This post may contain affiliate links. This just means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you for helping them promote their product or service. I don’t endorse any services I don’t personally use or recommend.
Looking for an ethical way to interact with elephants in India? Or maybe a truly luxurious splurge-worthy stay surrounded by a rare slice of peaceful nature? Or even a quick break from the hectic streets of Jaipur (part of India’s famed Golden Triangle) for a delicious homemade organically-farmed Indian meal? We’ve got you covered. We stumbled upon Dera Amer Wilderness Camp entirely by accident. It ended up being our very favorite experience in all of Rajasthan.
Be warned finding ethical animal attractions in India can be kinda a crapshoot. It’s rare to find. You will however see a plethora of sad street dogs, beaten-up langurs, overburdened donkeys, angry branded camels, sad painted elephants, and cows dining on piles of trash and plastic. That’s what makes this place even more extraordinary.
Before I get into the stay itself, let’s take a quick look at elephants in India so you can understand the story behind the accommodation.
Elephant Ethics in India
Climbing the steep cobblestone path to Amer Fort in Jaipur– I’m surrounded by saddled underfed elephants. In the choking fumes of traffic on city streets– I see elephants. Covered in heavy jeweled adornaments and thick swirling colorful paint they are paraded through the masses for religious and ceremonial events. Weddings even. The groom suited and astride thier massive back on a saddle fit for a king. Sad abused elephants. The animal welfare in India is appalling. Especially for a culture that so highly regards all life that the default is vegetarian. Elephants are no different.
When I first arrived in India I had no intention of visiting ANY elephant “sanctuaries” in the country. It doesn’t take a visitor long to realize that the country is unlikely to host any truly ethical sanctuaries within its borders.
For more information be sure to read my guide on what constitutes an ethical sanctuary.
But there are a small handful of sanctuaries throughout India guiding the country and local sentiment away from elephant rides and gimmicky attractions. Dera Amer Wilderness Camp, just outside the metropolis of Jaipur, is one of them.
Here’s a little lesson on elephants in India, and why exactly, finding an ethical sanctuary is so difficult.
Elephants are integral to many religious and cultural ceremonies in India. Typically painted, adorned, and paraded through the city streets. This means that there is a MASSIVE market to take elephants from the wild and raise them in captivity. But India has just recently, BANNED this practice entirely with legislation that prohibits any more elephants from being taken, born, or put into captivity in any capacity (including zoos). This is great because it shows a change in local sentiment and India has many national parks where elephants can and do roam freely.
But what does that means for the elephants currently in captivity?
Unfortunately, not much. Elephant riding and ceremonial use of elephants are still allowed by the government. Just no new elephants. This will be the last generation of elephants in captivity in India (hopefully). And from my own anecdotal experience in India, elephant abuse is sadly still totally justifiable for local residents. If you look at who rides elephants at Amer Fort, takes Elephant Safaris, and hires them for their wedding processions– it’s local Indians.
Since then several sanctuaries have popped up that are trying to buy this last generation from their owners and handlers and give them a better life in free-roaming sanctuaries.
Why India’s Elephants Cannot be Released into the Wild
Obviously, releasing these elephants back into the wild is the most preferred outcome. But as with everything in India, it’s a little more complicated than that.
For starters, elephants raised in captivity are unlikely to be re-wilded successfully. They need a small diverse herd, a huge protected area for roaming, and even then, nothing is guaranteed. Laos has had some success at re-wilding a single population of elephants but it took years and many of the elephants were unsuccessful. Instead, returning to the populated areas for easy access to food.
Unlike Laos, India simply does not have the space. Any elephant herd placed in the “wild” would be far too close to civilization for success. The best we can offer these captive creatures now is a simple protected life watched over and cared for by humans.
This brings me to what is really my entire point…Dera Amer Wilderness Camp.
What is Dera Amer Wilderness Camp?
Dera Amer is a luxury glamping farm stay on 180 acres of rewilded desert scrubland just outside of Jaipur. It’s privately owned by the Singh family and has been a multi-generational passion project. Today, Dera Amer has two female elephants, a behemoth camel, several dogs, and a plethora of peacocks and other native wildlife on its grounds. Both elephants, named Laxmi and Rangmala, were acquired from their owners and thankfully retired from the hard work of shuttling lazy tourists up to Amer Fort.
