The first time I visited Thailand, I found it to be a rather polarising experience. On one hand, I absolutely adored every second of my time on Koh Kood, but on the other hand, I hated Phuket with the fiery passion of a thousand suns – and that is not an exaggeration!
So, when the opportunity presented itself to return to Thailand, I had no hesitation in seizing it! I had been on the fence about Thailand, and maybe a return trip could be the decider. Would I find more things to love about Thailand, or would I decide that it just wasn’t a place that I clicked with?
As it turned out, I found a few more wonderful places in Thailand and fell just a little bit in love with a country that I had once been so unsure about.
So let’s get into it!
I had been invited to spend a few days at Elephant Hills Tented Camp in Khao Sok National Park, which is located in Southern Thailand, about 2 hours drive north of Phuket.
Elephant Hills is a lot more than just a regular tented camp – it offers its visitors a very special experience, but we will get to that soon! First, lets start at the beginning.
After a long drive from gross Phuket, I arrived to the camp excited and ready to explore! After checking in and getting a quick rundown on what the next few days would look like, I finally got to check out my digs for the night, and honestly, they weren’t half bad at all!
Luxury style tents open up to reveal a south-east Asian take on an African safari tent. Featuring an enormous king size bed, consistently hot showers and deliciously powerful fans – these tents were stylish, comfortable and best of all, stay nice and cool pretty much all the time – a veritable miracle in Southern Thailand!
The name of the camp is ‘Elephant Hills’ and the elephant appreciation can be found all over the camp – even in the smallest of details.
But as beautiful as the glamping tents were, I didn’t venture all the way to Khao Sok to relax.
I came for adventure!
So, as soon as I had settled in, I left my tent and went on towards the main area of camp.
It was a cute touch that little elephant statues guided my way!
The main area of camp consists of the bar, the dining hall and my favourite part – the pool!
After a quick dip and a lovely lunch, it was time to head towards the experience that elephant hills is so famous for!
As it turned out, getting there ended up being fun all on its own!
Khao Sok National Park is the largest area of “virgin” rainforest in all of Southern Thailand and also encompasses Khao Sok Lake – which is attached to many river systems and channels that travel all throughout the park.
A small group of us set out in kayaks to head down a particularly pretty stretch of river system.
I was lucky enough to spot a variety of wildlife along the way!
There were several (fricking enormous) frogs that blended in exceptionally well to their surroundings…
…there were some seriously cute little lizards…
…and even snakes!
All too soon it was time to get out of our kayaks! But I couldn’t be too disappointed, because an amazing experience was waiting for me, and the best part?
It was completely ethical – a rarity for the genre of tourism that this experience fits into!
Here is a little sneak peak of what is to come, and as always, happy solo travelling! xx
THE LOWDOWN
Getting to Khao Sok: From Phuket, Khao Sok is about a 2 hour drive north
Elephant Hills: 3 day all inclusive adventures start at 19,399 THB (approx $730 AUD), click here for more
Camera: Images captured with an Olympus OM-D E-M1 in conjunction with M.Zuiko 12-40mm f2/8 lens
Remember: Bring ALL of the mosquito repellent with the highest possible amount of deet – just do it!