Dubare Elephant Camp: what you actually get
Dubare Elephant Camp charges ₹400–₹500 for entry. Elephant bathing—the main draw—costs ₹1,500–₹2,000 per person for 20–30 minutes. Camp operates 6am–6pm daily. Arrive by 7am if you want a bathing slot without a 2–3 hour wait. The camp manages 3–4 elephants. Monsoon (June–September) is most reliable for animal interactions; dry season often sees no bathing due to low river levels. This is not a sanctuary; it's a working camp with mixed welfare standards.
What are the actual opening hours?
Dubare opens at 6am and closes at 6pm year-round. Morning (6am–9am) is best for activity and smaller crowds. By 10am, groups pile in. Afternoons (2pm–5pm) are quieter but elephants are often resting. The site closes promptly at 6pm—don't arrive after 5pm expecting a full experience.
How much does entry and bathing cost?
Entry ticket: ₹400–₹500 per person (verified August 2026). Elephant bathing: ₹1,500–₹2,000 per person. Mahout ride (if available): ₹1,000–₹1,500. Photography add-on: often included, but confirm. Food at the site is basic (tea, snacks); bring your own lunch or eat in nearby Kushalpur village. Total cost per person for a bathing session: roughly ₹2,000–₹2,500 including entry and bathing.
Related: Bangalore to Mysore by Train: Vande Bharat vs Shatabdi Express – Which is Better?
See also: Sakleshpur in Monsoon: Waterfalls and Green Season Guide
See also: Coconut Tree Resort Gokarna: What to Expect From This Coastal Stay
Is the experience worth it? Honest assessment
Dubare is not a sanctuary. It's a mahout training centre where elephants are part of working herds. Many visitors find the bathing experience memorable; some find the welfare concerns hard to ignore. Expect:
Positives: Genuine close contact with elephants. Water and mud therapy is real, not theatre. Mahouts are experienced and mostly safe handlers. No artificial performances—no tricks, no chains visible during bathing.
Negatives: Elephants work 8–10 hours daily, year-round. Facility standards are basic (muddy paths, no shade queuing areas, squat toilets). Bathing sessions are rushed. On busy days, queues exceed 100 people. River bathing relies on water levels; dry season (March–May) often cancels the experience entirely. The camp prioritises throughput over comfort.
Verdict: Worth visiting once for the direct contact. Don't expect luxury, animal-first ethics, or a full day of interaction. Go during monsoon (June–September) when water is guaranteed and animals are less heat-stressed.
How to beat the queues
Arrive at 6am when gates open. Bathing slots fill within 90 minutes in peak season. Book in advance via the camp's phone line (local operators can arrange this; hotel staff help). Weekdays are quieter than weekends. Monsoon weekday mornings (say, Tuesday–Thursday, 6:30–8am) offer the smoothest experience.
When should you visit?
Monsoon (June–September): River has water. Elephants are active. Most reliable. Weather is wet; bring a poncho.
Autumn (October–November): Comfortable temperature. River still flows. Good window.
Winter (December–February): Pleasant weather but river levels drop by January. Bathing may be unavailable. Crowds peak.
Summer (March–May): River dries. Bathing cancelled most days. High heat. Avoid unless specifically told bathing is happening.
Where to stay near Dubare
Dubare is 45km from Madikeri town, 30km from Coorg's main resorts. Most hotels are in Madikeri itself.
Mid-range in town: Indo Asia Heritage Madikeri – Formerly Hotel Coorg International (3 stars, 8.3/10, ₹2,500–₹4,000/night) is central, 35km from Dubare. KSTDC Hotel Mayura Valley View Madikeri (2 stars, 8.3/10, ₹1,500–₹2,500/night) is budget, reliable.
Resort luxury: Purple Palms Resort and Spa (5 stars, 8.7/10, ₹8,000–₹12,000/night) and Montrose Golf Resort And Spa (5 stars, 8.7/10, ₹7,500–₹11,000/night) are 50km away but offer comfort if you're based in Coorg proper. Amanvana Spa Resort - Coorg (4 stars, 9.1/10, ₹5,500–₹8,500/night) is quieter and highly rated.
Budget: Avadale Coorg (2 stars, 9.3/10, ₹1,200–₹2,000/night) suits tight budgets.
Dubare itself has no accommodation. Stay in Madikeri or a resort, drive or arrange pickup in the morning.
Getting there
From Madikeri: 45km, 90 minutes by car. Rough forest road; standard vehicle OK, rough ride. Hire a local driver or join a camp-arranged pickup (₹1,000–₹1,500 per group return). Public buses are infrequent. Self-drive is possible but roads are poorly marked.
From Bangalore: 260km, 5–6 hours via Mysore and Hassan. Not a same-day trip unless you start early.
What to bring
- Swimwear and change of clothes (you will get wet and muddy)
- Towel and flip-flops
- Waterproof phone case if filming
- Sun protection (hat, sunscreen)
- Drinking water and snacks
- ₹2,000–₹2,500 cash (limited card payment)
Related reading
For broader Coorg planning, see our best time to visit Coorg guide and main Coorg travel guide.
FAQ
Can you bathe elephants without pre-booking? Yes, but expect a 2–3 hour queue in peak season. Pre-booking via phone (through your hotel or direct) guarantees a faster slot. Arrive by 7am regardless.
