Many travelers planning a visit to India eagerly anticipate the opportunity to ride an elephant – perhaps up to the Amber Fort in Jaipur. Such human-and-elephant activities, however, raise a variety of important ethical and environmental questions – including the source of these elephants: Are these creatures truly orphaned as some safari and travel companies maintain, or have they been illegally poached from the wild? The fact is, one can never be sure; one thing is certain, however, and that is the vital importance of maintaining the wealth of bio-diversity with which our planet has been blessed. So although there was the risk of disappointing some travelers, we know that our guests will understand and appreciate the decision we made to not support any activity – no matter how exciting or fun - that might have poaching at its source.

In addition, there are issues regarding the often deplorable conditions under which these elephants live, train and work. The fact is, elephants are wild creatures of extraordinary intelligence - and even when born in captivity, they can not be domesticated like dogs or horses; indeed, there is much evidence that the training process required for elephants to submit to human control often involves cruel practices; harsh training that is simply designed to break the spirit of a majestic mammal. And even when not working to satisfy human desires for entertainment, recreation or excitement, these elephants are often restrained for many hours – held virtually immobile and unable to roam freely as they do in the wild.

For this reason, Alexander+Roberts no longer offers elephant rides – or any activity involving captive trained elephants. This is true not only in Jaipur but also in Nepal, Thailand and other destinations where you might still see other travelers participating in such excursions.

This is a stand which we have chosen to take and we appreciate your taking the time to learn the reasons behind our decision. Curious travelers like to be informed - and we believe that your journey will be even more rewarding with the knowledge that your travel choices are helping to protect the lives and well-being of these remarkable animals.