Elephant Observatory Site, Kui Buri National Park

We had a great afternoon. We drove to Kui Buri NP. Booked there and then onto a 'safari drive', sharing with another couple who we did not know but had also just turned up. We split the 850 baht cost of the truck (driver and guide) with them. We also paid 200 baht each for the park entry fees. This may sound a lot, but it's a helluva lot cheaper than booking on a private tour - which basically crams 6 people into a truck plus their 'guide' and the park's guide... using the same trucks, guides and drivers and doing the same route at the same time and seeing the same scenery and wildlife as we did! Some of these private tours charge double or triple per person what we paid as a couple. Seriously, just book a taxi to the park if you're not driving yourself and save yourself a fortune by doing what we did! You're still supporting the park and its staff and, more importantly, helping preserve Thailand's wildlife. Anyway, we had a brilliant time and saw elephants in 4 places along the route. What a privilege and a pleasure to see them in the wild (not in a horrible 'sanctuary' being controlled/ridden/fed/bathed/petted) It was perfect. We felt so lucky as we know it's not guaranteed to see any wildlife here - it's not a zoo! The landscape is truly beautiful with a range of habitat. Yes, our guide was not fluent in English, but this did not matter. She was brilliant at spotting elephants, gaur, kingfishers, Rollers and even showed us the touch sensitive mimosa plant. She worked as a team with the driver, who was also great at getting us to good viewing places and stopping to point out wildlife that she also spotted as she was driving. You don't have to tip guides or drivers, but we did as they both did a great job. Having read some of the negative, whingy reviews about this place we seriously wondered if we should come. We're so glad we did. Remember, a lot of your enjoyment of an experience is down to you. For example, I heard one woman today moaning because there was only one elephant in one of the viewing places, not the 10 she was expecting! She'll probably still be moaning about it. We saw the same elephant and felt so lucky and privileged to be there. Perspective is everything. This park is doing a great job. Really appreciate their organisation and the fact that they only open up between 2pm and 5.30pm each day and effectively control the visitors. That's a good balance between tourism and the welfare of the wildlife and landscape. Other National Parks in Thailand should do the same.

🐘 Kui Buri National Park – real Thai-style safari! If you wanna see wild elephants and black bulls (gaurs) living freely, this is THE place. The officers here are super friendly and explain everything with care. You will need to hop on a pickup truck for 2-3hours in a 7.5km long (15km round-trip safari through the forest) — wind in your face, birds, and pure nature vibes. You can rent binoculars for 100฿ — worth it when you spot elephants or family of them or gaurs walking across the grasslands 😍 No chasing or forcing animals here — everything’s calm, respectful, and real. So in someday or some month it might be rarely see them as they might not be show up to tourist easily. We were lucky to see a family of Elephants and the cubs at the first 10mins drive after entering to wild. They are so beautiful! We gave a tip to guide and driver as they are so cooperative to watch and point out when the animals show up ! Recommended season is Oct to Dec, Dont come at Summer time of Thailand!!! #KuiBuriNationalPark #ThailandNatureTrip #ElephantSafari #HiddenGemsThailand

Beautiful park, the rangers, the management, the team who looks after these parks and tour operations have done a phenomenal job at creating a safe space where nature can exist and thrive while simultaneously providing us an opportunity to watch. We were super lucky to see a lot of elephants. I heard that doesn’t always happen, but understandable because it’s such a massive park, the animals could be roaming anywhere. We didnt get to see the ox or the wildebeests but that’s how it goes.