Authentic Experience
Handcrafted tours focusing on the highlights of the city and having a great local experience.
Experience the magic of Thailand's most spectacular events, up close and personal. From the awe-inspiring Yi Peng Lantern Festival, where thousands of glowing lanterns are released into the night sky, to the vibrant and colorful Balloon Festival, there are countless opportunities to witness the beauty and excitement of Thailand's rich culture and traditions. And these are just a few examples of the many popular events that take place in the country throughout the year. Whether you're looking for music, dance, art, or something else entirely, there is always something exciting happening in Thailand. So get your front-row seat and let the magic unfold before your eyes.
Embrace the spirit of adventure and discover the unique experiences that Thailand has to offer. Get your hands dirty by taking a cooking class and testing your skills as a master chef. Spend a day at a sanctuary, interacting with friendly elephants and learning about their care and conservation. Or, for a more romantic experience, take a sunset dinner cruise and watch the sky light up with vibrant colors. Whatever you choose, you're sure to find something that will stir your wanderlust and leave you with unforgettable memories of your time in Thailand.
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We had a private tour and it is a bonus. From visiting the waterfalls and going for a swim, (the fish nibbling is an experience like no other). To visiting the associated 2nd WW sites ( Bridge over the River Kwai) and listening to the information from the guide. Then to finish the day with Elephant Care - so many incredible experiences in 1 day.
One of the best days of our trip. After a day working our way around congested Bangkok, it was a balm to the soul to take this trip out to the national park, swim in a series of gorgeous waterfalls, then visit the elephants. The surrounding area is beautiful and was a perfect capstone for the last day of our trip. Our guide, Prit, was fantastic. The van was clean and comfortable. We were able to stop when we needed for convenience stops. Lunch was a good buffet at a really pretty restaurant.
We were all a little worried about the "hike" to the waterfalls, so for future readers here's the lowdown: You park and then walk a paved fairly flat trail about 300m to the first falls you can swim in (technically falls #2.) We went up to #3, paved, mildly inclined trail, and #4, (paved, much steeper with stairs.) We were there in November and the water was cool but very comfortable. There are changing rooms at level #2. It's definitely more on the "we have infrastructure out in nature" side than the "you're hoofing it thru undeveloped jungle."
The elephants have the potential to get you very wet, which they know. We were given heavy weight cotton dark blue pj type shorts and shirts to wear, along with flip flops. They'll keep your clothes and shoes in a basket for your. Go commando and keep your undies dry, or bring a second set. There are changing rooms and showers with towels, shampoo and soap available. We were soaking wet by the time we got out of the river with elephants. We gave one of the workers a phone from the group and he took continuous pictures and video, which was a bonus. We had a great time and got some fabulous pictures.
Definitely take this tour, you won't regret it!
Our experience was so amazing with the history of the bridge, Erawan waterfall, and our favorite the Elephant Sanctuary visit. Ken was great and very knowledgeable on everything. I appreciate that he took his time to take a picture for us and that he had fun with us too. Thank you Ken and Fred our driver. He got us safe to our destination. Ken I would recommend you the next time we do another tour in Thailand. We loved every moment. Thank you Debbie
Our tour guide Rung was really good. The day felt chill while also productive. We appreciated that the planning of the day had avoided peak timing of massive crowds. Would recommend this !
Really lovely day and very kind people. They really care about the elephants and it’s all very authentic and interesting. Highly recommend
It’s nice if you don’t have a car. If you do and don’t mind driving, this trip isn’t worth your money. The trip allows very limited time to explore each spot, and the tourist doesn’t speak very good English nor has more information than what a quick cursory Google search has to offer. The lunch arranged was not particularly great which was evidenced by the complete lack of customers despite the lunch hour.
Awesome experience to interact with these magnificent creatures. They let us see them in their natural environment while allowing us to experience them in their environment in a save manner.
Our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable about the temples and about the area. These were very unique temples unlike others we have seen.
I would recommend you use the Golf Buggy to get you too the first waterfall & if you have time and the stamina visit all 7 levels of the waterfall.
