Samui Elephant Kingdom: What to Expect on Your Visit

Samui Elephant Kingdom is an ethical elephant sanctuary on Koh Samui that we proudly support. You watch and feed elephants from a raised Skywalk instead of riding or bathing them. We bring guests here on a visit of about 3 hours, in the morning or afternoon, with hotel pickup. Below, we go through the visit in the order it runs, then cover what’s included, what to pack and which of the two sessions to pick.

Still deciding whether to visit elephants at all? Start with our guide on how to choose an ethical elephant sanctuary. It explains the welfare standards behind the advice here.

Samui Elephant Kingdom quick facts

Duration	About 3 hours
Sessions	Morning or afternoon
Hotel pickup	Included. Times depend on your area (see below)
Price via Samui Journey	Adult ฿3,000 · Child (5–11) ฿1,700 · Under 5 free
Included	Return hotel transfers, English and Chinese-speaking guide, lunch and soft drinks
Programme	Welcome, learning about elephant food, Powerball food making, feeding from the Skywalk, observation walk at the mud pit, lunch and farewell
Riding / bathing	Neither. The sanctuary’s official FAQ says no riding and no bathing
Bring	Sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent
Book	Online via FareHarbor or WhatsApp +66 94 751 4988

Where it is and how pickup works

Review sites place the sanctuary in the Lipa Noi area on Samui’s west side. Most guests stay in Chaweng, Bophut, Maenam or Lamai, which is why hotel transfers are part of the trip.

Our trip page gives these approximate pickup times by area:

We confirm your exact pickup time when you book. Wait in the hotel lobby a few minutes before it. Traffic around Chaweng can be slow in high season.

The visit, step by step

This order follows Samui Journey’s itinerary. On the day, staff may swap things around depending on what the elephants are doing.

1. Welcome and learning about elephant food

After a welcome, you hear what elephants eat and how the herd’s diet is put together. Elephants spend much of the day eating. The sanctuary says it serves around 400 kg of food a day across the herd, and buys much of it from local farmers.

2. Making “Powerball” elephant food

Next comes Powerball food. You mash the ingredients and roll them into balls by hand. It’s messy, and children tend to love it. The balls go to the elephants later in the visit.

3. Feeding from the skywalk

The centrepiece is a 400-metre raised skywalk through the grounds. From up there you watch the elephants forage and socialise below, and offer food when they come close. The elephants decide for themselves how near to come, so it varies from day to day.

4. The observation walk and mud pit

A guided walk takes you through the grounds to the mud pit and water areas. Here the elephants dust-bathe, wallow and cool off on their own while you watch. Guests don’t bathe them, and the sanctuary describes itself as strictly hands-off for bathing.

5. Lunch and farewell

The visit ends with lunch and soft drinks, then a farewell, which is one last look at the elephants before the drive back to your hotel.

The sanctuary’s approach

What the sanctuary says in its own published information:

• No riding, no bathing. The official FAQ answers “Can we ride or bathe with the elephants?” with a clear no.
• Backgrounds of the herd. According to “The Herd” page, the elephants came from logging, street begging, circus performances and trekking camps. A few were born on Koh Samui or at the sanctuary.
• The site. The sanctuary describes around 20 acres with more than 900 trees, planted to give the elephants varied vegetation.
• Community projects. It runs an education programme for local schoolchildren and recycles collected plastic into small products. Proceeds go to the Southern Thailand Elephant Foundation.

The visit does include feeding from the skywalk. ABTA, the UK travel association, accepts feeding when there’s a barrier, while World Animal Protection’s strictest standard is observation only. Our ethical sanctuary guide explains the difference so you can make up your own mind.

Morning or afternoon?

Both sessions cover the same activities, so pick the one that fits the rest of your day.

• Morning suits early risers and families with young children who nap after lunch, and it leaves the afternoon free for the beach or pool. Mornings are usually a little cooler than early afternoon, though Samui is warm all day.
• Afternoon is better if you want a slow start or have a morning flight arriving. It also fits well the day before or after a full-day trip like our 1-Day Catamaran, which collects guests between 9:00 and 9:40 AM and has them back at their hotel around 4:30 PM.

In the rainy season (roughly mid-October to early December), short heavy showers are common. Bring a light rain jacket, and message us on WhatsApp if the forecast looks severe so we can talk through your options.

What to wear and bring

• Clothes you don’t mind getting dirty. Making Powerball is hands-on, and the ground can be muddy.
• Closed shoes or secure sandals for the walkways and paths. Flip-flops that slip off are a bad idea.
• Sunglasses, sunscreen and insect repellent, as listed on our trip page
• A hat and a refillable water bottle
• A light rain jacket from October to December
• A phone or camera with a strap, so it doesn’t fall from the skywalk

Leave the swimwear at the hotel. Guests don’t go into the water with the elephants.

Visiting with children

Families do well here, and making Powerball is the part children get most hands-on with. On the skywalk, keep younger ones within arm’s reach and only lift them up where staff say it’s safe. Children aged 5–11 pay ฿1,700, and under-5s go free. For more family ideas, see our guide to Koh Samui with kids.

Good to know

• It’s a working sanctuary. Elephants aren’t on a schedule, so some days they come right up to the skywalk and other days they stay further off.
• Safety. Elephants are large and can be unpredictable. The sanctuary’s terms ask visitors to follow its rules, so listen to your guide about where to stand.
• Dietary needs. Tell us about any allergies or dietary requirements when you book.
• Cancellations. See Samui Journey’s refund policy for how changes and cancellations work.
• Who we are. Samui Journey Co., Ltd. is a TAT-licensed tour operator (licence No. 44/00252). Reach us on WhatsApp +66 94 751 4988 or at samuijourney.mk@gmail.com.

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