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
(12 Ratings)
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Xann2002x
Mar 27, 2025
The best couple of hours ever - Booked this trip two days in advance as I wanted a pick up from our hotel The driver arrived early and we picked up two other couples on the way When we arrived we were given bottles of water and introduced to Mike our guide for the day We were given baskets of bananas and sugar cane to feed the elephants. After we went to prepare some ingredients essential to the elephants diet which we stuffed into banana skins We then went on a walk through the forest with the elephant as always plenty of photo opportunities. Mike took lots of photos and also had lots of information about the elephants and also about the rubber trees grown in the forest He was really interesting and we had so much fun with him The highlight of the tour was when the elephant went in the river She was obviously enjoying every minute of it This has to be the best place to view elephants up close. They have been rescued from logging and various tourist attractions and are now living happily and being well looked after by the sanctuary Thank you Mike and your colleagues for one of the best experiences I have ever had Highly recommend you don’t miss this
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cassandra_n
Feb 21, 2025
Fantastic Family Tour - Wow! We had an incredible experience caring for the elephants— we made their food, fed them, walked with them, helped to give them a bath in the river and went to cut down more bananas and sugar cane in the jungle to feed them more. The whole experience was surreal and the staff was so kind and friendly. Our 3 kids were so enthusiastic about the entire experience! We also learned how to make Pad Thai! The staff was so helpful with our younger children and we all had the best time. I can’t recommend this trip enough….one tip, bring bug spray and wear good shoes for hiking!
Review provided by Viator
Zoe_s
Dec 20, 2024
A truly magical... - A truly magical experience! Loved making their food and feeding them bananas, but my fave part was watching the interactions as they bathed - hilarious! Tony was a great guide and we had an amazing day :)
Review provided by Viator
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
From $116
up to 15 guests
1 - Adult
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start of your experience (local time).