my luck) therefore my visit was absolutely free. Check out other things you can do for free on your birthday on my latest blog here. The prices, however (*at the time of writing this blog) were R850 per adult, R670 per pensioner, and R375 for children. The sanctuary also has packages available that include monkey interaction as well as a cable car ride. This is perfect for the ideal day out enjoying nature or if you are in Hartbeespoort for the day.
BONUS: The Hartbeespoort sanctuary is at the same location as the monkey sanctuary, which is also a great experience. AND it is also free if it is your birthday.
What to expect during the elephant interaction?
I have broken down my experience into 3 parts. You can expect to do everything in just under 2 hours, this might not be the case if there is a bigger group. It might take longer to give everyone a chance to get their interactions and pictures done. Fortunately, when I was at the sanctuary it was only a group of 5. This was during the week and I would assume weekends are busier.
1. Learning session
One of the very well-trained guides will give a lesson about elephants. Typically their foods, anatomy, and also more on the elephants that they have in the sanctuary. This is a great build-up before the actual interaction as you not only gain knowledge but also prepare how to interact correctly with these animals.
2. Feeding session
Here you will get a bucket full of pellets where you get to experience feeding the elephants whilst they are in their natural habitat. You are shown how to do it correctly and safely. Then proceed to do it yourself until the bucket is finished. This was very fun to do!
3. Physical interaction
You get up close (and very personal) with the elephants. Here you can touch and feel the elephants as guided by the team members whilst being shown very detailed aspects of the elephant’s body parts. The elephants are very well trained and one can expect cooperation during their interaction. The guides are also nice enough to let you take pictures with this gentle animal alone.
Other questions often asked about the sanctuary are:
What to wear to Elephant Sanctuary: Just be sure to wear comfortable clothing (preferably dark) and shoes, wear a cap, and put on some sunscreen as you would be doing a bit of walking.
How to volunteer at Elephant Sanctuary: This would have to be asked directly to the sanctuary closest to you, I did not see any volunteers on my visit as the guides have had training on how to interact with the elephants.
How to visit Elephant Sanctuary: Depending on which one you are visiting, there is a couple as mentioned in the beginning of the blog. I would suggest using navigation.
Overall Elephant Sanctuary Experience
It was wonderful, definitely a bucket list experience. I personally love animals and have always feared elephants. However, this experience was very safe. The elephants are very gentle and the guides are well trained and have control of the elephants at all times. It was a great experience and definitely something one would want to try out in their lifetime. It was lovely to see how well taken care of the elephants were, especially with it being known that some sanctuaries abuse elephants. Hence this sanctuary does not allow the riding of the elephants. I did however feel that the elephants were confined to small spaces, considering that they are wild animals I think they would want to be able to roam freely. However, that is not the case here.
A bonus of the elephant sanctuary in Hartbeespoort in particular is that there is accommodation on-site. So if one is looking for the full nature experience then it is something to check out.
Also note that booking is essential in order to secure a place.
Connect with me
For more pictures on my trip to the elephant sanctuary be sure to check out my Instagram page.
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Food and travelling….perfect