One of our favourite holidays that we offer in our entire portfolio, and one of the most unique, this is a luxury jungle camping experience with ethical elephant experiences and conservation at its core.
Indeed, Elephant Hills has won a whole array of awards for its animal welfare, and for the unique and authentic way in which guests can engage with these magnificent animals while also contributing to their wellbeing. Unsurprisingly, it’s also big on sustainability initiatives – most notably, eradicating plastic and carbon offsetting.
Come here to marvel at magnificent pachyderms, enjoying a bath in a natural mud pool, but also to get the chance to feed them one of their daily meals, watch them play and interact, and graze within the natural environment of their large free-roaming pen.
Their meals are prepared at a long table crammed full of food including bananas, pineapples and sugar cane, with each person, including children, allocated their own cleaver, basket and set amount of food to chop up. When you are ready, you take your basket of food and go and feed an elephant – there are roughly two people per animal.
You’ll also get to learn about the life of the mahouts who look after the elephants, seeing how they live in harmony with nature and their elephants and finding out all about the animal husbandry and veterinary techniques used here.
There are other adventures that you can opt to try out during your stay, too, including trekking through the jungle, canoeing, speedboating among the mangroves of the primeval swamp, Chinese junk and longtail boat rides, and jungle and nature safaris lasting from two to four days.
What we also love about Elephant Hills is that despite the property’s quite remote location in Khao Sok National Park in southern Thailand, its all-inclusive tour packages include transfers to and from any location in Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak, Suratthani, Khanom and Samui, giving you a hassle-free experience and the chance to focus on enjoying your holiday without worrying about transportation.
Your Travel Counsellor can also complete your stay and create a multi-destination holiday in Thailand, based on your tastes and whether you are travelling alone, with friends, as a couple or with children.
You’ll stay in a luxury glamping tent with one big double bed or two twin beds, plus space for a roll-in bed, with a private bathroom and shower. Among the various packages to choose from, ranging from two to four days, are the three-day Elephant Hills Jungle Lake Safari with a final night in The Lake Camp, one of world’s only luxury floating tented camps, on Cheow Larn Lake.
There are also Bush Camp short trips (in Chiang Mai, two days and one night) including the chance to see the mahout’s families pound rice, weave handmade clothes and generally go about their daily life, sample their traditional cuisine and help them make paper from elephant dung.
All packages are full board, with hearty breakfasts, lunch and dinner buffets of Thai and western dishes in the main camp area included, plus a well-stocked bar for drinks around the campfire.
For more information, a quote and/or to book your fantastic wildlife experience at Elephant Hills, with full financial protection, call your Travel Counsellor today.
Aruba beckons with its serene beauty, making it an irresistible choice for those seeking a luxurious tropical getaway. Aruba boasts award-winning, uncrowded, white-sand beaches that promise a slice of paradise where you can unwind to your heart's content. With guaranteed sunshine, crystal-clear waters, and stunning architecture, Aruba is a gem waiting to be discovered.
The personal experiences of our Travel Counsellors, together with their combined insider knowledge of hotels, resorts, and destinations, ensure that they can hand-pick the very best holidays for your needs.
Continuing the pioneering spirit of the innovative, award-winning Virgin Voyages cruises, Brilliant Lady is set to cross the United States in her highly anticipated 2025 debut season. Highlights among the once-in-a-lifetime five- to 16-night journeys will include a voyage through the Panama Canal and a trip through the glaciers and fjords of Alaska.
