Phuket: Hidden Forest Elephant Reserve Guided Tour with Lunch
Description
Welcome to Hidden Forest Elephant Reserve. Our breathtaking elephant sanctuary is nestled in the hills of southern Phuket and is home to four beautiful elephants who are all rescued from the tourism riding industry. They are now able to roam freely, socialise with each other, and play naturally in the ponds, streams and muddy wallows throughout our land. After an introduction video, you will meet and feed our elephants before going on a scenic walk through the forest, stopping at our Bamboo Observation Huts dotted along the way where you can sit quietly as our elephants go about their day. We don't follow a set route, our elephants are free to roam and forage, and if our elephants stop, we stop! They have had hard lives and they deserve the very best life we can give them. When we reach the pond, watch the elephants frolic, splash, and cover themselves in mud as you enjoy a delicious vegetarian meal freshly cooked and from local ingredients.
Tour Options
Itinerary
On arrival enjoy complimentary refreshments before we watch an informative introduction video. We then meet and feed our elephants before going on a scenic walk through the forest observing and learning about their history, their stories, and their unique personalities. We don't follow a set route, our elephants are free to roam and forage, and if our elephants stop, we stop! Relax in our Bamboo Observation Huts as the elephant’s graze, play in the mud or bathe nearby with stunning views of the forest and a view over the valley to Big Buddha. So many fabulous photo and video opportunities! You will end your visit with a delicious vegetarian Thai buffet at our fabulous bamboo salas overlooking the pond as the elephant’s bathe and graze nearby. Your visit directly supports our work to rescue and rehabilitate elephants. Our key focus is to educate and bring awareness to the plight of the Asian Elephant and lead by example with our ethical approach to experiencing elephants.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Pickup service is included in Patong, Chalong, Nai Harn, Kata, and Karon area only, please mention your hotel name and address during the booking. * Morning Tour: The Pickup starts between 08:00 am - 08:30 am. * Afternoon Tour: The Pickup starts between 12:45 pm - 1:15 pm. Our customer service will finalize the precise pick-up time and communicate it to you via email. Kindly ensure to double-check your email for updates. We recommend arriving at your hotel lobby at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled pickup time to meet your tour guide.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Not recommended for postoperative patients
- Not suitable for those with severe knee and ankle
- The forest trails are not wheelchair accessible
- Baby strollers are not allowed; a baby carrier is required for infants
Reviews(163)
We did a lot of research for a genuine ethical elephant sanctuary in Phuket. This seems to be the only one. No bathing, no touching, elephants roam free and aren’t at the whims of tourists - they are put first. They also cap numbers and we had a very small group to observe the elephants. You can still get very close to observe. Some of the stories of the elephants life before were so sad; the obvious scars from previous mistreatment for one, to the elephant that came to them with broken spine from over-riding. This reserve is doing good things, and is run by very kind and caring people. Go here if you want to see an actual ethical sanctuary at work. Give this sanctuary your money.
Thank you for your thoughtful review and recommendation. We’re grateful to hear that you appreciated our commitment to ethical elephant care and providing a respectful environment where elephants can live naturally. Your support means a lot to our team, and we’re pleased that you had a meaningful experience learning about these incredible animals. We hope to welcome you again in the future.
Lovely to see the elephants eat and interact with each other. Watched the elephants bath while eating a delicious lunch.
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed watching the elephants interact in their natural environment and had a memorable experience during your visit. We’re also glad you enjoyed the lunch while observing these amazing animals. We appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again soon!
Magical experience with the ladies. Very informative guides and interesting antidotes. Enjoyed the lunch and the mahouts interacting with their elephants. Would highly recommend this tour in beautiful rainforest surrounds.
Thank you for your wonderful review. We're delighted to hear you had a magical experience and enjoyed learning from our guides. It's great to know that the interactions between the mahouts and elephants, the lunch, and the beautiful rainforest setting made your visit memorable. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future.
What a wonderful experience. We got up close to the elephants, fed them, and watched them play. All while letting them be in their natural environment. The handlers were so gentle, never speaking to the elephants, only taking their cues from them. It was beautiful to watch. Everyone should experience elephants this way instead of the awful tourist way of bathing with or riding them, both of which are harmful to the elephants.
Thank you for your feedback. We’re glad you had a wonderful experience seeing the elephants in a natural, respectful environment and that you appreciated the gentle approach of the handlers. We’re pleased it was a meaningful and memorable visit for you.
The morning tour was very informative and we got to feed th elephants and observe them. I valued th hands off ethical approach this organisation took with their tours. You could clearly see each elephant was loved and cared for to a high level. Learning about th personalities of each individual elephant made it much more special. Highly recommend.
Thank you for your wonderful review. We're delighted to hear you enjoyed learning about the elephants and appreciated our ethical, hands-off approach. It's especially rewarding to know that getting to know each elephant's unique personality made your experience even more meaningful. We truly appreciate your recommendation and hope to welcome you again in the future.
Wow wow wow! Definitely a tour you need to tick off your bucket list. We had an amazing experience & learnt so much about these incredible elephants. The world needs to hear so much more about this sanctuary. Each part of the tour was informative & the lunch made by the family members was amazing. Definitely do this one. Wear runners & pack your mosquitoes spray!!
Thank you for the wonderful review. We’re thrilled you had such an amazing and informative experience with the elephants and enjoyed the family-prepared lunch. Your recommendation means a lot to us. We appreciate the tip for future guests and hope to welcome you again soon.
The tour of the Hidden Forest Elephant Sanctuary was a wonderful experience. We walked with the elephants and loved seeing them happy and enjoying being elephants. We learnt about their lives prior to being rescued and watched them exhibiting natural behaviour that they had never been allowed during their many years of captivity. All the people working at the sanctuary are totally dedicated to their care and wellbeing . A highlight of the visit was watching the elephants play in the waterholes while we enjoyed a vegetarian Thai lunch prepared by the wives of the Mahouts. I am so happy that we went there and would recommend this excursion to everyone. Kate Smith
Thank you for your heartfelt review. We are delighted you enjoyed walking with our rescued elephants and witnessing their natural behaviors. It is an honor to share our dedication to their wellbeing with you. We’re also glad the traditional Thai lunch added to your memorable experience. Your recommendation means the world to our team and the elephants. We hope to see you again!
Well put together lots of facts and information easy to understand
Thank you for your kind feedback. We’re glad to hear that you found the tour well organised and the information clear and easy to understand. We truly appreciate your support and hope to welcome you again on another experience in the future.
An exciting trip to the Hidden Forest elephant sanctuary where we had the opportunity to feed elephants,learn about them and see them in their natural environment enjoying everything offered by the employees who are 100% dedicated to their care. We also had a vegetarian meal, just like the elephants' food. 100%recommended.
Thank you for your wonderful review. We’re delighted you enjoyed your visit to the sanctuary and the chance to connect with the elephants in their natural environment. It’s great to hear you appreciated our team’s dedication and the vegetarian experience. We truly appreciate your recommendation.
What an amazing experience, loved everything about it. The guides were fantastic & knowledgeable, the Elephants were beautiful in habitat that was natural, food was also a delicious bonus - would highly recommend the Hidden forest experience.
Thank you for your glowing review! We are delighted you enjoyed the Hidden Forest experience, from our knowledgeable guides to the delicious food. It is wonderful to hear that seeing the elephants in their natural habitat was a highlight for you. We appreciate your recommendation and look forward to providing more professional and memorable adventures in the future.
