Elephant Sanctuary Tour: Observe Mahout Bonding

Experience the special bond between elephants and their mahouts at Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary. Learn about their communication and trust-building techniques, make herbal vitamin snack balls, and interact with elephants in their natural environment.

Duration: 4 hours, 30 minutes
Cancellation: 24 hours
Highlights
  • Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary - We are fortunate to have mahouts in our sanctuary who care deeply for the welfare of our elephants while sharing, teaching, and bringing our guests into their special world.
    The adventure begins with a pick-up from your hotel in Khao Lak at 8 am. You’ll be met by your guide who will brief you on how to be a mahout and…
What's Included
  • Lunch
  • Hotel Transfer
  • Tour Guide
  • Insurance
  • Tea and coffee
Additional Information

We offers a unique and authentic experience that focuses on learning about and observing the special bond between elephants and their mahouts. Unlike other elephant sanctuaries, we do not allow bathing or feeding the elephants to ensure their safety and well-being. Instead, you will have the opportunity to watch the mahouts as they interact with the…

Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(9 Ratings)
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Nick32663
Oct 5, 2024
Koh lak elephant sanctuary - The other reviews are pretty spot on. We were bought the experience as a gift and the sanctuary was chosen by our daughter. Once explained to us about the welfare of the elephants and you observe them in thier habitat. It all made perfect sense . (That they are not there to perform. That is where they have been rescued from) (It's not natural to be in there washing them ) Tony (Benn,superstar ) was our expert guide And he was so attentive,caring and informative throughout our visit. We did get to feed them, walk with them and watch them bathe in the river . Most humbling. Went to a local farm, cut down banana leafs Picked a coconut and drank the milk Picked things that only seen in supermarkets back home. Took us to the waterfall. And showed me how to extract rubber from the trees 🌳 . Fascinating. We also did a thai cookery class They went beyond our expectations as the head chef 👨‍🍳 was prepared for us to learn four different thai courses. Nothing was too much trouble. We can't thank 🙏 all and everyone of the staff enough as they all played thier part and made us feel like royalty It has made our day/ holiday/year.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cliveg202
Jul 24, 2024
Elephant sanctuary - The tour was excellent and Tony our tour guide was wonderful. We had a brilliant time feeding the elephants and managed to watch some of their behaviour including them playing in the river. We then picked and ate wild fruit, and went for a swim in a waterfall. At the end of the day we made this delicious Thai meal which we ate! All of the staff were very friendly and helpful. I would highly recommend this!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jacquelinegt2933gy
Jun 12, 2024
Wonderful experience not to be missed - We had an amazing time. The guides were knowledgeable, friendly and very child focussed. The experience is one that we will never forget, and it was a joy to see the animals freely walking through the jungle and into the river. Our guide, Tony was lovely with our grandson as were his colleagues.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X6140hsjulieh
Jun 2, 2024
Amazing experience! - We visited the sanctuary as a family of 9, this included 3 children. From our pick up at our hotel to our drop off the whole experience was seamless with very knowledgeable and friendly staff. Tony our guide was amazing. It is clear to see how well looked after the elephants are and how their welfare is the top priority. This is part of the reason we chose this tour. The children enjoyed feeding the Elephants and the visit to the waterfall was also very beautiful. We did not attend the cooking class as part of our tour however another group did and all I can say is the food smelled amazing! The toilets. changing rooms and showers were all very clean. Water is provided throughout the tour. However we were also able to purchase drinks and ice cream for the kids at the end of the tour. Take plenty of spray to protect from mosquitoes. This is also recommended on booking. We used the stickers for the kids we popped them on the underside of our hats which seemed to help. Thank you for helping us to make some lovely memories of our trip to Thailand. Photos were taken taken by the guides of the date and forwarded to us later which was a lovely touch as it's often hard to get as many photos of the experience as you would like. We would definitely recommend a visit here.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Dukeboy1951
Feb 27, 2024
New and exciting Thai Elephant Sanctuary - Great Introduction to Thai Elephants & Food. This sanctuary is new, and is growing. Everything is clean and up to date. Their herd is smaller than most, but they are growing. The 5 hours we spent there began with a Thai cooking class, and of course sampling everything we made. Then we proceeded to the elephants to feed and roam the forest with them. We learned a lot about the elephants and the rubber trees and other wild life in the area. We appreciated the smaller attendance, so there was a lot of interchange amongst staff and customers. The staff are all very very friendly. Our tour guide, Tony, did a great job in food prep / cooking as well as guided us with the elephants. Tony knows his business, and is excellent communicator. Overall, it was a fun way to gain knowledge while having fun. In addition there is plenty of bottled water to drink as it gets quite warm.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Adriana_m
Jan 6, 2024
Intense and fulfilling experience for kids - We enjoyed the elephants encounter excursion and mostly because of Ve Vi, Me Mi and Tiger 🙏 they have been so patient and careful with me and my two children and I cannot thank them enough for the beautiful experience! Thank you and see you next time!
Review provided by Viator
Lorraine_d
Nov 25, 2023
Fun with the elephants - Washing elephants was an incredible experience. They were so big and gentle. The water was good to swim intoo
Review provided by Viator
784amberm
Aug 5, 2023
Great experience if your care for animal welfare. Clean, new. Great lunch! - Only open for 3months. Beautiful restaurant, clean and new bathrooms, great guide. They obviously care deeply for the animals. Things are still being built and the description of the tour was a little off. A different elephant experience if your looking for an experience that really cares for the elephants.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_y
May 17, 2023
Highly recommended experience - We made food for the animals and fed them. We walked with them to the river and scrubbed them with mud and then helped wash them in the river. Later we cut bamboo and sugar cane and fed the elephants again. A delicious lunch was provided. We were happy to see the elephants were treated humanely (no whips or sticks or cruelty) and each had their own trainer who controlled them with just verbal commands and touching them. It was very touching that when you talked directly to the elephant and rubbed their hear trunk, they would stop eating and look you straight in the eye until you stopped talking, its like they understood you and were communicating with you.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
December 2024
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