Are the elephants treated well? Dubare is not a sanctuary. Elephants work 8–10 hours daily. Standards are better than some camps but below leading wildlife facilities. If ethical concerns matter heavily to you, skip this and visit a proper sanctuary instead.
What if there's no water for bathing? March–May, the river often dries. Camp cancels bathing and only offers feeding (₹200–₹300). Monsoon (June–September) guarantees water. Always confirm before driving out.
How long does a bathing session take? Usually 20–30 minutes. You wash the elephant with mud and water, feed it, take photos. Not leisurely; the camp runs shifts to process multiple groups daily.
What activities are available at the camp?
Elephant bathing is the headline act, but it is not the only thing on offer. Understanding the full menu helps you plan your time and budget accurately.
**Elephant feeding** is the most accessible activity. Visitors can hand-feed bananas, sugarcane and other fodder directly to the elephants. This is cheaper than a bathing session and works well on days when the river is too low for bathing — or if you arrive late and bathing slots are already full. Expect to pay a modest fee, typically a fraction of the bathing cost.
**Elephant interaction and grooming** is sometimes offered alongside bathing. You stand beside the elephant on the riverbank, apply mud or scrub its skin, and have basic guided contact supervised by a mahout. This is essentially part of the bathing package rather than a separate activity, but it is worth confirming what is included when you pay.
**Mahout experience sessions** — brief instruction in basic elephant commands — are available at certain times, subject to which mahouts are on duty and how busy the camp is. This is not a fixed programme; ask at the ticket counter when you arrive.
**Coracle rides** on the Cauvery River are available near the camp. These circular, bowl-shaped bamboo boats are a traditional way of crossing the river and provide a different perspective on the forest edge. Operators typically charge a small fee per person. This is run independently of the elephant camp but is part of the same riverside area.
**Nature walks** in the surrounding Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary forest are occasionally arranged through local operators. The camp itself does not run structured tours, but the forest buffer around Dubare supports birdlife, butterflies and riverside flora worth exploring before or after your elephant session.
In practical terms: plan for one to two hours at the camp if you are doing bathing only. Add another hour if you want feeding, coracle rides and a brief wander along the riverbank. There is not enough here to fill a full day, so combine with other nearby stops (see below).
---
Rules and things to keep in mind
A few precautions will make the visit safer and more straightforward.
**Follow mahout instructions immediately.** Elephants are large working animals. Mahouts manage them constantly and will redirect you if you approach an animal from an unsafe angle or make sudden movements. This is non-negotiable.
**Do not use flash photography near the elephants.** Flash startles them and is prohibited. Natural light photography is generally fine; a waterproof phone case is more useful than a dedicated camera here, since you will be wet and in muddy water.
**Remove jewellery and watches before entering the water.** The river bottom is uneven and you will be moving around actively. Watches and earrings are easily lost and occasionally snagged.
**Wear footwear you are prepared to ruin.** River mud is thick and dark. Old sandals or cheap flip-flops are ideal. Do not wear trainers you care about.
**Children must be supervised at all times.** The riverbank has no barriers, and the water, while shallow near the bathing area, moves with modest current during monsoon. Children under a certain height may be restricted from the full bathing activity; confirm at the ticket counter.
**Do not feed the elephants anything you have brought yourself.** Only feed animals with items provided or approved by the mahout. Unsuitable food can cause serious digestive harm.
**Cash is essential.** Card payment facilities are unreliable and sometimes absent entirely. Bring sufficient cash to cover entry, bathing, any additional activities, food and transport back.
**Confirm the programme before driving out.** Particularly between March and May, call ahead to check whether bathing is operational. Driving 90 minutes to find only a feeding session on offer is a common frustration that one phone call prevents.
---
Contact and booking
The camp does not have a sophisticated online booking system. The most reliable approach is to contact the Karnataka Forest Department, which manages the camp, or to ask your hotel to make the call on your behalf — hotel staff in Madikeri and surrounding Coorg resorts do this routinely and will have the current direct number.
Local tour operators in Kushalnagar and Madikeri also arrange combined packages that include transport, entry, bathing slots and sometimes coracle rides at a bundled price. These add a small markup but remove the uncertainty of arriving without a confirmed slot on a busy day. If you are travelling independently on a tight schedule, this trade-off is usually worth it.
---
Nearby places to combine with your visit
Dubare is well-placed to anchor a half-day itinerary that takes in several stops along the Cauvery corridor.
**Nisargadhama** is a small river island forest reserve roughly 10km from Dubare. It has a bamboo grove, deer park and a hanging bridge. Entry is inexpensive and the walk through the island takes around an hour. It pairs naturally with Dubare as a morning or afternoon addition.
**Bylakuppe** — the largest Tibetan settlement in India outside Tibet — is around 30km away. The Golden Temple (Namdroling Monastery) is genuinely striking and open to visitors. This makes a logical afternoon stop after an early-morning Dubare session.
**Harangi Dam** is approximately 20km from the camp. The reservoir and surrounding area are pleasant for a short stop, particularly in the post-monsoon months when water levels are high.
**Kushalnagar town** is the nearest commercial hub, about 15km away, and worth knowing for fuel, ATMs, SIM cards and a wider choice of restaurants than the camp area itself provides.