Koh Chang elephant trekking (did you know Chang means elephant in Thai?) can be one of the high points of most people’s time here on the island. Let’s face it, it’s the picture postcard of your trip to Thailand. And well, it should be… you know you are not near London or Paris or Calgary when you can take an elephant trek into the jungle and swim with them also!
There are four elephant trekking camps on the island with all of them offering the usual trek through the jungle, then a quick swim at a pool or river and back to the camp.
The Koh Chang elephant trekking camps number four in total. Three of the camps are located in Klong Prao within 2km of each other and one is located in the Klong Son valley. If you are short of time definitely the ones in Klong Prao are going to be your best bet. But if you have some time and want a deep jungle experience then head into Klong Son valley at Baan Kwan Chang. This camp is a bit more traditional and rates highly on the reviews. In Klong Prao we might also suggest The Chang Chutiman elephant trek as they are actively involved in tree planting to replace the vegetation that the elephants consume and trample. Both are good choices.
Just about every company has the same prices and schedules. The short trip is about 45 minutes and the longer trip about 2 hours. At all times the mahout (elephant driver?) will be with you sometimes on and sometimes off the elephant. Be sure to ask him to snap some photos. They get good at this as do a lot of snapshots every day!
You can book tours from just about everywhere and they all offer free pickup and delivery back to your resort.
- Pro Tip – do not trek at any camp that has a mature male elephant. This can result in your death. The males are not what you want to be around. They are aggressive, temperamental and they should actually not be on the island at all.
- Pro Tip- Go with your bathing suit already on under your clothes. A towel is not a bad idea either.
