DAY ONE 23-May-2024
The Amazing Elephant Experience
Pick-up from your hotel or the airport in Phuket, Khao Lak, Phang Nga, Krabi, Surat Thani, or even from Koh Samui and transfer to Khao Sok. En-route, glimpses of rural life in southern Thailand can be caught.
Upon arrival at Elephant Hills Camp, a buffet lunch featuring delicious Thai dishes is served at 12:00 p.m. Relax with a jungle river canoe trip down the Sok River. Drift along, passing Limestone Mountains and vegetation-covered cliffs.
At the elephant park, learn about Thai elephants and the Elephant Hills elephant conservation project. Participate in the Elephant Experience, interacting with these magnificent animals, preparing their meals, and learning their secrets.
Afterwards, enjoy a hot shower in your luxury safari tent with panoramic views of the jungle-covered mountains. Indulge in cocktails at the “Jungle explorer’s club bar”. Evening entertainment includes movie presentations, Thai dance performances, and cooking demonstrations.
At 8:00 pm, dine beside the rainforest, experiencing a memorable meal. Spend the night in your luxury tent, with mosquito netting and canvas flaps ensuring a peaceful sleep amidst nature.
DAY TWO 24-May-2024
Spectacular Cheow Larn Lake
Wake up to the sounds of nature and birds calling from the bushes next to the tent. By the time the sun comes up and the mist over the rainforest-covered mountains to the south of Elephant Hills clears, gibbons’ territorial morning calls echo down the valley. Tea and coffee-making facilities are available in your tent for early risers; breakfast is at your leisure.
Today you will explore Cheow-Larn-Lake by local long-tail boat. Cruise across emerald waters passing towering rainforest-covered Limestone Mountains to the “Guilin” of Southern Thailand. The Cheow-Larn-Lake is a little-known wonder of southern Thailand and features a first-class habitat for wild elephants, the rare Asian ox, hornbills and hundreds of other tropical birds, various monkey species, amphibians, reptiles and even tigers and leopards. This combined with a myriad of other species hidden in the rainforest-covered hills make it one of the most unique and important areas of rainforest in South East Asia. Take your time to marvel at the majestic mountains rising sheer out of the water and experience nature at its best!
Head to the floating Elephant Hills Rainforest Camp, situated in the heart of the national park, where our staff will check you into your luxury tent with private en-suite bathrooms, solar- and wind-powered electricity and hot and cold water showers. Find all the conveniences of a modern hotel room inside, combined with solid beds, tea and coffee-making facilities and totally unspoilt nature right at your doorstep. Sit back and enjoy the surrounding views of Cheow-Larn-Lake whilst enjoying a fabulous buffet lunch of Thai dishes which are prepared directly on the property.
Well invigorated you will come face to face with the jungle by exploring it on foot. It is not an army survival exercise, even though the trail is quite steep and times and can be slippery when wet – please talk to your guide if you are feeling unsure about the trek. But remember: There are no prizes for the fastest, snakes and spiders do not jump out at you – it is just an excellent opportunity to explore the ecology of one of the world’s oldest rainforests, to see a great variety of exotic plants, tropical hardwood trees with huge roots, orchids, palms, ferns, bamboos, mosses… the variety is huge.
Birds such as the hornbill live high up above, gibbons can often be heard calling to their mates, a macaque or a leaf monkey may be swinging through the branches, and beautiful butterflies buzz around – every day is different, but it is always truly wonderful to discover the great variety of life-forms that co-exists here together. Take this advice: Walk slowly. Look, learn and listen. Then you too will start to discover some of the rainforest’s secrets.
Watch the sun set behind the towering limestone mountains from the deckchair in front of your tent after a refreshing dip in the water and the inevitable shower. Dinner will be served shortly, and then it is only you and the intriguing sounds of nature under a starlit sky. No fairy tale will ever be that fabulous.
DAY THREE 25-May-2024
A Little Jungle Adventure
Begin your day at Elephant Hills with the sunrise and sounds of nature, including gibbons' calls echoing through the valley. Enjoy in-tent amenities like tea and coffee before breakfast. After yesterday's elephant encounters and canoeing, today's adventure involves a jungle trek. This isn't a rigorous survival challenge but a leisurely walk to appreciate one of the world’s oldest rainforests. Discover a diverse array of flora such as tropical hardwoods, orchids, palms, and bamboos, and fauna including hornbills, gibbons, macaques, and butterflies.
Each step offers a new discovery, urging you to slow down and absorb the rainforest's secrets through sight, sound, and learning. Post-hike, return to the Elephant Camp for a Thai buffet, savoring local flavors before a refreshing shower. The journey concludes with a transfer to your next destination, leaving you with enduring memories of your time in the jungle.
