Lanchang is a small village where you can find an elephant sanctuary named Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre or the Elephant Orphanage Sanctuary. The elephant sanctuary was established in 1989 within the Krau Wildlife Reserve, and is managed by the Malaysian Department of Wildlife and National Parks. Here many orphaned elephants are raised and given shelter. Not long after tourists found out about the elephant shelter the town quickly evolved into a popular tourist attraction. Kuala Gandah (Lanchang) is probably the best place on Peninsular Malaysia to come face to face with an elephant.
Kuala Gandah is located within the protected Krau Wildlife Reserve and is a couple of hours drive from Kuala Lumpur. Visitors are to arrive from 12:30pm onwards. On arrival you have to register at the Visitor Registration Office and sign a waiver of liability for any accidents. You are then given a donation form to complete. There is no entrance fee to the Centre but a (generous) donation is strongly encouraged. Although the Centre is funded by the Malaysian Government's Department of Wildlife and National Parks, donations are welcome to finance the upgrading of facilities. With around 20 elephants in residence, each eating 50-100 kilos of food per day you can imagine it costs a lot to keep the place going.
The elephants are paraded onto a kind of stage and introduced to the visitors. Some elephants demonstrate how they can carry things with their trunks and obey basic commands.
Next it is feeding time. The elephants line up and happily allow visitors to pop great chunks of papaya and cucumber into their mouths.
During weekends the center gets quite crowded with coach loads of students, foreign tour groups and locals who arrive in private transport.
Opening hours
9am - 4.45pm
address: Kuala Gandah, Lanchang,
Pahang, 28500, Lanchang,
Pahang, Malaysia.
Tel: +60 9-279 0391
