Where to Go in Khao Lak: the 15 Best Zoos

1.Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Experience in Khao Lak

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 778 reviews · 3 hours · from $56Our pick

Spend three hours at Khao Lak Elephant Conservation with an English-speaking guide such as Didi, Winnie, or Lala. Watch rescued elephants move freely, learn from their mahouts, prepare an herbal supplement, make a Thai inhaler, and cook Khanom Krok. No riding, bathing, touching, or forced performances.

“I think you would find it difficult to find a better experience with Elephants,we met our guide at the sanctuary who introduced us to our elephant for the day,we went off in a group of 4,we walked along side our lovely elephant feeding him along the way,we got to wash him in the water then covered him with mud,you can see they really enjoy their time at the sanctuary and are really cared for.Such an unforgettable experience with these lovely animals.”

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2.Khaolak: Elephant Sanctuary Guided Tour with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 226 reviews · 1 hour - 90 minutes · from $51

Spend 60 to 90 minutes at Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary with an English-speaking guide such as May, Tony, or Sai. Prepare food, feed rescued elephants, observe their natural behavior, and watch them bathe near the river. Hotel pickup is available in Khao Lak zones.

“Incredible!! Elephants are so well kept and they truly live by their moto ‘elephant is boss’. We didn’t want to go to ‘sanctuary’s’ that allow you to scrub elephants etc and this trip was perfect, came away feeling very content with the care for the elephants and all guides were amazing.”

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3.Khao Lak: 2-Hour Elephant Sanctuary Eco-Walk with Guided

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 206 reviews · 2 - 3 hours · from $73

Spend two hours with rescued elephants at Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary. An English-speaking guide such as Win, Tony, or Jungle Boy leads feeding, herbal vitamin ball making, and a jungle walk. You may watch the elephants bathe or help splash water, always at their own pace.

“absolutely amazing experience! the elephants were so well looked after and understood by the team at Khao Lak. It was such an incredible experience being able to feed and watch the elephants bathe, but knowing that the sanctuary is ethical and conscious. We had such lovely interactions with the animals without it feeling forced, and we really felt the animals were respected and happy. I would 100% recommend choosing this sanctuary over any others in the area”

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4.Khao Lak: Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 112 reviews · 4 hours · from $112

From Khao Lak, spend four hours with elephants at Phang Nga Elephant Park. Your English-speaking guide explains elephant care, leads a jungle walk, helps you prepare food and feed your elephant, then supervises a rock-pool bath before a Thai lunch.

“We had the most amazing experience from start to finish. Our guide was Hans and he was both welcoming and knowledgeable. We were paired with Tai and Ja Na and we could not have wished for a better experience. Tai and Ja Na’s connection is just amazing and he encouraged us to connect with her also whilst ensuring her comfort and wellbeing at all times. We finished the day with a beautiful lunch provided by the park.”

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5.2-Hour Guided Eco-Tour & Transfer to Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · from $74Top rated

Spend two hours at Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary with guides such as Sai, Tony, or Jungle Boy. Feed rescued elephants, watch them in the river, follow their jungle walk, and learn their stories. Small groups, optional hotel transfers, insurance, and complimentary photography are included.

“Khao Lak elephant sanctuary is the place to go to spend real time with elephants in Khao Lak. Tony our guide is so passionate about the 3 rescued elephant’s in the sanctuary and made sure we knew all about them. We fed them bananas and made some food for them which we fed them before going for a walk with them in the jungle which was amazing, calling their names and them responding to your call ,we fed them again with sugar cane which they loved and I had missed one from my bag and she knew it was still in there!! We then hosed them whilst they made themselves…”

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6.Khaolak: Elephant Sanctuary Guided Tour with Hotel Transfers

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 56 reviews · 1 hour · from $57

Spend one hour with rescued and retired elephants at Khao Lak Elephant Sanctuary. You will prepare food, feed the animals, hear their stories, and watch them enjoy the river. Hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and return transport are included.

“Umgang mit den Elefanten top. Guide könnte etwas besseres Englisch sprechen. Fahrt mit Tuk Tuk. Grüße”

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7.Guide Tour to Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary in Small Group

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 47 reviews · from $58

Spend 90 minutes at Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary with hotel pickup, a coffee break, and guides such as Tony, Mae, or Spiderman. Learn each elephant’s story, feed them bananas, and walk beside them through the trees while they set the pace. This is an observation-led visit with no riding or bathing.

