An Intimate Elephant Encounter at Khao Sok National Park, Thailand

Next, it was time for the elephants’ daily bath. Armed with scrapes of coconut husks and a water hose, we prepared to scrub them down. Masrinuan’s mahout gave her instructions to lay down for the scrub and she dutifully followed (the mahout is a trained elephant handler). All 14 of the elephants at Elephant Hills Camp have been trained and taken care of by their mahouts since birth.

The mammoth task of scrubbing the elephant required all hands on deck and four of us worked hard to hose down Masrinuan. We each took charge of a different body area – from the head, to the ears, underarms and even the rear end. Masrinuan was so gentle and cheeky, none of us worried about the possibility of getting kicked or swatted. Apart from the occasional flap of an ear and the mischievous squirts of water from her trunk, she stood quietly for us to work through her tough, leathery skin.

Just like the other travelers, I was amused, mesmerized and truly touched by this intimate experience with the elephants. Despite the short encounter, we felt like we had developed a bond with the gentle giants.

Responsible Travel

We were at Elephant Hills, Thailand’s first luxury-tented jungle camp in Khao Sok National Park – not just to explore a less-conventional part of Thailand, but also to have a close encounter with Asia’s largest land animal. As the only property in the country to provide an elephant experience, Elephant Hills has a strong emphasis on responsible travel. “We want to show people that there are ways to experience them without mistreating them,” said Jonathon Chell, international marketing manager of Elephant Hills.

Aimed to raise awareness of the elephant, Elephant Hills want to provide an elephant experience that helps both the visitors and the elephants. At the same time, they are doing their part to provide a conducive environment for the elephants to thrive. Camps such as Elephant Hills help get elephants off the streets, and into meaningful employment, while also ensuring a future for the mahouts.

Elephant Hills Camp also does its part for the local community by mainly employing people from the Khao Sok region. They run the Children’s Project to help local schools in Khao Sok and lend a hand to educating the future generation on responsible tourism. Jonathan told me that they had recently built a library in a local school (in cooperation with travel agent) and donated computers to the community. During our stay at the camp, we were even treated to a dance performance from the local school children who are benefitting from the project.

Luxury in the Jungle

Earlier that day, we had arrived at Elephant Hills Camp just after daybreak – to the sounds of bullfrogs croaking, cicadas singing and gibbons screaming. Overlooking a sea of jungle, towering karst limestone cliffs, and the winding Sok River, the luxury camp is located in the middle of the national park, enveloped by wilderness. Our luxury tent, built on a concrete floor under the shelter of sturdy roofs, had everything you’d expect from a hotel room: a comfortable large bed, a mosquito net, fresh sheets, reading light and a spacious stone inlaid bathroom with flushing toilet, hot shower and amenities.

A hammock hanging outside was perfect for an afternoon snooze surrounded by the verdant greenery and distant calls of wildlife. The decor and design of the dining area, swimming pool and lodge was also planned to fit with the surrounding jungle environment and uses traditional Thai construction techniques in many aspects of its design and build. Elephant Hills literally brought comfort and luxury into the wild.

The Elephant Hills’ experience also included rafting down the Sok River. Floating down the mud-brown river, we wound through the narrow channel, past thick bamboo forests and limestone mountains that rose up to 1,000m high. As part of an ancient trade route between India and China, Sok River has surprisingly seen very little human interference, with few development along its banks. For hours, we paddled through the gentle current, waving to locals who were taking a dip in the water and listening to the sounds of gibbons in the distance. We haven’t come a long way from civilization, and yet, we were immersing in one of the most pristine parts of Thailand.

We’ll be writing about the second part of our experience, stay tuned! In the meantime, here are more photos from Elephant Hills.

Disclosure: This trip was made possible by Elephant Hills Camp, but all opinions expressed above are our own.