Elephant Hills Khao Sok — Floating Tents on Cheow Lan Lake and Bathing Elephants at Dawn
Let's be clear up front: this isn't a hotel you book night by night. Elephant Hills is Thailand's first luxury tented camp, set deep inside Khao Sok National Park in Phanom District, Surat Thani, and it sells all-inclusive 2–4 day safari packages covering transfers, every meal, an English-speaking guide, and all activities. The two things guests bring up again and again are the floating tents on Cheow Lan Lake — no roads, no Wi-Fi — and the elephant experience, where you feed and bathe the elephants but never ride them, because the camp doesn't offer riding on welfare grounds.
Start with the thing you need to understand before booking: Elephant Hills doesn't sell rooms by the night, it sells all-inclusive packages. The operation splits across two sites. The Jungle Camp (Elephant Camp) has 66 tents set in rainforest beside the Sok River, while the Rainforest Camp has 20 floating tents resting on the surface of Cheow Lan Lake. The floating tents are only available on packages that include a night at the lake — you can't book them on their own, which is exactly why most people choose a 3-day itinerary or longer to get both camps.
The tents are African safari style. Inside you get a real bed, wooden floors, and an en-suite bathroom with hot and cold water, a Western-style toilet, and electricity. There's a choice of king, twin, triple, or family configurations. Out front, a private terrace comes with timber chairs and a hammock for listening to the forest. One honest heads-up: there's no air-con, only fans. Daytime in the jungle runs hot and humid, but the air cools down naturally by evening, and returning guests agree the nights are comfortable for sleeping.
The highlight of any stay is the elephant experience at the Elephant Camp. You hand-feed bananas and pineapple, walk the elephants down to the stream to bathe and scrub them, and hear each animal's story from its mahout. What sets this camp apart from many others is that there's no elephant riding and no show — it positions itself as a sanctuary focused on letting the elephants live close to nature. If you've been hesitant about the ethics of elephant tourism, this is the main reason people pick Elephant Hills over the alternatives.
Guests describe it best: "The night in the floating tent is the one that stayed with them — no phone signal, nothing but the sound of water and the limestone peaks all around. They woke early and paddled a kayak out before anyone else."
The Rainforest Camp on Cheow Lan Lake is another world entirely. The tents float on pontoons looking out at limestone karsts rising straight from emerald-green water — the scenery many people call 'Thailand's Guilin'. There are no roads and no Wi-Fi here; access is by boat only, and the camp runs on solar and wind power. Activities include kayaking, boat trips to caves, and short jungle hikes to viewpoints. This is genuine digital-disconnection territory, not just a marketing line.
On food, every meal is included in the package — a Thai and international buffet served at the camp's central pavilion. Guests consistently praise how fresh it is and that there's always plenty. The camp also takes the environment seriously, using refillable glass water bottles instead of plastic and ceramic refill dispensers for soap and shampoo in the tents. Small details like these signal that the eco-tourism angle here is real practice, not just a sales pitch.
The overall score sits at 9.5/10, equivalent to 4.8 from 3,220 Tripadvisor reviews, and it ranks #1 of 10 properties in the Khao Sok area with a Travelers' Choice award. Guests praise the cleanliness, the well-run activities, and the team. The honest complaints from lower-rated reviews: tents get hot during the day without air-con, some find the activity schedule packed enough to be tiring, and the per-person price runs high compared to standard accommodation around Khao Sok. Worth knowing before you commit.
The bottom line: Elephant Hills works best for travellers who want the full Khao Sok experience — elephants, the lake, and sleeping out in nature — without planning any of it themselves. Everything is arranged from airport pickup at Surat Thani (about a 2-hour drive) or from Phuket, Krabi, Khao Lak, and Koh Samui. For the complete version, the 3-day Jungle Lake Safari is the pick because you stay in both the jungle tents and the floating tents. If you're short on time or want to test the waters, the 2-day Elephant Camp tour still covers the full elephant experience.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Ethical elephant experience — no riding, no show
- ✓ Floating lake tents with stunning limestone karst views
- ✓ All-inclusive package means nothing to plan yourself
- ✓ Attentive team and guides, food fresh and plentiful
- ! Tents hot during the day — fans only, no air-con
- ! Activity schedule is full; some find it tiring
- ! Per-person price higher than standard Khao Sok stays
- ✓ Floating tents with no signal — true digital disconnection
- ✓ Genuine eco focus — refillable glass bottles, less plastic
- ✓ Close-up elephant access you won't find elsewhere
- ✓ Beautiful Khao Sok jungle and lake scenery
- ! Floating tents can't be booked alone — need a lake package
- ! No Wi-Fi at Rainforest Camp — tricky if you must work
- ! Rainy season (May–Oct) may alter some activities
- 💡If you want the floating lake tents — choose the 3-day Jungle Lake Safari or longer → the 2-day tour only stays at the jungle Elephant Camp and never reaches the lake
- 💡If you're worried about heat — tents have fans, not air-con; days are hot and humid but nights cool down on their own → pack breathable clothing and proper trekking shoes
- 💡If you need to stay connected — the floating Rainforest Camp has no Wi-Fi and almost no mobile signal → finish any work beforehand, or stay only at the Elephant Camp where there is some reception