Elephant Hills: A Nature Lover's Diary

Our Thailand expert, Emma recently had the chance of a nature lover's lifetime: to visit Elephant Hills. Hear how her two-night adventure went, from coming face to face with the elephants, drifting down the Sok River and rising early to soak up the sounds of the rainforest.

First, let me set the scene: Elephant Hills is set across a Jungle Camp on the edge of the Sok River at the very edge of Khao Sok National Park, and a floating camp that’s totally secluded at the edge of one the channels of the park’s Cheow Lan Lake. And the best bit: it's all within easy reach of Phuket (three and a half to four hours), Khao Lak (two hours) or Koh Samui (five and a half hours). There are a few types of adventures you can pick from including those that include a stay solely at the Jungle Camp for either one, two or three nights. But, in my eyes there’s a clear winner – a trip that that spends one or two nights at the Jungle Camp and one night at the Lake Camp. This is a best-of-both worlds choice – read on to find our why (but be warned: there are spoilers ahead!).

Emma's Elephant Hills diary
Day 1: We had an 9am pick up from our Khao Lak hotel, The Sarojin, and arrived at Elephant Hills at 10am after an oh-so scenic and winding drive through rural Thailand. Our tents were ready as soon as we arrived heading so it wasn't long before we were heading down to the small pool to cool off and take in the epic backdrop before an ab fab lunch. The food here was a real surprise with a mix of Thai and western dishes served buffet style; don’t let the word camp fool you, this is seriously tasty grub and with no mobile gas stove in sight. The dining area has long tables and benches - a set up that encourages getting to know your fellow camp dwellers if that's your thing.

Then it was time for the real fun to begin. First up, we were off to see and feed the famous residents of Elephant Hills with our guide Saow who was with us for our entire experience. Pulling into the gate was a true pinch-me moment as we caught a first glimpse of the elephants with that classic Khao Sok jungle-meets-limestone karst backdrop. Following a quick brief, we wandered up to the feeding station to learn more about the individual females, their backstories and the care they receive at the camp. Then it was time to prepare their snacks (bananas, bamboo, pineapple to name just a few of their faves) and feed them hand to trunk. It was such a life-affirming experience and a huge privilege to be standing with giants so wise and gentle.

The sting of having to leave the ellies behind was softened by the next activity: a guided kayak ride along the Sok River. All you need to do on this trip is sit back and enjoy the scenery, keep your eyes peeled for riverside wildlife (we glimpsed monkeys, snakes and frogs). Both Saow's and our paddler's eyesight were exceptional, and they spotted things we would easily have missed - snoozing snake in the tree: tick; frog on a log: tick; monkeys swinging from branch to branch: tick. And then there was the jaw-dropping scenery - the whole thing was giving total Jurassic Park vibes, minus the escaped carnivores. The evening here was chilled with another flavour-filled meal, a dance show put on by children from a local school and a cooking demo. Then it was time to grab a drink (Thai tea is a new favourite), sit and chat until your cosy tent called.

Day 2: We said goodbye to the main camp this morning and headed properly off grid - this next part of the adventure was truly about switching off and soaking up everything Khao Sok National Park had to offer. And boy did it provide. After a quick viewpoint pit stop, we hopped on board a longtail boat that would whisk us to paradise - the floating Rainforest Camp. On the way, we took a side quest through one of the awe-inspiring channels that's dwarfed on either side by the towering limestone karsts; it was very Halong Bay coded (I recommend sitting on the left side of the boat for the best views). 

Motoring around the corner and spotting the camp was like a dream come true. It's wonderfully tucked away from the rest of the world with only fishermen passing in their dinky but speedy boats. This was a 'no news, no stress' kind of place. It was just us, our fellow camp mates, the attentive and friendly staff and guides, and the forest dwelling wildlife.

After another tasty meal and a dip in the bath-water-warm lake, we hopped back on board the boat to a ranger station for our Phorn Phet Cave hike. Only few of us chose to join in but that's the beauty of Elephant Hills, there's absolutely no pressure to do anything but enjoy your holiday the way you see fit. As we made our way up through the jungle, we experienced a rather extraordinary (and fleeting) glimpse of the backside of a wild elephant. It was a moment to remember. After our pulses returned somewhat back to normal, we reached the cave and explored it by torchlight. There were bats, snakes, spiders and crickets so I would give the cave a miss if creepy crawlies and dark spaces are not your thing. But if you're feeling brave enough, the sense of wonder at this underground world is unforgettable.

Evenings at the main camp are chilled but nights at the Lake Camp are a different level of relaxed. A documentary about the national park, the lake and the issues its creation caused wildlife, and the animals spotted around the camp set the night up nicely and we grabbed a couple of drinks before the bar shut at nine.

Day 3: An early night the previous day meant that I was awake for sunrise so I sat out on the deck and listened to the jungle waking up. There were no other sounds but the birds, gibbons calling each other up in the treetops, and the sporadic splash of a fish out of water. It was the most peaceful and mindful experience which will stick with me for years to come. And after a short rain shower at about 6.45am, the mist started to rise from the jungle which created an even more magical element. If I could start every day like that day, I would be a happy camper.

9am marked the start of our final experience but it was certainly a case of last but not least. The skies had cleared and the sun was beaming so the jungle's fifty shades of green and our yellow canoes were popping off. This time we were in charge of the paddles as we followed the shore to the north of the camp, dipping into narrow canals where the forest reaches right down to the edge of the lake. Again, the sounds of the jungle and the splash of the water surround you – something I find so soothing for the soul. It was the way to round off our adventure. You know you've found somewhere special when it's heart wrenching to leave; I could have happily whiled away a few days here.

This feature was created on 16th June 2025. The information within this feature is correct to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. Feature by Emma Tibbetts.