Elephant Hills

2 nights, 3 days stay, night 1 in the main jungle camp, night 2 in the jungle lake camp full board (breakfast, dinner, tea provided) water available free of charge, soft drinks and alcohol chargeable but very reasonably priced! The souvenir shop is also really reasonably priced Oh my goodness where do I even start! This trip was just unbelievable! This is the part of our honeymoon that I was most excited for and it did not disappoint! We were picked up from our hotel in Phuket by shared transfer it did take 2.5 hours but the driver is very accommodating and made a stop half way so we could refuel and use the toilets. We arrived at the camp and was greeted by welcome drinks and lovely staff! We were introduced to our guide Sam, he checked us in and gave us a run down of what we would be doing for the next 3 days. We then went into our tent which we were pleasantly surprised by the lovely elephants made out of towels and a happy honeymoon decoration on our bed which was a lovely touch! The tent had a lovely big bed inside with plenty of room to move around and a bathroom with a walk in shower. We had the most beautiful view of the mountain outside surrounded by trees! We were given some time to relax by the little pool and it was just so nice to listen to the nature surrounding us. We then headed up for some lunch which was beautifully presented and a really good variety catering for all dietary requirements/allergies. We then went to the elephant hills sanctuary to see the elephants 🥰 this activity was just unreal! We got to meet the 9 female resident elephants there all with they’re own back story which Sam was excellent at explaining to us, we got to get close to them, watch them in their habitat walking around freely and going into they’re dedicated pool. We then prepared food for them and fed them which was just an amazing experience. The rangers looking after the elephants were so good with them the elephants really responded well to them, no hooks or sticks or any kind of inhumane treatment was witnessed at all throughout our trip they spoke softly to the elephants and the elephants responded. This was massive for us visiting an elephant sanctuary, we heard so many bad stories about the way the elephants are treated at some ‘ethical sanctuaries’ but these guys look after the elephants so well and they have so much ground to walk on in amongst nature it truly is the best home for the elephants there, we witnessed so much love from all the staff for the elephants it was beautiful to witness! The first night we were treated to a dance show from some children at the local school, a cooking lesson and a documentary then given some time to wind down and relax ready for bed. The bed was comfy and we slept pretty well but due to being in the jungle there is a lot of insects/lizards and bugs around, the tents do have mesh covering the opening and the windows but bugs still do get in so i would recommend to cover yourself in mosquito spray because we got bitten quite bad! They do provide bug spray in the tents tho so use that if you are worried. The second day we were served breakfast which again was lovely, plenty of variety and home made food all covered from any bugs, fruit juices and water provided. We then had a group talk with Sam about the lake camp we were going to and what activities we would be doing for the next 2 days. We set off to the lake camp mid morning driving around an hour to the boat port and around 1.5 hours on the long tail boat. During the journey we were treated to some stunning views and the boat driver made sure we were able to see all the beautiful little islands surrounding koh sok. We arrived at the jungle lake camp around mid day, we were served with welcome drinks, given out tents and allowed some time to settle in. The tent was identical to the main jungle camp tents so we knew what we were getting. We were able to swim in the lake outside our room and go out to do some kayaking on our own kayaks which we really enjoyed. The camp is so cut off from the outside world giving you the perfect opportunity to relax and take in nature there’s no signal no wifi so it really is cut off. If your taking children I would recommend downloading some stuff on Netflix because I imagine for a child it might be abit boring but we really enjoyed just having the time away from civilisation to just shut off and really appreciate the beautiful nature around us. The group then went and did a jungle trek but we didn’t take part due to personal health issues but Sam was totally okay with it and said we were free to swim, relax and kayak as we pleased with we took full advantage of! Shortly after the group were back we were served tea which was all home made and so lovely! We did not go hungry at all there was so much choice! We then watched a documentary about koh sok as a national park and the animals residing there then we went to bed. The bugs weren’t as bad as the jungle camp but I would still recommend covering yourself in mosquito repellent! We had a decent nights sleep but beware when it gets dark it really does get dark! You literally cannot see anything without a light so watch your step! The third day we had breakfast again all beautiful and home made then offered the chance to do a group kayak to see the wildlife then back to the camp for some more relaxation and swimming and served dinner. We left the lake camp around mid day and taken to where it was we were going next. We went into koh samui, we were taken by private transfer to the ferry port, given the tickets for the ferry and met again by private transfer to our hotel in koh samui all organised by elephant hills it was so seamless and we didn’t feel worried at all! Overall the experience was unforgettable it’s a must do if your travelling to Thailand the staff the experience the knowledge is just impeccable and Sam our guide was just amazing from start to finish Thankyou so much for the best few days we cant wait to come back! RECOMMENDATIONS! - take mosquito spray and plenty of it! -take plenty of sun cream it gets really hot at the lake - you only take an overnight bag to the lake camp no suitcases so make sure you pack everything you need for one night including swim wear! You don’t need towels they are provided at the lake camp - there is no signal/no wifi at the lake camp so if your easily bored or have children make sure you download loads of movies to your phone! - alll food is provided but if your a snacky person I’d recommend taking your own snacks they do sell some snacks in the souvenir shop but theres not much choice, but you are fed really well whilst there so don’t worry too much! - drinking water is provided as much as you want I’d recommend taking your own water bottle to refill from the water machine - soft drinks and alcohol is served but is chargeable but it’s really reasonably priced! You pay for everything on check out. - take cash! Because of the location card signal is nill - the souvenir shop on site is really reasonably priced and has some lovely stuff in there! The staff are so lovely and work really hard they don’t ask for tips or any sort of gratitude but they so deserve it! Anything you give them they are so thankful for take enough money to leave them a tip if you can they really appreciate it! - at the lake camp you have to wear a life jacket on the boats and swimming, it’s a national park so it’s mandatory even if you can swim like an Olympian you still have to wear the life jacket to comply with national park rules if your spotted without one in or on the water, you will be fined and elephant hills company will also be fined so it is uncomfortable but necessary! - expect in the jungle to see creepy crawlers, lizards, monkeys, birds and other wildlife, if your a person who is really uncomfortable with this it’s not for you. - take comfortable shoes if your doing the jungle trek Read less

