We recently visited the Bali Elephant Sanctuary near Ubud (aka Mason Elephant Park) and had a great time playing with the Bali Elephants!
This is an elephant rescue park that opened in 1997 and they are doing a great job of conservation for the Sumatran Elephants who are critically endangered on their home island of Sumatra, Indonesia.
The safari park offers many activities, including elephant rides, Elephant feeding and bathing, a museum and much more. It is easy to visit it on a day trip from Ubud and other areas of Bali.
If you want to stay longer, there is even a 5-star hotel called Mason Elephant Lodge where you can stay and enjoy the animals from the balcony of your hotel.
This is not the only Elephant sanctuary Bali has to offer, but it is by far the best experience. The owners of the park really care about the Elephants and the animals seem really happy and well cared for. Read on for our full review!
Bali Elephant Sanctuary: what to expect
Surrounded by hills and jungles, the park has a tropical landscape of 3.5 acres where the elephants are kept in a fenced area, but they have a daily routine where they are allowed to move freely and enjoy a sandpit, shade houses, a swimming lake and more.
I must say that the Bali Elephant Sanctuary is really well managed and maintained, with botanical gardens, koi ponds and stone sculptures by local Balinese artists and many viewpoints where you can see and get close to the Elephants.
They have daily educational conversations and elephant shows where you can see the Elephants painting and doing other activities. We visited during the recent times, so some of these programs were cut, but we still had a great experience, and in normal times, I’m sure it’s even better.
It is possible to visit this park on a day trip from other parts of Bali, and you can discover all the highlights in a few hours, but if you are a true elephant lover, you could easily stay longer, and there is a nice Lodge in the park for that.
I should probably mention that everything in this article is my opinion and that this is an unpaid review of the park. We have not been compensated in any way for my support.
Elephant Ride In Bali
You can ride an elephant in the Bali Park, although it costs more than the Standard ticket.
This is probably the best elephant ride Bali has to offer, as there is more space to move around. You can walk through a bit of jungle and a small lake perfect for elephants.
It is a good exercise for the Elephants that they need to live in a park. I will discuss ethics a little after in this article, because I know that some people might be bothered by elephant riding.
Feeding and washing the Elephants
One of the best experiences in the park is feeding and washing the Elephants.
You are allowed to stroke and cuddle them, and you can say that you like The attention. It’s a lot of fun.
There is a small lake where the Elephants can swim, and they were so active and sassy that it was difficult to make them sit still to take pictures. The newest baby elephant in the park also participated in bath time.
You can have your photo taken with the Elephants while you feed or bathe them, and the staff will be happy to help you. Everything is included in the Standard entrance ticket.
Each of the Elephants in this park eats 200 kilos of food a day, and usually guests are allowed to feed them with palm stalks, but if you pay a little more, you can even spoil them with baskets of fresh fruit as a special treat.
Elephant museum
The entrance to the Elephant Safari Park in Bali has a beautiful museum with a giant mammoth skeleton (cast replica) and many other interesting exhibits.