“I looked for an elephant sanctuary that didn't bathe, swim, or touch these beautiful animals and decided on this sanctuary. We were divided into small groups, given a bit of history on the elephants then was able to feed them bananaRead more”

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8.Khaolak Elephant Sanctuary, Cooking Class and Waterfall Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 15 reviews · from $126

You’ll meet rescued elephants with mahouts, learn how they build trust, shop for elephant food, make herbal vitamin snack balls, and watch feeding from close range. Pickup from Khao Lak starts at 8 am. Note that the published program does not include bathing or direct feeding, and no waterfall stop is listed.

“Wow! We had an incredible experience caring for the elephants— we made their food, fed them, walked with them, helped to give them a bath in the river and went to cut down more bananas and sugar cane in the jungle to feed them mRead more”

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9.Khao Lak Elephant Sanctuary Tour with Waterfall and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $112

Spend about four hours at Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary observing elephants, preparing Thai herbal vitamin balls, eating a local lunch, and visiting Sai Rung Waterfall. The program suits visitors who want a gentle animal encounter paired with hands-on culture and time in nature.

“Well organised. Enjoyed the whole trip. Wel thought out. Staff very attentive and well organised. Highly recommended”

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10.Khao Lak’s Best: Elephant Sanctuary,Rubber Tapping&Waterfall

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 10 reviews · 1h 30m · from $64

Spend 90 minutes with rescued elephants at Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary, then learn rubber tapping and visit Sai Rung Waterfall. An English-speaking guide leads the small group, with hotel pickup, elephant feeding, conservation stories, and no riding. Bring insect repellent and spare clothes.

“Very lovely tour! You get an introduction before starting to learn about the elephants and what they were rescued from. It was important to us to book a tour that does not support the exploitation of those lovely creatures. The guide was nice and instructed us what to do and how to approach the animals. Also the trip to the nearby waterfall was a nice experience. Can 100% recommend!”

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11.Khao Lak: All-Day Elephant Sanctuary Experience Small Groups

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 10 reviews · from $166

Join a small group of up to 10 for an 8-hour visit to Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary. With an English-speaking guide, you will walk among rescued elephants, prepare herbal vitamin balls, visit a local farm, learn Thai cooking, tap rubber trees, and stop at Sai Rung Waterfall.

“Fantastic all day trip. Cooking was a lot of fun. We only done half the cooking as it was too hot. Spending time with the elephants without bathing and seeing them tied up was just fantastic. We hand fed the elephants a number of times and that was the highlight of the day. You can clearly see the staff really care about the elephants. Walking in the grounds with the elephants and seeing them able to roam free and come up as close as they wanted to was amazing. My husband was able to walk up right beside one. It was interesting finding out about the rubber tree’s. Waterfall was…”

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12.Khao Lak Elephant Sanctuary Full Day Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 8 reviews · from $174

Spend about eight hours at Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary with caretakers such as Win or Maesa, preparing elephant vitamin balls, feeding rescued females, cooking Pad Thai and Tom Yum, and visiting Sai Rung Waterfall. Hotel transfer and lunch are included.

“All the staff were great, very knowledgeable and respectful of the elephants. Nothing felt forced, all elephants were free to roam if they wished but they knew their daily routines of feeding and bathing and were happy for you to hand them foRead more”

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13.Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Conservation Experience

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8 reviews · from $32Best value

Spend about 30 minutes at Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary watching rescued elephants roam, feed, and play without riding or bathing. An English-speaking guide explains each elephant’s story, daily care, and rehabilitation. The group is limited to 15, and hotel transfers are not included.

“The staff were very friendly and obviously cared for the elephants. We did the 1 hour tour which was brilliant. We did so much in an hour. Made food for the elephants, made Thai pancakes, and an inhaler. We fed 9 elephants and then washeRead more”

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14.Khao Lak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary Small Group Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $103

Spend about four hours at Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary making herbal vitamin balls, exploring a rubber plantation, gathering elephant grass, visiting Sai Rung Waterfall, and eating a local lunch. Guide Win is praised for keeping the experience safe and engaging. Hotel pickup is available, but elephant feeding and bathing are not permitted.

“An excellent and educational experience. Win was a fantastic guide and teacher who made sure I felt comfortable and safe in my interactions with the elephants and had plenty of things for me to do during my time at the sanctuary. We fed Read more”

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15.Khao Lak Elephant Sanctuary Visit and Mangrove Kayak Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 7 reviews · from $126

Travel from Khao Lak to Takuapa for a two-hour canoe ride through banyan and mangrove forest, then visit Khaolak Ethical Elephant Sanctuary. An English-speaking eco guide explains the elephants as they roam freely, with lunch served nearby. Hotel pickup and insurance are included.

“Memorable morning feeding and walking the elephants followed by a great mangrove kayaking experience. Lunch and cleanliness of the toilets at the elephant sanctuary was first class. Our guide Toni was superb!”

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