This trip was the best trip we’ve been on. It was such a great experience meeting the elephants. The trip was very well put together - great staff, lovely food and we really enjoyed feeding, bathing and seeing the elephants. It was great - would definitely recommend this trip! The staff really care about the elephants!

Absolutely rate this tour! So many great sites, the jeeps are a great way around, small group size, great food, great communication from tour. Johnny the guide was informative and hilarious. Even though we had mega downpours it didn't dampen this trip one bit. 5 great big stars. Loved it.

After we arrived at the sanctuary we were given instructions on how to interact with the elephants. There are only 5 adults and 1 child on site over 14 acres so it doesn’t look like a “zoo.” We prepared the elephant food, fed them, took pictures with them, walked to a second site where they fed, saw them take a mud bath and even bathed with them! After all that we sat down for a nice lunch. The staff filmed a video of our visit which was emailed to us. Do go and support their important work.

Booked this trip in England few months before arriving in Thailand, wasn’t really sure what to expect with not travelling to this part of the world before! BUT I can HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! Amazing day from start to finish!! Great info sent by WhatsApp regards meeting point, thank you for winch an emotional but absolutely fantastic experience!!!

Our cruise ship had some delays in the tender process. In Ko Samui. The excursion coordinator was exceptional with his communication and flexibility. He was in constant contact and very conscious of the needs of not only those that were delayed but the other guests as well. The time at the sanctuary was amazing. Our interaction with the elephants felt respectful and were very fun. The best part of the experience was the staff. From the drivers to the guides, they were attentive, knowledgeable and accommodating. We would strongly recommend them!!

I regret funding this! Nice day but question the ethics! On arrival seeing elephants in the barn, clearly stressed and pacing. Not a great start. Learning about elephants and their names/ages was good, I was interested in how they got the elephants, is it really a sanctuary, are they really rescued or did they just stop selling circus tickets so sold them to a “sanctuary” and re-marketed it but essentially they’re still performing, they’re just performing examples of natural behaviour…but it’s not natural if they’re not choosing to do it. I smile when I’m out with my friends, that’s enjoyable. If I’m told to smile on cue, it looks like natural behaviour but it isn’t and it isn’t enjoyable. Making elephant food was good. Feeding elephants was cool, best interaction and amazing to see. However, at this point I realised how well trained elephants were, they knew where to stand, what to do, it was very safe for tourists to be that close. These animals already had spirit broken by being in circus so maybe them being so well trained is not a fault of sanctuary…I would have liked to know more to be satisfied by this. Elephant hike didn’t happen, elephants were walked by trainers and we followed on a few minutes later and elephants were already “in position” in a wide open field but stood next to their food pile that they were eating. We were able to roam and take photos which was great. I question if elephants ever got to actually roam the “sanctuary”. They were in barn when we arrived for morning session, they were in barn again after ready for afternoon session and they are locked in at night so when exactly do they have free roam?? The elephants walked to a bath area, it wasn’t a sunny day, it had been raining, they didn’t want to bath, they were instructed to, they were not splashing trunks in joy or to splash their bodies to cool off as they were already cool…they were being instructed to. If it had been a hot day, maybe they would have wanted to do it. Overall, good to see the elephants. Nice place. Good staff. Maybe elephants are 100 times better than being in circus so maybe it is a sanctuary, but maybe it’s just another act in a different fashion. I’m not sure

It was breathtaking to see the people taking care of the rescued elephants. Being able to feed them and touch them was priceless. What an amazing organization they have. A must see in Koh Samui.

The Koh Samui Elephant Home was a wonderful experience. The sanctuary is very clean and well run and the elephants are very well cared for. After washing our hands, we made elephant snacks of mashed banana, pumpkin, tamarind, grain, and grass. Then it was time to meet the elephants. Maria, Hong, Bua Barn, Angy, Dao, and Lucky each had unique personalities. They were gentle but persistent in taking the treats. Next we walked into the fields to watch them graze and to take more pictures. Next was cool down time in the mud bath. Maria used her trunk to spray herself with mud while young Lucky just plopped down and rolled around in the mud. The highlight though was bathing with the elephants. The handlers walked them into a shallow pool and we were provided with cups and scrub brushes to remove all the mud. We had amazingly close interaction with these large but gentle creatures. Great photo opportunities too. We finished with a nice lunch of fried rice, spring rolls, and watermelon. If you get the opportunity, I highly recommend visiting and supporting the Koh Samui Elephant Home.

A very professional well run ecotourism experience for both adults and children. It’s great to be able to get up close and personal with such magnificent creatures as they roam around in their own habitat. Knowing they are safe and cared for. I would definitely recommend 👍

Best Recommended to all tourist, the staff are nice and welcoming, the elephant experience are unforgettable, Lucky is so adorable baby elephant, the food was delicious, overall for me 5 start..

It was exceptionally well done. The guides were so informative. It was a very clean and well maintained space. They gave us a tea break, lunch and a video of the tour. We had an opportunity to purchase gifts. The staff obviously care very much for the elephants. If you do only one thing in Ko Samui, this should be it.

We didn't get to go on our tour despite being picked up promptly - there was an annual Buddhist festival parade that created traffic and caused us to miss our boat. What deserves 5-stars is the clear communication from the guide company and how quickly a refund was issued (day of). Good company you can feel comfortable booking with.

There were five of us, including 2 kids under 5. It was great! We got picked up and had a great day! I just have a question and would like to get in touch with someone. We were supposed to receive a video of the day but 3 emails did not receive anything.

A wonderful experience to see the elephants so close and also a great way to support a good cause! The whole trip was very well organised. The Backpacker Samui Travel sent us a confirmation message after booking and also checked we got collected from our hotel all right on the day of the trip. When we arrived at the sanctuary we were served refreshing drinks. The staff at the sanctuary was very good. The guide was knowledgeable and the other members of the team offered to take photos for us. First we got to prepare snacks for the elephants and then fed them. We followed the elephants to the jungle to watch them in their natural environment. Afterwards we had a little rest and were served coffee, water and crackers. The elephants came back from the jungle and had a mud bath and then they were taken to a pool for a bath. We were encouraged to get in with them and to scrub them with brushes and pour water over them. The facilities at the sanctuary were all very good. There was a shaded seating area, a shower area and toilets with hand washing facilities. Everything was kept very clean. At the end of the experience we got served stir fried thai rice with spring rolls and sandwiches followed by fresh watermelon. It was all delicious and well cooked. The team at the sanctuary even made a little video of the whole experience and gave it to us for free. So generous! There is a little souvenir shop at the sanctuary with T-shirts, hand made key rings and various little dishes hand made / hand carved out of wood. We travelled with a 6 year old child. It was a perfect day for all of us and all so well organised. I'd definitely recommend this trip when visiting Koh Samui. Great thanks to Backpacker Samui Travel and to the wonderful guide and staff at the Samui Elephant Home for organising such an amazing experience for us!

If there is only one trip that you do here in Samui it should be this one. Elephant information was first class as was the elephant interaction. Best part was the interaction with the elephants in the pool. So much fun and such passive amazing animals. Lunch and snacks were excellent. Guides very knowledgeable and the elephants very well cared for. Just great !