Ao Nang Elephant Trekking

Description

After negative feedback about cruelty to animals and rudeness to visitors, we no longer sell the tour operating near Ao Nang (the tour operator will have to remain nameless for diplomatic purposes). We recommend you go elephant trekking at the elephant outfit near the Huay To waterfall, which is located in the Phanom Bencha National Park, an hour from Ao Nang, instead.

Stop press Sept 2013 - we have received bad feedback about the way the elephants are treated at the elephant outfit near the Tiger Cave temple. All the elephant camps in Thailand use steel bars to control the elephants, and it seems that they all sometimes use them less than gently. We at Andaman Adventures face a moral dilemna here. While we totally condemn maltreatment of animals, we don't wish to discourage people from elephant trekking. If we do this, the elephants will become unemployed (since the Thai government banned logging, tourism is their major employer). So, the choice is up to you, as the visitor. We don't promise that the elephant will be treated gently, but we do promise that your booking will help keep the animal employed and alive.

Huay To in Phanom Bencha NP is the best place to go elephant trekking in Krabi province, for the following reasons.

• You get to bathe and swim with the eelephant - this is the only place in Krabi province you can do this.
• Phanom Bencha is the largest area of pristine, virgin jungle in Krabi province, so the elephant trekking here is through proper jungle, not through boring rubber plantations as is the case with most Thai elephant treks, including the one based near Ao Nang.
• The animals are better treated than elsewhere

In Phanom Bencha, your elephant trek will take you into the rain forest at the foot of the beautiful "karst" mountains, with the sheer cliffs special to this area. Often trekkers will see monkeys and birds living in their natural habitat.

Elephants cost approximately US$ 500 per month for the food and care, and we ensure that the elephants are well provided for with water, food and shade. The elephants are well trained and accustomed to being around adults and children and pose no threat.

Join-On Trips

You can book join-on trips at your hotel travel desk after arrival, or in advance on this website, but please note we only offer elephant trek daytrip bookings to customers who book their whole holiday with us, either custom-designed or pre-packages.

Price THB 800 for adults, THB 600 for children.

Private Trips

A private daytrip is the best way to go elephant trekking at Huay To. Most people combine the elephant trek with one or more other attractions, click here for a full list of private trips which include Huay To elephant trekking.