Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary

Dear friends, today I continue my journey through Thailand. I want to share with you a wonderful place where I stayed on Koh Samui island, called Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary. For those of you who know me, I absolutely adore animals, especially elephants.

This place combines luxury accommodations, the most hospitable staff, eco-friendliness, and, of course, the rescued elephants.

Welcome To Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary, Koh Samui

I landed at Koh Samui airport, which in itself was a treat. I have travelled all over the world to nearly 100 countries, and I have to say, this airport has the best "I'm on holiday" feeling of any. It’s like an outdoor resort. Once through, I ordered a car using the Bolt app. At the time, I was travelling alone as a woman, and it felt perfectly safe. They even have options to record the drive if you feel at all nervous, but I felt completely safe. My friend Terrance was joining me the next day.

When I arrived at Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary around 9 A.M, they greeted me with a welcome drink and a cool towel, which was wonderful. I could see the elephants right away and get an overview of the entire grounds, which was breathtaking.

Welcome Drink & Cool Towel

As I was early, my room wasn't quite ready, so the staff took my bags for safekeeping and directed me to their public bathroom by the restaurant. I freshened up and changed into my swimming costume. By this time, the beauty of the resort was really setting in. Their attention to detail is impressive. This is paradise.

Their on-site restaurant is called Wild Child Organic Kitchen, and the food was absolutely delicious! I’m sure it has something to do with the fact that they grow their own fresh herbs, fruits, and vegetables right on-site. As a vegan, this was heaven. Their menu is just scrumptious and has something for everyone; check out their menu here! Not only is the food second to none, but the view is incredible as well!

Wild Child Organic Kitchen

As I have mentioned in my previous travel blogs, there are two drinks that come very close to being my favourites, fresh coconut water drunk straight from the coconut and fresh watermelon juice. I just love fresh, sweet, and juicy flavours. I opted for the watermelon juice, and honestly, I could have ordered about 12 more. For food, I chose their vegetable noodles. Although they looked pretty simple, Terrance can attest to this– they were the most flavoursome noodles I have ever tasted. So delicious! The staff in the restaurant were so lovely, very attentive and kind. I just love the Thai people.

After my meal, I decided to head down towards the pool, take in the view, relax, and admire the wonderful rescued elephants.

The View Of Their On-Site Vegetable Patch

As I walked down towards the pool, I walked past their wonderful open-air yoga studio and their wonderfully luxurious spa. There is no doubt that Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary offers everything to ensure the best, most relaxing holiday ever. Check out their wellness offerings here!

Relaxing By The Pool

Laying out by the pool overlooking the sanctuary grounds where three rescued elephants live is soul invigorating. The sanctuary is a beautiful and ethical place for elephants who’ve been rescued from all sorts of exploitation, like trekking, performing in circuses, logging, and street begging. It’s tucked away in the lush jungles of Koh Samui, perched on rolling hills with amazing views over the Gulf of Thailand and Koh Phangan. The elephants here have a safe home where they can just be themselves, roaming freely and expressing their natural instincts—playing, foraging for native plants, and taking baths in the pools throughout the sanctuary. Maew Suriya, the founder, makes sure these incredible elephants get to live their lives without fear or pain.

The Incredible Elephants

The main pool, which is an infinity pool, allows guests to swim right up to the ledge and enjoy a view of the elephants. At the time of my stay in October 2024, the sanctuary was home to three elephants: baby Haven who turns five this year, a little boy, his mom Som Boon who's 35, and his Grandmother Sri Nin who is an impressive 72 years old. The sanctuary is actively working on rescuing more.

This Is The Most Incredible Experience

Rescued elephants, no matter which sanctuary they are at, need a mahout. The bond between an elephant and their mahout is soul-binding. Their connection is one that most people could never comprehend. The mahouts ensure that their elephant(s) are cared for in every way, every moment of every day, until death do they part. It truly is something beautiful to witness. Anyone who knows me knows that I would truly love to be trained as a female mahout. What a dream!

Twice a day, the sanctuary allows guests to join in on feeding the elephants. I was lucky enough to feed them my favourite, watermelon. Elephants, despite their size, are very gentle. This is a great and ethical way to interact with these gentle giants. Be sure to pre-book your spot, as they fill up quickly due to limited availability. This ensures that the elephants are not overwhelmed.

