Road Trips to 9 Best Elephant Camps in India
Most of us have a fascination of witnessing an elephant right in front of us. Seeing the elephants in their natural habitat, eating, playing, and moving from one place to the other is interesting. If you wish to ride on the back of an elephant, that can be fulfilled too, by visiting the elephant camps in India. If you are planning to take your kids to one such place to experience an elephant safari in India, they will find it to be a unique experience. So, what are you waiting for? Here are some of the top spots for elephant safari in India that you can choose for your vacation.
9 Top Spots for Elephant Safari in India
- Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp
- Elephant Conservation and Care Center – Wildlife S.O.S.
- Jaipur Elephant Village
- Dubare Elephant Camp
- Punnathur Kotta
- Theppakadu Elephant Camp
- Mahanadi Elephant Reserve
- Anamudi Elephant Reserve
- Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve
1. Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp
Smiling Tusker Elephant Camp is located in Assam and was started by the NGO Anajaree. The camp offers camping, safari, and trans-boundary safari activities so that visitors can enjoy their time here, while they can also educate themselves about the animal.
- Entry Fee: Starts at INR 4000
- Best time to visit: November to April
2. Elephant Conservation and Care Center – Wildlife S.O.S.
A project of Wildlife S.O.S., Elephant Conservation and Care Center was started to rescue and rehabilitate elephants that were abused. Each elephant kept here has a history of abuse. They are taken good care of here. The center allows visitors for two hours, in which they can interact with these majestic mammals.
- Entry Fee: INR 1500 per head
- Best time to visit: Throughout the year
3. Jaipur Elephant Village
This is probably the first and only elephant village in the country. Located in Jaipur, Rajasthan, near Amer Fort, there are around 100 elephants in this village that give rides to the tourists while visiting the fort. If you want, you can go to this village and take part in many of the things to do such as, help in cooking for these elephants, feeding and bathing them with the help of other community workers. You can even try your hands painting the elephants.
- Entry Fee: NA
- Best time to visit: Throughout the year
4. Dubare Elephant Camp
A naturally created delta Island by Kaveri River, Dubare is surrounded by verdant greenery. It is a significant camp for the elephants of the Karnataka Forest Department. You can indulge in trekking or taking a ride on elephants. Apart from elephants, you can also spot animals such as leopards, sambhar, tigers, gaur, spotted deer, wild dogs, bears, and even crocodiles, in Dubare Forest. Paying an additional amount of INR 600, you can try still water rafting here.
- Entry Fee: INR 20 per head
- Best time to visit: September to March
5. Punnathur Kotta
Punnathur Kotta once was the palace of a local ruler. However, the grounds are now used for sheltering around 59 elephants that belong to the Guruvayoor temple. The new name of this place now is Anakkotta, which means the ‘Elephant Fort’. The elephants trained here take part in several festivals that are celebrated all through the year. If you visit Anakkotta in July, you will be able to witness that elephants are given special food and Ayurvedic treatment. ‘Guruvayur Keshavan’, the legendary elephant was also kept here.
- Entry Fee: INR 10 per head, INR 25 per camera
- Best time to visit: Throughout the year, 8:00 AM – 5:30 PM
6. Theppakadu Elephant Camp
Banked by the Nilgiris, Theppakadu Elephant Camp is the place where you can witness several elephants. Within the forest, there is a marshland called the ‘Ombetta Vayal’, where you can find flocks of elephants as well as bison. When you are at the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, you can any time spot an elephant. Theppakadu Elephant Camp is one of the oldest camps keeping elephants in the country. You can opt for safaris here and also see how the elephants are fed. Besides, you can also admire the nature here.
- Entry Fee: INR 20 per head, INR 1120 per trip of elephant safari
- Best time to visit: All time of the year
7. Mahanadi Elephant Reserve
Situated on the banks of Mahanadi River, Mahanadi Elephant Reserve is the place where you can have a glimpse of elephants now and then. You can also interact with the elephants here. Apart from the elephants, there are many other animals here that you can spot. You can also spot crocodiles basking under the sun.
- Entry Fee: NA
- Best time to visit: October to February
8. Anamudi Elephant Reserve
If you want to witness elephants moving around freely and being themselves, you must visit Anamudi Elephant Reserve. The place houses over 275 species of flora. Apart from elephants, the other animals that can be found here include tigers, leopards, flying squirrels, panthers, deer, bison, sloth bears, Nilgiri tahr, sambar, langur, wild boars, etc.
- Entry Fee: NA
- Best time to visit: November to May
9. Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve
Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve, located in Odisha, is a beautiful area where you can find elephants roaming around freely. The area is rich in various types of fauna. Nature lovers will love this place for the pristine waterfalls, verdant green forests, lush grassy woodlands, etc. Do not forget to carry your camera when you are all set to visit Mayurbhanj Elephant Reserve. Very near to this reserve, the other places that you can visit include the Similipal Tiger Reserve, Kuldiha Wildlife Sanctuary, and the Hadgarh Wildlife sanctuary.
- Entry Fee: INR 40
- Best time to visit: October to mid-June
If you want to stay there for the day and possibly also do an overnight halt, the waiting charge for the taxi is something that you must deal with. To keep your travel budget managed and the freedom to go wherever you want, you can instead take a fully maintained and sanitized vehicle from the car rental services by Revv. The best part is that with the daily or weekly rental plans from Revv you can also see the nearby attractions to these places and make the most out of your trip.
