Spending Christmas in the jungle might not be the most obvious choice for a family of five – especially with three teenage girls in tow – but our 2 night, 3 day stay at Elephant Hills turned out to be one of the most fab parts of our Christmas Holiday in Thailand.
Set on the edge of Khao Sok National Park in Thailand, Elephant Hills combines adventure with comfort – the perfect balance when travelling with teens who want both WiFi and wow-factor experiences.
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Elephant Hills does get very booked up, very quickly so these could be other options, particularly to replicate the Lake Camp.
Transfers Are Included in the Elephant Hills Tour Package
When you book a jungle safari itinerary (e.g., the typical 2-night, 3-day package) at Elephant Hills, shared transfers to and from the camps are included in the price — there’s no need to organise your own transport. in fact Elephant Hills does not allow guests to self-drive directly to the camp — it’s quite remote and hard to find, and arriving outside of the organised transfer schedule can mean missing key activities.
Where You Can Be Picked Up
Elephant Hills provides scheduled pick-ups from hotels or airports across Southern Thailand including:
- Phuket (airport and most hotels)
- Khao Lak
- Krabi (town, beaches and airport)
- Surat Thani (airport, train station, town)
- Phang Nga and Khanom
- Koh Samui (including ferry transfer from the island)
Transfers typically run during set morning times so you’ll arrive before lunch — and your exact pick-up time will be confirmed by Elephant Hills when you book, usually the day before departure.
First Impressions: Luxury in the Jungle
On arrival we were greeted with warm smiles, cold drinks and an immediate sense that this wasn’t going to be your average hotel stay. The main camp features luxury safari-style tents – think proper beds, fully equipped bathrooms and electricity – but surrounded by rainforest sounds instead of city noise.
For our family of five, we needed two tents, but for a family of four you can stay in a two storey tent which is pretty cool. The girls loved having their own space while still being close enough for late-night shouts of “Mum, where’s my charger?” moments.
Accommodation at Elephant Hills
• Comfortable beds — proper double or twin beds (with the option of extra/roll-in beds for families).
• En-suite bathroom with western-style toilet and hot/cold shower (just like in a hotel).
• Electricity, fans, tea/coffee making facilities and reading lights so you’re comfortable even off the grid.
• Mosquito nets and solid flooring, so you’re protected from bugs, though you’ll still hear jungle sounds at night.
The style is rustic-chic — natural materials, handcrafted furniture and simple décor that blends into the setting without feeling basic.
There’s also a small pool and communal dining/bar space perfect for relaxing after activities.
Day 1: Elephants & Festive Jungle Feels
The highlight – and the reason most families book – is, of course, the ethical elephant experience. Elephant Hills focuses on observation and care rather than riding, which was important to us.
Watching our teenagers prepare food and help feed the elephants was incredibly special. It’s not often you see three teenage girls completely off their phones and fully present in the moment. That alone felt like a Christmas miracle.
I also absolutely LOVED it I could have spent hours and hours just watching those beautiful animals. I really didn’t want to leave.
After feeding the elephants, we headed out for our next activity: a peaceful canoe trip along the Sok River. Guided by friendly local paddle-men, we drifted through thick greenery spotting wildlife and listening to the jungle wake up all around us — it was serene, beautiful and great for teens who loved the quiet thrill of paddling through nature.
Back at camp, the all-inclusive buffet — filled with both Thai and Western options — was a hit with everyone. Dinner under the thatched roof, surrounded by jungle sounds, felt like a proper festive feast without the fuss of cooking.
Day 2: Floating Camp Adventure
In the morning we headed to Cheow Lan Lake, a jaw-dropping expanse of emerald water fringed by limestone cliffs.
The first stop was to Rajjaprabha Dam – a large hydro-electric dam, we stayed here for about an hour before heading to the jetty on the lake where long tail boats awaited to take us to the lake camp.
On some packages you stay overnight here, but our itinerary included an excursion with kayaking, paddle boarding and optional swimming. Paddling across the lake was one of the most memorable parts of our trip — silent, stunning and completely Instagram-worthy.
We ate lunch at the lake, followed by more swimming and then headed back to the jungle camp late afternoon.
Day 3: Jungle Trek & Farewell
Our final morning started with a guided jungle trek, a gentle hike through rainforest paths that ended with a fun Thai cooking demonstration. The walk wasn’t strenuous — perfect for families — and gave us one last chance to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of the jungle before heading home.
Tbh this was a part of the trip I think we could have done without. We would have all loved to spend more time with the elephants but sadly you only get the one experience.
What would we do differently?
If we were to do this trip again we would definitely try and stay at the lake overnight. There is a row of tents similar to those at the main camp, but installed on floating pontoons on the lake. Each tent has their own little area that’s just yours and you can jump in and out of the lake from there. For that reason there is an age limit at the lake. It’s also very popular which is why we didn’t manage to stay. Friends who we were away with, who stayed a few days after us stayed at the lake and said it was one of their favourite nights of the trip.
Our stay at Elephant Hills finished just as seamlessly as it had started, with an organised, air-conditioned minibus transfer taking us directly from camp to our hotel in Khao Lak where we re-met up with our friends for a night, before heading onto Singapore for New Year.
