Elephants, Phuket

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Kok Chang Safari would have to be one of the best elephant trek's we have been on during all of our travels to Phuket.

All the animals seem well cared for, the staff are very helpful and friendly and the setting is beautiful.

There are bananas available at the center to feed the elephants while taking some great photos and you just leave a donation in the box for them.

One of the highlights of the elephant trek, besides the fantastic views is once you are at the top of the hill you can ride down sitting on the elephants head if you want. It was so exciting sitting on her head, feet hooked behind her ears for balance and enjoying the ride back down.

Your mahout will also take lots of photos of your trek, so just hand him your camera.

There is also a great bar at the centre, so after your trek you can buy water, fruit shakes, beer etc at very cheap prices. This is also a perfect spot to sit and watch a beautiful Phuket Sunset!

Prices for the 50 minute elephant trek to the summit are 1000baht per adult. This is the one we would highly recommend!

There is also a half hour trek for 800baht, a 20 minute trek for 600baht, with 50% off for children 4 - 11 years of age and children under 4 are free.
Money for the elephant trek is paid directly to the centre.

Kok Chang Safari have also started doing complimentary pickups from Karon, Kata or Nai Harn and 100baht for return transfers from Patong.
Contact details are:
Chaini +66 (0) 84 841 9794
info@kokchangsafari.com

There is a more detailed report on Kok Chang Safari here with info on prices for the Elephant trek, transfer costs, photos etc
Kok Chang Safari

Lots more photos at; Cathy's Photo Pages

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Part 2 of my two part tip with more pictures around the elephant trekking area

The Kinaree Elephant Trekking tour is located inside the Sprawling Kinnaree Entertainment Complex in Rawaii Town and is one of the atrractions in the complex besides the Cobra Show, Monkey Show, the Phuket Shooting Range and Archery. This will be my elephant trekking review and they also offer a 4-in-1 safari tour of the complex (elephant trekking, carabao cart riding, monkey show, rural thai village,rubber harvesting at rubber plantation).

The Kinaree Elephant Trek is just across from the Phuket Archery Range and you can have either a 30 minute or 45 minute or 1 hour elephant trekking tour at 900 baht, 1,100 baht and 1,200 baht respectively (more expensive than doing elephant trekking at the Bangkok Area where they charge you only 600 baht to 30 minute elephant trek). we did a 30 minute trek and it goes around the thai village with the carabao cart and rubber plantation and around some hillocks. The elephant is manned by a mahout and only two people can ride at the top. the elephant will make a stop sometimes and take a dump and it will be smelly too.

Opens: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm everyday

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This will be a two part tip with more pictures around the elephant trekking area

The Kinaree Elephant Trekking tour is located inside the Sprawling Kinnaree Entertainment Complex in Rawaii Town and is one of the atrractions in the complex besides the Cobra Show, Monkey Show, the Phuket Shooting Range and Archery. This will be my elephant trekking review and they also offer a 4-in-1 safari tour of the complex (elephant trekking, carabao cart riding, monkey show, rural thai village,rubber harvesting at rubber plantation).

The Kinaree Elephant Trek is just across from the Phuket Archery Range and you can have either a 30 minute or 45 minute or 1 hour elephant trekking tour at 900 baht, 1,100 baht and 1,200 baht respectively (more expensive than doing elephant trekking at the Bangkok Area where they charge you only 600 baht to 30 minute elephant trek). we did a 30 minute trek and it goes around the thai village with the carabao cart and rubber plantation and around some hillocks. The elephant is manned by a mahout and only two people can ride at the top. the elephant will make a stop sometimes and take a dump and it will be smelly too.

Opens: 9:00 am to 6:00 pm everyday

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as a top highlight of any phuket trip i suggest an elefant trekking ..you can do at several places..but i was really delighted a lot at asia safari
best you book via tour agent which include you other sights like bamboo rafting, tsunami memorial turtle farm etc.

Riding an elephant is a must do while in Thailand. There are several places you can do this in Phuket. 1) Up near the big Buddha, 2)near the Gibbon santuary 3) near Patong (though I've heard they don't look after their elephant very well). Prices range from 800-900baht for 1/2 and hour, but you can get discounts during low season.

I went with the big Buddha elephants and paid 1000baht for 45 min. You walk through the jungle along steep picturesque roads, our Elephant got hungry and went over the side of a very steep bank to pull out a banana tree. A fantastic experience and even though it was pouring rain I enjoyed it.

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I have also listed this in my 'warnings' section as I do thoroughly now believe that whilst this activity is usually high on peoples "to do" list, I hope that you will think twice before you do it. My reasons are listed in the warnings section.

If the weather is good, head down to a beach like Bang Tao beach around 3pm and swim with the elephant. Its a great experience for the kids also. Give the elephant a few baht before it hits the water and ask if you can ride on top of the elephant into the water!

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Elephant rides can be an experience. There was a place which we passed by that cost 500 baht for a 20min ride. But when we hired a driver to bring us around, he brought us to another place which cost 800baht for 30min. We didn't request for a elephant ride, so obviously he was hoping to make commision off us. We tried to lower the price, but they didn't want to, so we started to walk away since we weren't that interested anyway to pay the price. Here comes the magic moment - he asked us to see the elephants first and tried to persuade us to stay. Then since we refuse to back down, he accepted our offer. So we paid 600 baht for 30min. Not bad.

They say its good luck to ride an elephant, I was just excited to be up close and personal, yes I got a kiss from a 4 year old elephant, he sure knew how to give a good smooch wow, it felt like a sloppy vacuum, best part was later in the day i realised he had left nice crusty's on my cheek. hehe

I choose Phuket for my honeymoon destination and I'm absolutely amazed by an island that is so beautiful. Beaches and island always have been my favorite places to go. The only different here in Phuket compared to other island is there is an elephant ride. I wonder how they managed to keep that big animal to work daily without any complaining. It was really an exciting 1 hour ride in the forest.