Family of 4; two adults, children 14 and 10. 3 day/2night jungle/lake safari. We absolutely loved our time at Elephant Hills. I had been looking forward to this part of the holiday most, and it did not disappoint at all. We all felt that we were kept busy and entertained, but still with plenty of time for relaxation. The 'trek' is a little difficult, I felt; we walk a lot and I found this pretty exhausting - perhaps a combination of the heat and the climb, but it's certainly worth the effort. I'm so glad I persevered with it. The view and the cave at the top were both fabulous. All the activities were great fun, and it felt like everything was really well thought out to ensure everyone had a great time and got the most out of the experience. The jungle tent was a squeeze with all 4 of us in it, if I went again I'd definitely pay the extra to book two tents - although saying that, you're not in there much and it was only one night. We were much more comfortable in the lake tent as we had two. The food was great, everyone found something to eat including our fussy 10 yr old, and the drinks were good. Even though you're a captive audience, they don't rip you off for drinks or souvenirs. Transfers were seamless from collection in Koh Samui right through to drop off in Khao Lak. Our guide, Kong, was absolutely great. Really knowledgable and friendly, and forever pointing out ideas for photo opportunities or fun experiences for our whole group. Our family was placed with another two families with similar-age children and this worked wonderfully. It was absolutely brilliant, we certainly recommend the jungle/lake camp. Tips: - Make sure your package includes a stay at the lake, it's so amazing to stay there overnight! - Ask for another fan from reception for the jungle camp. It gets hot with 4 people in the tent! - Take more drinks on the trek than you think is necessary, and take some cash as there's a place to buy drinks at the bottom. That Chang on the long tail boat back to camp after the walk was amazing. Read less

Everything about elephant hills was the best thing I’ve ever experienced. The elephants are so well looked after and treated so well and ethically. The staff are all so lovely and kind and helpful during the experiences and around the accommodation. I knew I would love the elephants but I didn’t realise just how much I would love all of the other experiences too - thanks to the amazing staff. I learned so much and will never ever forget these memories! Read less

We booked a family holiday for 4 of us - 2 adults and 2 children aged 13 and 9 to stay for one night at the Elephant Hill main camp and one night on the lake. From start to finish the guides were helpful, informative and courteous. The first day entailed a canoe ride, followed by feeding the elephants which was a real highlight. The food in general was of a high quality and they clearly made an effort with any dietary requirements. The real adventure for us was spending the night at the lake camp where we really felt at one with nature including a trek to the pinnacle of one of the mountains, exploring a bat cave and the next day we had time to swim in the water and go for a kayaking trip. For city people like us it definitely took us out of our comfort zone! I cannot say enough about our guide Ant who was simply marvellous in terms of her enthusiasm, knowledge, temperament. The kids loved her attitude too and she was very caring towards them. Big thanks goes to her and the fab team at Elephant Hills. Read less

We had the most amazing four day holiday experience in the magical Elephant Hills. Our host and guide, Ant was knowledgeable, cheerful and very experienced and on hand to answer the many questions we had. Ants assistant, Bang was fantastic with our teenagers and kept a keen eye out for large snakes, spiders and the many monkeys we saw. We had guided kayak trips through the mangroves, free swimming in the many lakes and the food cooked for us by Ant was some of the best we had during our stay, a proper Thai curry and rice cooked on a camp fire. Our camp and accommodation was basic and clean, although the food and light entertainment made up for this. We enjoyed, nature videos and local schools dancing prior to the dinner gong announcement followed by some lovely food and drinks. This was a trip of a life time and would be a trip we would definitely recommend. Read less