Elephant Feeding

Thailand is unfortunately full of stray dogs, but of all the places a stray could end up, Wild Cottages is probably the best place on Koh Samui. There must be something in the water in Thailand because, just like the people, the dogs here are incredibly friendly.

Found A Cute Doggy Friend

After feeding the elephants, I retreated back to lounging by the pool. As I was soaking in the sunshine, I noticed a special moment between the mahout and grandma Sri Nin. How beautiful! After years of abuse, this grandma is now finally safe and free.

Captured A Special Moment

It was so relaxing just staying by the poolside and watching the elephants. I even got to see them playing and splashing around in their own pool. Before I knew it, it was check-in time. A staff member very kindly notified me that my room was ready. I was so excited as I had booked a 1 Bed Panorama Elephant Sanctuary and Sea View which means that our room overlooks both the ocean and the elephant sanctuary.

Golf Cart To The Room

I was led up to the reception area and escorted into a golf cart. We then zipped up a really steep hill to the very back of the resort. Our room was at the highest point of the property, so the view was unreal. The golf cart stopped right outside our room. I say room, but it truly felt more like a little private villa. My bags had already been delivered to the room. Upon opening the door, I was greeted by a blast of air conditioning, beautiful music, a bed and bath full of flowers, and the best view ever.

How beautiful was the message on the bed: "Welcome to Thailand," it read. As I walked around the spacious room, there was so much to appreciate. Not only does this resort have a public infinity pool down by the elephants, but each of the rooms (villas) has its own private infinity pool. Now this is luxury! You can bet I went for several night swims.

The flowers filled the bathtub, and I couldn’t wait to get in and relax. The view was just spectacular—you could see the elephants, the whole resort, and out to sea. I topped up the bath with hot water, as I love a really hot bath, and soaked.

As the room tour continues, I take you through the fully equipped kitchen and onto the balcony. In the fridge, I found a welcome basket of fresh fruit; I devoured that. What I miss most about living in Asia is the fresh fruit, and secondly, the hot weather.

As if I hadn't eaten enough fruit, after my solo dance party, I ordered room service—a Thailand staple: Mango Sticky Rice. It was so pretty and so yummy. The sticky rice was even blue in colour, which was striking. It was so good, I just wanted more. I then had a nap and prepared for Terrance to arrive and enjoy this paradise with me.

After a wonderful reunion, Terrance and I talked and laughed all night. Terrance lives in the United States, and I live in the UK, and we meet up once a year for an epic trip somewhere. It is a beautiful friendship tradition that I am truly grateful for.

Rise & Shine Koh Samui

After a very comfortable sleep, we woke up to a beautiful morning. I could wake up to this view every single day for the rest of my life and never get tired of it. Terrance and I headed down for the first elephant feeding of the day. The resort is set on a hill, so you can either walk down the steps or call reception for the golf cart. Since we did not have our bags, we opted for the nice walk.

I love interacting with elephants and have quite a bit of experience doing so. However, this was an extra special morning, as Terrance absolutely loves elephants, and it was the first time he was able to get this close to them. It was beautiful watching him feed them. The joy of being in the presence of these amazing animals is something that sticks with you.

After feeding the elephants, it was back to the pool for a leisurely morning enjoying the view of the elephants grazing in the distance. It was just so peaceful, and the calm water made it all feel like a dream. Terrance and I spent the time catching up, laughing, and soaking in the incredible surroundings. It felt so good to be back together in such a beautiful place.

After soaking in the pool, we decided to treat ourselves to some drinks at the bar. The highly trained bartenders crafted our drinks with such precision and care, it was clear they knew their stuff. We chatted with them while sipping on perfectly mixed cocktails/mocktails, feeling completely relaxed in the serene atmosphere. It was the perfect way to unwind.

Once we finished our drinks, we headed back up to our room (private villa), ready for the ultimate indulgence, a floating brunch basket. The brunch basket was completely customisable; my half, of course, was all vegan, with fresh fruit, more of those noodles I raved about, and other plant-based goodies. Terrance went for the classic bacon and eggs. It was set in the pool by the amazing staff, letting it float while we lounged, enjoying the sunshine and the view. It felt like the ultimate luxury, and every bite was absolutely delicious. After indulging in all that food, we headed off for a day at Pig island, which you can read about here!

I hope you have enjoyed my blog on the wonderful Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary on Koh Samui island. It was truly an experience I'll never forget. Until next time, Vegoutt everybody! Book Your Stay At Wild Cottages Elephant Sanctuary Here.