This is possibly the best tour I have done in Thailand. Our guide Rung was fantastic. Very knowledgeable and friendly. Rung treated us like her family and was fun. Thankyou Rung. Highly recommend 👌
Prakob was a wonderful guide and the highlight of the day was definitely the hike up erawan falls. Bring a towel bc they have shower rooms at the bottom to change after a swim. The trip to/from Bangkok took about 3 hours each way so be prepared for that. The elephant park was my least favorite bc the elephants are clearly trained to cater to tourists for photo opportunities. They seemed to be more interested in the business of tourism there than providing a sanctuary for animals. It was more like a zoo with trained elephants to do tricks. But the cave temple at Burma railway was very cool. Overall it was a fantastic outing and customer service with my guide and chauffeur was top notch.
I admit I was getting tired of visiting Wats. However, this was one of our last in Bangkok and I am SO happy we saw it. Absolutely the best! One of the guards also offered to take some pictures of me with my son, when he saw we were alone. Truly not to be missed!
Our family of five (3 teens) absolutely loved this tour. Our guide Khun Krit was fabulous and so helpful. We visited the Bridge over the River Kwai first, then the elephants, then lunch and finally the beautiful Erawan waterfalls. We loved everything but the highlight was the elephants. We fed them watermelon and elephant “sushi” which was fun and then the beautiful elephant Ploy came down to the river with us for a bath. It was an unforgettable experience to be so close to these majestic animals. Highly recommend.
This trip was so amazing and everyone was so nice to us
The elephants were great and so lively and sweet
This was one of the best days I had here in Thailand hands down
Would definitely do it again
We had an amazing experience with the elephants. Everything was very laid back and we went with what the elephants wanted. The elephants and their carers obviously have a mutual respect and our guide was very helpful and knowledgeable. He always made sure our daughter was safe and able to join in. An unforgettable experience. It was so fun.
This was an amazing experience. My driver was on time and worked hard to make sure I was comfortable for the whole trip. He even bought me a tasty snack to try on the way. The guides at the elephant sanctuary were all really nice, especially the lead gentleman, Patrick. It was a beautiful experience with the animals. I had lots of close up time to feed, play and wash the elephants and they were wonderful to be around. Very gentle and majestic animals.
This trip was amazing! You must book! Our tour guide, Krit, looked after us from the moment he picked us up until dropping us off back at our hotel. The trip is organised perfectly, with great time to rest between stops. The lunch provided is fantastic with a range of options. The driver, Chat, was also great.
The elephants, waterfall and experience at the bridges is an experience we will always remember.
Everyone most book this trip!
E had a great day out. Lots of fun at the waterfall and then on to Hellfire pass where we learnt lots. Our guide was very knowledgable and accommodating and we came off the highway so we could see the local villages and more of the countryside.
Visiting the river Kwai was good. Then getting in it and washing an elephant was brilliant. Trekking up the waterfalls was the icing on the cake. Our guide was very helpful and really knowledgable. If you can spare a day in Thailand, you must do this trip.
Fantastic guide and the waterfall is amazing, lots of walking uphill but worth the view, great place to have a swim.
A lovely day spent with the lovely ladies who call the sanctuary home. It was so relaxing and calm. The contact with the elephants was amazing. Take spare clothes the elephants love to share the mud. The staff are lovely and so kind.
A bucket list adventure. An experience that will stay with me forever. Connect with elephants living in the most natural environment doing what elephants naturally do. No rides or tricks for entertainment purposes. The happiest and most friendly elephants we have ever spent time with. An experience for everyone.
This was a tremendous experience for myself and my grandson. We took a private car from our hotel and it was great, the driver and guide were so helpful and kind. When we arrived we were welcomed and assigned to a group and took off with the elephants! The camp is beautiful and all of the people there were great. Interacting with the elephants was so much fun. We fed them, did a mud spa and finally swam with them. Again the guides at the camp were just great with my grandson, encouraging him to get up close with the elephants and swim out in the river. He did not want to leave!
I recommend this trip for people who's looking for a luxury tour,this the best tour ever.
First:our tour starts at 06:30,our amazing tour guide Mr SOMSAK AND MR MARK(Driver) were down at reception at 5:45 so punctual and professionnel people , after a very warm welcome from their side ,I was amazed by the luxury air conditioned car,extremely clean,nit and well maintained.
Mr SOMSAK SPEAKS FLUENT ENGLISH WITH A HUGE KNOWLEDGE OF THAI HISTORY CULTURE AND A PERFECT COTOMER SERVICE, SO FRIENDLY ,CHEERFUL AND VERY HELPFUL PERSON.
