Luxury glamping meets elephant conservation in Thailand

15 January 2025

A luxury jungle camping experience based around ethical elephant conservation, Elephant Hills is one of the most unique family holidays you can embark on - and one of the most outstanding properties for connecting you with wildlife and nature. Its initiatives include reducing plastic, the planting of thousands of trees, and inspiring their staff and their loved ones to consider the environment in their daily lives.

Luxury glamping meets elephant conservation in Thailand

Award-winning conservation and animal welfare

In a fairly remote location in one of the world’s most magnificent and lush areas of rainforest, in Khao Sok National Park in Southern Thailand, Elephant Hills has been rewarded with an array of accolades for its animal welfare practices and for the authentic way guests can engage with animals while being mindful of their wellbeing. Most recently, in 2024, it received the Responsible Thailand Awards for Animal Welfare from the Tourism Authority of Thailand at a presentation ceremony at World Travel Market in London.

Empowering rural communities

Elephant Hills has always worked closely with its local communities, with a special focus on helping children’s education in rural areas. That includes teaching local kids the importance of conserving nature, as well as supporting their education in general and thus empowering them to make their own choices in life.

Founded more than 15 years ago, the Elephant Hills Children’s Project donates books, stationery, art supplies, musical instruments, seeds, and gardening equipment, as well as sports and playground equipment to schools in Khao Sok and Mae Hong Son. And you can help directly not only by booking a holiday here and by donating to the project, but simply by making space to ‘pack with a purpose’ – leaving space in your luggage to bring stationery and school supplies, books, and toothbrushes and toothpaste, or warm clothes for children in the mountainous areas of Northern Thailand.

Helping wildlife to thrive

Elephant Hills also began a Wildlife Monitoring Project in 2011, which includes motion-triggered camera traps in more remote areas to see what kind of wildlife roams deeper in the jungle. But you don’t have to stray too far from its floating camp on Cheow Larn Lake (where you can opt to spend a night after the main camp itself) to spot fantastic wildlife, such as Malayan sun bears.

The Elephant Conservation Project itself was started a decade or so ago and supports government-run elephant hospitals as well as helping Thailand’s wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to prevent human-elephant conflicts. Elephant Hills’ own contented residents (many of whom worked in the logging industry until this was made illegal in 1989) spend their days free-roaming, eating, scratching, socialising, and immersing themselves in the cooling pond or a mud pit.

The Elphant Hills experience

As guests, you get to learn about the life of the mahouts, who look after the elephants, see how they live in harmony with nature, and find out all about their animal husbandry and veterinary techniques. Other adventures for you and your family include jungle treks, canoeing, speedboating in the mangroves of the primeval swamp, Chinese junk boat rides, and jungle and nature safaris.

During your stay, your home will be one of the luxury glamping tents with a private bathroom and shower. There are various packages to choose from, ranging from two to four days, some including a night in the floating Rainforest Camp, one of the world’s only luxury floating tented camps. All packages are full board, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffets of Thai and western dishes served in the main camp area, plus drinks with other guests where you can all swap stories around the campfire.

For a holiday at Elephant Hills, perhaps as part of a bespoke twin-centre or multi-centre holiday in Thailand, call your Travel Counsellor today.

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