Where To See Wild Elephants in Thailand
It’s highly likely that if you’re visiting Thailand, seeing elephants will be on your itinerary. The country has become synonymous with up-close and personal elephant experiences in recent years. Instagram feeds now packed with ‘influencers’ capturing selfies with these majestic animals. But choosing where to see elephants can be challenging. It’s no secret that farms and shows exist across the country where depressed elephants are overworked, abused, and malnourished.
While many tourists have turned their back on such establishments – especially those that offer riding – they do still exist.
Some, as a result of increasing pressure, have rebranded their businesses into ‘sanctuaries’, pretending to offer the ethical treatment provided by the legit operators. Ultimately, however, they abuse their elephants in much the same way as before when the tourists go home.
It quickly became apparent that during our time in Thailand it would be extremely difficult to know with 100% certainty that we would be able to view elephants ethically. But just as we were about to give up on our elephant quest, we stumbled upon Kui Buri National Park. An out of the way reserve well off the tourist trail, offering a 99% chance of seeing elephants in the wild.
We started doing a bit more research…
Kui Buri National Park
Kui Buri National Park was established in 1999. The reserve covers 969 km² in Prachuap Khiri Khan Province and is about 85 km (1 hr 30 drive) southwest from the popular tourist destination of Hua Hin.
If coming from the south (most likely Phuket) you’ll need to pass through the Surat Thani & Chumphon provinces. This is something most travellers will likely do – but normally to take a boat off to the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan & Koh Tao.
Unlike many of the other national parks in Thailand, Kui Buri is far less accessible. There is only one dedicated viewing point/trail. There is no public transport to help get you to the entrance and the park only opens between 2pm – 5:30pm. Only around 30-40 people visit each day.
While it may be difficult to get to, what this exclusivity offers is access to an abundant amount of rare wildlife. Hornbills, tigers, leopards and guars all roam freely. As do – at last count – 320 wild Asian elephants.
Booking A Tour
Booking a tour into Kui Buri can be done in three ways.
The first is perhaps the most straightforward but also dependent on demand. A guided tour from one of the nearby towns/cities, which for foreign travellers will most likely be Hua Hin.
Surprisingly there aren’t many operators online that we could find who offered a guided trip. It also seemed that those that did required at least two attendees (not ideal for solo travellers).
However the operator we did find was superb. Included in our package for £65 each was a private english speaking guide, a 1 hr 30 drive to the park from our accommodation, a pre-booked private 4×4, driver and private ranger at the entrance. This even included dinner nearby and a drive back to accommodation too.
The second option is to contact the Thailand Park authorities directly. Doing the tour this way presents pretty much the same itinerary as booking a private third party tour. However, the driver/guide that picks you up won’t come with you into the park. There’s also no dinner on the journey back. Your guide is also unlikely to speak much English.
For this option we contacted the team at Thai National Parks, they were really quick to respond.
The final option would be to get your own way to the park – either by booking a taxi/driver for the day or taking a scooter to the entrance. Upon arrival you would then need to purchase an entry permit, a seat on one of the 4x4s and a ranger. The only issue with this option is that it operates on a first come first served. If the 4x4s run out, you will be out of luck! There’s no guarantee you’d get a spot (like you would pre-booking through the park or via a third party). This is unlikely to be an issue during off peak times, but may be a real problem were you to go at the weekend!
We loved visiting Kui Buri National Park so much that we actually ended up going twice! The first time, as mentioned, we took a third party tour. The second time we went through the park’s authority. Prices were pretty similar on both trips and in all honesty we enjoyed both of our experiences equally. If it’s your first time visiting and you don’t speak Thai, you’ll probably want to go to the third party option, just because you get an English speaking guide.
The Safari Experience
Perhaps the biggest benefit of Kui Buri is that due to it being off the typical tourist trail, you’re almost always guaranteed a private safari experience. No matter the size of your party.
On its busiest days (generally Friday and at weekends) the park draws in around 50 people. We visited midweek on both occasions and only saw around 30 other visitors. This meant we had an entire safari jeep to ourselves, with our own driver and guide/spotter.
The safari starts around a 15 minute drive from the first of three ‘viewing areas’. You’ll be taken along dusty roads, deep into the park where there’s the chance you’ll be able to spot wildlife along the way. The guides are all equipped with radios meaning that as soon as anything is spotted, your driver will be alerted and take you towards the sighting. Once the initial drive is over you will be taken to each of the wildlife viewing areas, where you’ll wait around until (hopefully!) an elephant appears. All in all you’ll be in the park for around three and a half hours.
We saw elephants on both of our trips. One in the first viewing and six in the second. We would highly recommend visiting as close to the rainy season as possible to maximise your chances of seeing something!
Until next time,
Adam
