Average rating Elephant Trekking in Thailand

Southern Thailand contains some of the last -and oldest- old-growth rainforest on the planet. Visit the largest such area near Khao Sok, staying in a luxury tented camp and get up close and personal with elephants on this three day jungle safari!

After the 1989 logging ban in Thailand, thousands of working captive elephants went from being a source of income for their owners to being a prohibitively expensive pet, virtually overnight. Fortunately, tourism has come to the rescue of these animals, which now play a part in helping to educate visitors about the priceless and delicate forest ecosystems they were once used to exploit. The Elephant Hills experience offers a comfortable, low-impact way to come into contact with one of Earth’s truly unique places, while helping the elephants and those whose livelihood depends on them to survive in a new, more ecologically-conscious world.

On this mini adventure you’ll get to meet and learn all about elephants and their historic, and changing, role in Thai culture up close. You’ll have the chance to ride high on an elephant trek through the jungle, or stay at the elephant camp to help feed, groom and look after these extraordinary animals, and find out all about the interrelationships between people, culture and the Natural environment from their mahouts. Ater you’ll go on a canoe safari down the Sok River, where you’ll be stunned at the sheer variety of flora and fauna along its banks.

You’ll take a boat trip on the enormous Cheow Larn Lake, with the chance to canoe there as well, visit a village market to find out about local rural life, and finally be introduced to the jungle on foot, coming into contact with countless tropical species and discovering some of the secrets of the forest with your trained guide.

This tour is a “soft” adventure, meaning it should be suitable for anyone in good health. Indeed, children of four years of age and older are welcome, a fact which will no doubt meet with approval from many four-year-old elephant enthusiasts and budding explorers. The camp itself is well-established and very comfortable, offering a stable base for forays into the forest, and the organization has strict environmental policies designed to limit the negative impact potentially inherent in running excursions in such a sensitive area. There is also a real emphasis on sharing information about the elephants, the forest, and the culture of the region, and learning how all three are interconnected.

Getting there

You need to get to one of the following places in Thailand: Phuket, Krabi, Khao Sok, Koh Samui or Surat Thani. Transfers to the Camp run directly from hotels in all these locations.

Price includes

Transfer from hotels in Phuket, Krabi, Khao Sok, Koh Samui or Surat Thani, tour with activities as specified (including one of either Elephant Trekking of Elephant Experience), meals as described in the itinerary, canoes, boat and transport between activities where required, fully trained guides.

Price details

1st November 2009 - 30th April 2010: Adult 16,500 baht, Child 8,150 baht (Single supplement 5,000 Baht.)
1st May 2010 - 31st October 2010: Adult 14,850 Baht, Child 7,425 Baht (No single supplement.)

Available

Jan—Dec

Typical Duration

3 days

Comfort level

Reasonably comfortable (Inns, B&Bs, luxury camping etc.)

Experience required

Not relevant