Following Giants Koh Lanta Ethical Elephant Sanctuary

One the best experiences I had in Thailand! We did the full day which was wonderful. The staff spoke English very well and were so helpful and kind. We started the day with a beautiful walk of the sanctuary and we got to admire many elephants on the way. We had an great lunch, they had good vegan options which it's much appreciated. Then we visited a cave and waterfall nearby, our tour guide was the absolute best! No animal throughout our walk went unnoticed, his skills amazed us and he was very kind and made our walk very entertaining and spotted any good photo opportunities. As someone who loves animals I'm glad I picked this place that clearly commits to the elephant's wellbeing, no touching, just looking from a respectful distance. Thank you very much to the Following Giants team for this wonderful experience 😊

We went for a half day tour with our two children (9 & 12). We got collected from our accommodation and got shown an information video and then went on a guided walk around the site. We all had a wonderful morning and saw lots of wildlife including a flying lemur on the trek! We read the FAQs and wore walking trainers - lots turned up in flip flops and so had to borrow the wellies provided. Bring trainers with you for a more comfortable walk! The elephants are all supported by a mahout who guide the elephants to different locations so you get to see them all at different points and as such there can be some waiting. It was amazing to see the elephants! The walk is tricky and not for people who are unsteady or have any access needs and not great for tiny children. The elephants all looked well looked after and were happily chatting together tooting and swinging their tails. The kids loved making the seed balls and launching them into the jungle with sling shots. Lunch was delicious - curry, stir fried veg fried and steamed rice and breaded chicken with a fruit platter and watermelon shake. For 3 12+ and 1 child it came to 10000 thb We were glad to go to a hands off sanctuary this time after learning our lesson and elephant riding and bathing on a previous trip to Thailand in 2010.

My friend and I had such a wonderful time following the elephants around, learning about their background and different personalities. Our guide, May, was an absolute delight- she gave such great insight into the sanctuary’s work and was pure entertainment! May was full of energy, jokes and knowledge which really made our trip! I also want to add how wonderful all the staff in the sanctuary are- you can really tell that they love the work that they do and go the extra mile to make customer’s trips enjoyable. We did the half-day tour which included lunch which was also a highlight. It was such a delicious meal (massive portions) which was made better by the multiple cats they own! Overall such a great trip and would highly recommend! Really love the work that they do💚

Fantastic experience! We walked through jungle with our knowledgeable guide & observed the elephants . No touching or harassing elephants, simply observing. They have a beautiful large area to roam freely during the day. We observed the elephants cooling down in a pond , & they don't need help from humans to bathe themselves! these elephants sadly spent most their lives used for tourist riding / or working logging. It is good to see them finally safe & happy here at Following Giants. I hope more sanctuaries & elephant tourism sites in Thailand will follow this good ethical example of caring & protecting elephants

Amazing experience. The guide talked us through everything and explained the back story of each elephant. Heartbreaking hearing about how this sanctuary came about. The way they interact with and look after the elephants puts you at ease. The negative reviews are clearly people who haven’t listened to or understood how the sanctuary is run and operates. Highly recommend checking it out if you’re in Koh Lanta.

I did the week long volunteering programme at Following Giants in Koh Lanta and it was one of the most rewarding and enjoyable experiences of a 5 month backpacking trip. It was such a pleasure to contribute to the hard work of everyone at this sanctuary in their efforts to give rescued elephants a better life. Activities included planting trees, making medicine balls for the elephants, making seed balls to launch into the forest, hiking in the jungle, making poo paper, and cooking lots of Thai food - not to mention spending lots of time observing elephants eating, bathing, and communicating in a natural way. Despite all these tasks it never felt like hard work, there was lots of time to relax and I never felt obligated to do anything - on the contrary everything was really fun! Everyone who works here is absolutely lovely and you feel included as part of the family right away. If you come to Thailand and especially to Koh Lanta I highly recommend visiting this no-touch sanctuary if only for a couple of hours, in support of truly ethical elephant tourism in which elephants can practice natural behaviours all day every day.

Amazing experience. Did the 90 minute session. Was there during monsoon season and so got rained on heavily but they provided boots, umbrellas and raincoats so it was not an issue. Our guide told us about every elephant in detail and we were able to get very close but no contact. The elephants were calm and beautiful. I would definitely be interested in one of the longer sessions.

We had the most amazing experience @ Following Giants! All the staff were so lovely and helpful, The introductory video was very informative and inspiring. Our guide was so lovely...told us so much information about each elephant, and their previous history before arriving at the sanctuary. We got close to the elephants, at a respectful distance without invading their space, and got the opportunity to watch them enjoying their environment and just doing their own thing in peace. Such a special and incredible experience. Thank you!! 🙏🌺