Description
- AVAILABILITY: Daily, all year round, except 1 Jan and 13 – 14 April inclusive
- MODE OF TRANSPORT: Covered pick up truck
- APPROXIMATE TIMING: 09.00 – 12.30 (morning) OR 14.00 – 17.30 (afternoon)
ITINERARY: This highly recommended half day tour takes you far away from the tourist crowds to a tiny, family-run trekking camp in the borders of the national park at Phanom Bencha. It’s a 40 – 50 minute drive, but we feel it is worth it for the setting, and the relatively high levels of care the animals receive.
The one hour trek will take you through the forest at the foot of Phanom Bencha mountain, following the river for part of the way. After the trek, spend some time with the elephants with the option to purchase locally grown bananas to feed them as a treat. Then it is on to the National Park for a short, 1.5km trek (on foot) to visit the seven level Huay Tho waterfall (3 levels easily accessible). Swimming is possible. Note: the order of events may be reversed according to the day.
Expected group size: 2 – 12 pax, depending on the day and time of year.
FURTHER READING:
– More info on elephant trekking in Krabi.
– Detailed trip report
Jerilyn Daniels –
We did this tour yesterday and used the short booking option to make a “next day” booking. We were picked up right on time by a friendly guide. As we were in Klong Mueang we had to drive through Ao Nang to make the other pickups. The truck was very full with every seat used. The drive to the falls is long, it took well over an hour. Short hike up and the falls were very beautiful. It’s a steep and rocky climb once you get there which our kids struggled with but our guide was careful to warn us on how high to go. We didn’t really swim as the water wasn’t that nice but it was a cool break from the hot sun. From there, we went to the elephant trekking which was about a 5 min drive away. The elephants seemed well cared for and we enjoyed a nice ride through the jungle and down the stream. The guides didn’t speak much English but were happy to take photos for us and even let our daughter sit on the elephants neck for a bareback picture which she loved. Once complete, we were able to feed and pet the elephants. We also bathed the baby which was an absolute highlight. We finished up with a short show with the elephants playing a harmonica, basketball and putting a hat on everyone’s head. We were offered cold water and pineapple at the end. We have visited many elephants camps and while this one does use the metal seats as opposed to the bareback options you can enjoy in Chiang Mai, we felt that they were well treated and well cared for. We noticed there were many blankets under the seat and once it came off, there were no scars or sores on the back. The drive back was equally long but the guide graciously stopped at a mini mart for us so we could pick up some drinks. He drove safely and provided great service. This was a relatively inexpensive tour, worth every penny for the personal service we enjoyed.