MR MARK DROVE ALL DAY LONG VERY SMOOTHLY AND SAFELY FOR 600 KM,THE CAR WAS PROVIDED WITH WATER AND COLD LOTIONED TOWELS DURING THE WHOLE TRIP.
SPECIAL THANKS FOR THOSE 2 PEOPLE WHO MADE OUR TRIP SO SUCCESSFUL,I WOULD LOVE TO GO to go to another trip with them in the future.
I recommend this tour for people who are looking for perfection.
All four major stops on this tour were great but the guide offer much more information, depth and context, as we’re traveled for around six hours to get to all great sights and experiences. We saw the Bridge Over River Kwai, the Erawan Water Fall, Elephant preserve and Death RailRoad with a visit to the cave.
Recommend the trip and the guide. Great day and experiences.
An amazing day out with the informative and very lovely Pipop. Before we even went he had organised the day before with the hotel for them to make us a packed breakfast as it is an early start a but so worth it. He then flipped the itinerary so that we would do the waterfalls last as a refreshing way to end what would inevitably be a hot and humid day. Off we set - first stop a coffee shop to take the edge of two teenagers with jet lag - iced coffees to hand - first official stop ‘the bridge’. Set in beautiful countryside it makes it more difficult to imagine the horrors that both the allied prisoners of war and Romusha suffered. Closing my eyes made it easier - utterly overwhelmed, I ended up in full on tears which made walking across a little hairier than it needed to be. On to a little further along ‘Death Railway’ to view how it hugs the edge of the ridge and snakes out before you. Alongside a serene ‘temple’ in a cave in the rock face which when you are standing in you can view, in utter contrast, the railway before you. On to Hellfire Pass - what can one say - the Australians together with the Thai Government have done the memory of those that were lost, or who made it through the suffering and came home, proud. A really lovely museum - watch the short film - it is utterly worth spending the time doing so. There are two walks you can do from there - a 1hr walk and a 3hr - the 1hr takes you down through enough and is relatively easy although it starts and ends with steps so be warned on the thigh burn. It was all redone in the 80’s after a former Australian POW persuaded both governments that the elements of the Burma Railway should be preserved. Thank goodness he did, it is all very moving as well I imagine providing somewhere for people to visit to bring closure. On a practical note the toilet facilities are great and there is a water refueling station. Final stop Erwan Falls - 7 levels to climb if you are of that mindset - however levels 1,2 and 3 are good for swimming - tho you have to hire a life jacket. Pool two has some very friendly fish who will help with your pedicure! Watch out for the bigger ones!!! 12 hours door to door but worth every single minute. Pipop was utterly delightful and really knowledgeable and helpful so be sure to ask for him and you will not be disappointed. Thank you Pipop!
Fantastic tour. Guide was knowledgeable and friendly. The elephant sanctuary and waterfalls were particularly special. Highly recommended but be prepared for a 3-4 hour return trip in the car.
A long day, but good one. Our guide and driver were fantastic and the guide very knowledgeable. Be aware that a fair bit of the day is spent in the vehicle,, so stops at the Bridge, the railway and other attractions are necessarily short. The waterfalls are stunning and we enjoyed our walk and swim there. The elephant sanctuary was a highlight, and lots of fun; be prepared to get wet!!! Lunch at a local, family restaurant is included and was tasty.
Great experience overall. It is a full day but the variety of the experiences is worth it. Erawan falls is a moderately difficult hike to the top, but even a partial excursion is well worth the effort. Elephant bathing is spectacular. Elephants appear to be treated humanely and well, which enhanced my enjoyment. Kawaii bridge is interesting but doesn't add much to the experience.
What an outstanding trip. Our driver was so pleasant and professional. He even stopped at the River Kwai to show us the famous bridge.
BEST experience ever! 💙 The tour guides were awesome and very informative. We were very hands-on with the elephants and had a magnificent time.
Loved the trip. Tour guide was excellent. I booked the private so just 3 of us were catered to. Elephants care is a must, you will never experience anything like this with these gentle giants. You wash them, they wash you. Lunch was great, waterfalls were beautiful. Watch out for the fish!! They will clean you non stop at every location. There are seven levels, tough climb.
Our time in Bangkok was limited so this tour was a great way to experience a lot in one day. Jessie the guide was lovely, she taught us about the different place we visited, helped mind our bags, explained the customs and always made sure we had everything we needed.
