Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary, Cooking Class and Waterfall Tour
5.0
7 Ratings
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: 1 day learn more
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 the safety measures to follow during the tour. At 9 am, you’ll visit the Mahout’s hut and change into a mahout’s outfit. You’ll then take a short walk out to meet with the elephants alongside a real mahout. You’ll learn how to approach the elephants, judge their temperament and gain their trust.

At 10:30 am, You’ll experience buying food from local stores and learn more about the local community. At 11:30 am, you’ll help prepare food for the elephants and make herbal vitamin snack balls for them. You’ll be amazed as you watch their trunks skillfully scoop up the food offered to them.

After watching them eat and having already secured your special bond with the elephant and gained its trust.

At 12:30 pm, you’ll enjoy a delicious buffet lunch at the elephant camp. After lunch, you’ll depart from the elephant camp back to your hotel.

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 elephants, learning about their communication and trust-building techniques, and see how they care for and feed the elephants.

During the tour, you will have the opportunity to visit local markets to purchase food for the elephants and even make herbal vitamin snack balls for them. You’ll also learn about the communication and trust-building techniques used by the mahouts, and see firsthand how they care for and feed the elephants.

The highlight of the tour is undoubtedly the close-up interaction with the elephants, where you can take photos and observe them in their natural environment.

  • Bath and feed with elephant is not permitted
  • The rescued elephants at the sanctuary are not forced to do activities they do not wish to participate in.
  • The sanctuary will not force the elephants to pose for photos.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
5.0
(7 Ratings)
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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
784amberm
Aug 5, 2023
Great experience if your care for animal welfare. Clean, new. Great lunch! - Only open for 3months. Beautiful restaurant, clean and new bathrooms, great guide. They obviously care deeply for the animals. Things are still being built and the description of the tour was a little off. A different elephant experience if your looking for an experience that really cares for the elephants.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
David_y
May 17, 2023
Highly recommended experience - We made food for the animals and fed them. We walked with them to the river and scrubbed them with mud and then helped wash them in the river. Later we cut bamboo and sugar cane and fed the elephants again. A delicious lunch was provided. We were happy to see the elephants were treated humanely (no whips or sticks or cruelty) and each had their own trainer who controlled them with just verbal commands and touching them. It was very touching that when you talked directly to the elephant and rubbed their hear trunk, they would stop eating and look you straight in the eye until you stopped talking, its like they understood you and were communicating with you.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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