The elephants have round-the-clock care from their two mahouts who live with them 24/7. This allows them to roam freely, never chained or tied up, around the property without destroying local crops and livelihood from the nearby villages.
Tourism helps to pay for the exorbitant costs of caring for the elephants.
But not harmful gimmicky tourism. Dera Amer simply allows you to join the elephant’s daily life. You can take long walks with them through the desert and watch them scavenge for the best-tasting trees. You can help the mahout clean their feet (something that would naturally be done by 20+km of walking in the wild). And you can observe them while you dine and relish in the luxury of the camp.
You have two options for visiting the camp. Here’s what to expect for each experience.
Stay At Dera Amer Wilderness Camp
A short 45-minute journey from the bustling city center of Jaipur you’ll find the camp. A massive area of hilly desert scrubland that has been successfully re-wilded. Styled like the traditional luxurious Maharaja hunting camps you’ll enjoy a spacious GLAMping tent secluded amount the scrubland. A plushy kind-sized bed, large wooden desk, and attached fully functional bathroom complete with a warm rain shower complete your “hut”. For amenities; a turquoise oasis pool, a full staff waiting to help you with whatever you might require, a lounging patio beneath a shaded canopy, stargazing beds laid out in the sand, and a full-service open-air bar and lounge in the front of the property to have an afternoon french-press or gin and tonic.
You’ll fill your time at the property easily by hanging out with the resident elephants. Easy-going Laxmi and trouble-making Rangmala, take long strolls through the desert trails that you are welcome to join. Truthfully, aside from the elephants, the best part of Dera Amer Desert Camp is relishing the peace and quiet. Something you don’t get a lot of in India and I’ve never slept more soundly.
Book Your Stay At Dera Amer Wilderness Camp
Since you are in the middle of nowhere, you’ll eat all your meals here as well. This is also one of the more luxurious aspects of the camp. Eating alone beneath candlelight and stars in the desert we dined on local dishes prepared from veggies grown at the camp’s large organic sustainable greenhouse farm. It was some of the best food and certainly the best service we’ve experienced in India. It felt like date night.
You can also watch the sun sink behind the hills from a lovely sunset spot where you can enjoy gin and tonics or wine. Breakfast “with” the elephants was another favorite part of the experience. We dined on fresh made omelets, savory cheese, fresh-squeezed juices, and other international eats while the elephants crunched sugar cane a few yards away.
Eat at Dera Amer Wilderness Camp
The luxury price tag of Dera Amer isn’t for everyone. (It would be totally worth it though.) If you want a shorter visit with some elephant interaction you can also join them for lunch or a morning walk through the desert. As it is the desert– be sure to inquire whether they have mid-day excursions or just morning and evening visits available at the camp.
If you’re a foodie traveler you should consider reading about my favorite food tour in Mumbai and Where to Find the Best Eats in Rajasthan.
Why You Should Support Dera Amer
Obviously, Dera Amer is one of the few places in India doing elephant conservation right. Visiting the camp and promoting the ethics it stands by helps by both financially supporting the mission and helping to change public sentiment in India and abroad about how to properly care for elephants.
They hope to add a handful more rescued elephants to their herd and give them a better life away from the city as well. Your tourism dollars can help.
Disclaimer: Dera Amer Wilderness Camp used to offer elephant rides. Before the world started to understand the negative effects that this kind of interaction can have on elephants the camp still allowed certain practices like this to take place. But judging them today with the standards of today, they are doing an exceptional job at providing a safe and loving home for Rangmala and Laxmi.
Animal tourism is a tricky business and I can personally attest to the fact that there is no worse feeling than accidentally supporting a place that does animals harm. I experienced it on my very first visit to Thailand. Then I did more research and visited Phuket Elephant Sanctuary on my next visit. That’s why I am so passionate about finding ethical animal sanctuaries and experiences around the world and sharing them with all of you. To make your research a little bit easier and to showcase the exceptional wildlife on earth in a fun way for you and a way that supports them! Let me know on Instagram if you have any questions about Dera Amer Wilderness Camp!
Save This Post for Later!
No Comments