We felt very spoiled
This is a must do when visiting Thailand! Preecha (Peter) was the best tour guide, knowledgable about Thai history, lifestyle, and customs and patient with our many questions. We loved every part of this tour. I love history so it was great to see in-person and walk the Burma railway along the river Kwai. My wife loves animals and the elephants stole her heart. Such huge yet gentle creatures. To be so close to them, feeding, touching, and even having a "water fight" was a thrill. Swimmimg at the Emarald Falls was so relaxing and beautiful. The lunch stop was great with really yummy food and impressive service. Preecha and our driver Mr. Ek made this day-trip one of our favorite Thai memories. Thank you for the education and the fun day!
We had Jessie as our guide, get English, and great conversations. The transport was by private minibus, reclining seats and very comfortable. Can only praise the arrangements.
Jennie contacted the hotel the night before to ensure everything was set, and was waiting at the lobby on time to start the journey. This was truly a private tour.
The Erawan waterfalls is a favourite amongst
Thai people so it can get busy at level 1 to 3, the crowd thins as you go up. It's mandatory to wear a life jacket. Jennie arranged a golf buggy to take us from the car park to the first level, it's a long walk in the heat else.
Would recommend sturdy foot wear if you want to go above level 3, it's not too difficult to get to level 7, but it will take you time and won't leave much time for a swim and relaxation.
Lunch is at the park and included in the cost.
Hell Fire Pass is a must see to appreciate the cost to human life, a well presented memorial and very emotional.
The remainder of the time is spent visiting parts of the railway and end at the bridge of the river Kwai. This was a long tour, lasting over 12 hours, but this was luxurious and very private. Would recommend this to anyone wanting to get outside Bangkok and wanting some nature and history.
Jessie was brilliant!
This is the best elephant conservation center. They clearly really love and respect the elephants. They seem to have ample room to freely roam, and the caretakers ensure they have healthy nutritious meals. I can’t believe we got to feed, walk with, bathe and swim with the elephants!! Once in a lifetime experience.
Such a privilege to share a space with these majestic creatures. To see them in the wild and in their natural habitat was incredible. Observing their natural instincts in the mud bath and the water was equally fascinating. We got to prepare their food and hand feed them which was such fun. Having the opportunity to be up close and personal with them especially in the water was a magical life experience. The supporting team were brilliant. A truly wonderful experience.
Excellent day out. Ying contacted us the evening before to confirm arrangements and proved to be an excellent guide. She was friendly, accommodating and full of interesting information at all the attractions. She was also flexible as to how much time we were able to remain at each of the attractions.
Good combination of witnessing the natural beauty of the Thai countryside and the humbling Death railway.
I was very surprised when I saw chains around the necks of the adult elephants, was a great experience but walked away confused.
We thoroughly enjoyed this experience. Thailand being a land where elephants are a big part of their tourist industry makes it hard to find one out of the many that might align with what you are or aren't looking for. We did not want to go to a place that allowed riding, or used bullhooks, whips, or other forms of pain as punishment to get the elephants to do what they wanted them to. This was pretty hard to find so close to Bangkok. All one can do, I think, is their own due diligence when it comes to choosing a sanctuary that is as ethical as they can. We chose Elephant Haven for their proximity to Bangkok, as well as their new practices for taking care of the elephants. They used to be a trekking camp that had the elephants perform, but in recent years have chaned to kinder practices and have since then rebranded to align with more ethical sanctuaries in Chiang Mai.
We did not witness any abuse, and if an elephant didn't want to do something they weren't forced. The mahouts used food as a motivator instead of hooks (which we didn't see any of). When walking with the elephants they weren't forced to rush, but instead were going at their own pace. Someone tried to hop on an elephant and the mahout along with everyone else stopped him immediately to tell him it was absolutelynot allowed. As far as we could have hoped for, Elephant Haven was a very good option for us from what we could see.
The highlights of the trip were elephant farm and swimming at the water fall.
Our guide, Sharkey, was excellent in knowledge and caring for our needs.
Our trip was originally scheduled for Apr 2nd. As erasable Waterfalls was hit by a thunderstorm, the park was closed and reopened on Apr 3rd. The company was obliging in rescheduling the trip for Apr 4th.
Our guide Sharky and driver Thawee were fantastic. Sharky was very patient and explained the history and background of the places we visited.
