We are a family of five and are interested in doing an elephant safari one day that we are in kruger. I have read about Elephant Whispers and Elephant Sanctuary but both seem to get some bad reviews. Has anyone done an elephant safari and do you have a company to recommend?
Thanks.
Jeanned
ps my youngest child is 6.

Personally, find riding on elephants exploitative and also not what safari is about - seeing the animals behaving naturally in their native habitats. To see that is thrilling, even to small kids, especially if you go to places with guiding that is targetted at youngsters.

I do remember reading some posts on here a few years back about some private camps near Kruger that a) accepted youngsters (many camps set age limit to 12 and above) and b) provided specialist guiding and activities to keep younger kids engaged.

I'd be one who would want to discourage elephant back riding due to some of the unethical practices we've heard about how young elephants are 'tamed'. And Kavey made excellent points too.

Believe in Botswana there is Abu's Camp which does elephant safaris, but this info is a few years old, and assume the camp is still there. However, comment from a friend who had here way back then indicated that game viewing was better from a safari vehicle.

And, as Kavey, I don't believe riding elephants is the ethical thing to be doing.

If it is game viewing you want, I'd bet the other big five are more relaxed, you can get closer to, with you in a vehicle than on an elephant.

regards - tom

In Botswana, Baine's Camp and Stanley's Camp offer what they call the Elephant Experience, where you can interact with (but not ride) elephants.

Don

Don't ride the elephants as it would break your heart if you saw how they train them to carry you.Rather see them in their own environment and donate to the sanctuaries for their care.They are one of the sweetest species and have such strong family feelings.

Please read what Dr. Joyce Poole, elephant researcher of 37 years, has to say about elephant rides:

“The brutal truth is that most elephants are trained for elephant back rides or safaris through a practise no elephant owner will talk about. The elephants' spirits are broken through unbelievably gruesome methods, while they are tied up or chained in a pen where they cannot move….. With the growing number of tourists and many ignorant travel agencies and tour operators, the life and well being of hundreds of elephants both in Asia and in Africa is at stake.” Her entire statement: http://tiny.cc/rides-evo

The elephants thank you.