He arranged for vegetarian food for us at this restaurant called Praveencut. This was the place where we ate one of our best meals in Thailand!
It was an amazing experience spending time with the elephants, visiting the bridge on the River Kwae, the wooden bridge and Erawan National Park.
It’s a very long day but worth it! I would highly recommend this day trip!
Krit and Tum were the best. They did a great job on my tour. Full of information and very friendly. So glad I took this tour with them both.
This was a day to remember for sure. Firstly, we got to spend the day with our awesome tour guide Krit. I've never understood the value of having a guide until we did this tour. He had so much knowledge about the history of Thailand, the areas we visited and the landmark sites. We started the day at the Bridge over the River Kwai - taking a nice stroll across and discussing the history behind it. Our tour was on a Monday, which apparently is a quiet day in Thailand, so very good opportunity to see things without the crowds. Then we drove to the Erawan waterfalls and national park. The park is incredible! After a short walk you arrive at the base of the waterfalls. There are 7 levels of pools, however they are spread out so we only managed to do two of them. There are some trout swimming around, and the babies will try and nibble on your feet - perfectly harmless though! After the waterfalls we enjoyed a really nice lunch at a local Thai restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were lovely. We discovered a new favourite dish as well! We ended our day with a quick stop at the Death Railway. A very sombre experience, although the view was pretty incredible. Then on to the Elephant Care facility where we prepared food and spent some time in the water with the elephants. All in all it is a very full on day, but having a great tour guide and driver meant that we were able to relax and take it all in without worrying about a thing.
E L E P H A N T S I N T H A I L A N D was the highlight of this excursion. Eddie, our tour guide, was very kind with us and allowed us to have a real experience.
Today I had the privilege to check off another bucket list item. NO, it was not to ride an elephant or make it do some tricks. It was to have a one-to-one experience them; even if it was for a brief time. To understand them. To learn from them. To nurture them. To be silent enough so I could hear what they were saying through their sounds and movements.
Elephants are incredible beings. I have been learning about their lifestyle, habitat, cruelty toward them, and their danger of extinction. The more I learned, the more excited I was about today.
Historically, elephants in Thailand are considered to be very important culturally and are portrayed as sacred animals. There’s approximately 4,000 elephants in Thailand. Their life expectancy is 80-90 years.
They are one of the world's most empathetic animals. Female elephants are super nurturing with their babies. It’s amazing how powerful yet tender they are.
Today we got to make them food, feed them, bathe them and have our portraits with them. We loved the way Elephant Haven Thailand cares for them.
You will get SOAKED but they give you a change of clothes and allow other to wash up after the experience.
(Didn’t mention the waterfalls because we didn’t do that part of the excursion).
Gret, our tour guide was very good. He knew his information and helped us and was happy to take our views on what we wanted to do. Gave us the options and let us decide. He was also very good at sorting out a vegetarian friendly lunch for me.
What an amazing day we had yesterday. Our tour guide Kenny met us at our hotel lobby and spent the day with us as our personal guide. We started at the Bridge over the River Kwae which was very moving. Then visited the waterfalls which were busy but Kenny had done all the paperwork so we went to the front of the queue. Swimming with the fish in such a natural setting was awesome! Then we went for lunch, what a place and the buffet food cooked by the family was incredible. We moved on to the death railway which again was very busy but Kennys knowledge about the construction of the track again made it a touching experience. In our travels we drove past the war cemetery and it was touching to see how the Thai people care for the resting places the many people who lost their lives. Our final stop was a visit to feed and wash the elephants, Wow, I am struggling for words to sum up how we felt, so very special. Seeing how well these animals are cared for and how playful and happy they are was a privilege for us and an experience we will never forget. Kenny stayed with us all day, his knowledge and pride of Thailand is staggering and his English speaking skills are impressive. Thank you Kenny you made our day fun from start to finish! Lee and Bev
Peter did an excellent job! He captured great photos for us and was very knowledgeable! He made the day feel very personal. We were ahead of the crowd of tourists.
Anne was a great tour guide - early for pickup, very informative during the tour itself, kind and courteous. We rearranged the tour to suit us and she was very accommodating. Overall great experience.
Elephant reserve - Kenny was great and tailored the trip to our needs. He was full of Thai history and went above a beyond to make sure we were happy!