Where is the best place to ride elephants in Pattaya? Elephant ride

This animal is not sacred, but iconic. The elephant was even depicted on the national flag until it was replaced by the tricolor, following the trend of the time. The list of excursions in Pattaya would not be complete without including elephant riding.

This entertainment will be interesting for both adults and children. Elephant riding is a very popular activity among tourists and the market responded very quickly with demand. Several elephant villages have already been opened in the Pattaya area, which will take you for a ride and show you a show. But don’t rush to buy a separate tour or go to see the elephants on your own; if you have already bought an excursion to the River Kwai, then elephant riding is included in almost every program.

Elephants in front of the floating market

There are definitely elephants there, but I have not yet studied this complex. This place should be planned to be visited as part of three interesting places at once - a floating market, a snake farm and the complex itself, where you can ride elephants. The terrain is within the city, the terrain is flat, the area where skiing takes place can be littered. One advantage is that it is close and you can get there on your own on a white songteow.

Elephants on Sukhkumvit 200 meters from the snake farm.

As a matter of fact, I didn’t find the name on their business card, so I can’t address you by name. Judging by the terrain, they ride in the sun, so stock up on cream and a hat. There is no elephant show. By all indications, the village is of no interest, although I could be wrong since I didn’t ride myself, and they weren’t allowed to photograph the route.

• Works: from 7:30 to 18:00
• Price: Prices for skating are indicated for one adult, for a child half the price. 400 baht 20 min. / 600 baht 30 min. / 1200 baht 1 hour.

Elephant Village Khao Chee Chan

It makes sense to visit the Khao Chi Chan elephant village as part of 3 more interesting places: the Karen people, the Wat Yan complex and the 130-meter rock carving of Buddha, because... it is located directly opposite the rock carving.

• Works: from 8:00 to 18:00
• Price: Prices for skating are indicated for one adult, for a child half the price. 400 baht 20 min./ 600 baht 30 min./ 1000 baht 1 hour.

The area is conducive to pleasant skiing - mountains around, plantations. Disadvantages include the distance from Pattaya and the lack of public transport.

Elephant in the tropical garden of Nong Nooch

In Nong Nooch Park, elephant riding is the most expensive and least interesting. Here the elephants walk on the asphalt, in the heat, the scenery around is certainly beautiful, but there is no exoticism at all, and it’s also expensive. But the elephant show can rightfully be called the most interesting in Pattaya. Find out more about how to get to Nong Nooch Park.

• Price: 400 baht for 10-15 minutes. Children have a 50% discount.

Pattaya Elephant Village

I haven’t been to this village personally, but the official website can provide enough information.

A little history of the creation of this elephant village

The Elephant Village was opened in 1973 as a refuge for former working elephants. Elephants who, due to injury or illness, could not be used for hard work in the jungle found shelter here, as well as elephants who, due to various circumstances, could not be returned to the wild.

The village provides shelter and food for the elephants exclusively at its own expense; visiting the village is not only entertainment, but also salvation, because the money earned from tourists is a contribution to the very survival of the elephants, both now and in the future.

The Elephant Village is a private company that operates on a non-profit basis and all proceeds go towards feeding, paying medical bills and generally caring for the elephants. The Elephant Village receives no government support or sponsorship from large companies or international organizations. From 1,000 to 5,000 baht per day is spent on one elephant per day. These are the costs of food, medicine and care.

Khun Phairat knows almost everything about elephants; he has been working with elephants for over thirty years and is now in his fourth generation. He loves these giant animals and has built a family business out of his affection.

In December 2002 and January 2003, for eight days, the elephant village received up to 150 scouts every day who specially came to Thailand from all over the world.

The village has 30 elephants and about 100 employees. More than 1000 visitors come from Pattaya every day.

If the description of the site is to be believed, this elephant village offers some very exciting adventures. There are several offers to choose from:

Complex offer

The package deal lasts about three and a half hours but does not include the elephant show. The adventure begins with an elephant ride that lasts about an hour. Elephant riding is standard for tourists - two people per seat.

followed by a 20 minute jungle walk followed by a visit to the Great Silk House, this will be followed by a 20 minute ride across local lakes, ending with a return ride to the elephant village by cart. Upon returning to the elephant village, visitors will then be served a home-cooked lunch or dinner. This program is held twice a day at 10.30 am to 4 pm. The price is 2000 baht per person and 1600 baht for children up to 100 cm in height. Each order: minimum 2 people.

One hour on elephants

Visitors to the Elephant Village will be able to ride on the back of an elephant through local plantations and bushland. The elephant ride lasts about 45-50 minutes. On the way there will be a short stop at the Silk House, because... I haven’t been there myself, but I suspect that they will sell products made from Thai silk there. In the village, after riding elephants, people are treated to fruits. They ride four times a day at 09.00, 10.30, 12.30, 16.00. Book in advance.

• The price is 1200 baht per person and 1000 baht for children up to 100 cm in height. Each order: minimum 2 people.

Elephant show

The elephant show takes place from 14.30-16.00 and begins with five minutes of feeding the elephants bananas. Visitors will be able to see the work of elephants in logging, playing football, bathing elephants, as well as how elephants were rounded up in the past and, of course, the participation of elephants in battles. Previously, in the Middle Ages, elephants regularly participated in the battles that took place regularly between Siam and Burma.

Hello friends! Today we will give some tips on the sights of Pattaya, based on questions that tourists often ask us. Which drag queen show should I go to? Which beach is better - Military Beach or Dancing Girl Beach? What water park do you recommend? In this article you will find answers to these and other important questions.

Pattaya sightseeing tips: article contents

Which transvestite show in Pattaya should I go to?

There are three drag queen shows in Pattaya - Tiffany, Alcazar and Colosseum. The main difference between them is the price. The most expensive is Tiffany, the cheapest is Colosseum. The price, as you know, also depends on how much money the company invests in advertising, and in this regard, “Tiffany” has gone far ahead of the other two shows: it appeared earlier and was promoted more strongly. So whether to overpay or not for advertising is up to you.

I confess this: when our relatives came to Thailand and asked us which transvestite show in Pattaya to go to, I answered without hesitation - “Tiffany”, of course, it is the most famous. Oh, I'm a victim of advertising. “Tiffany” is an old brand, but lazy people don’t give the name “Tiffany” to something shiny and covered with rhinestones, but how easy it is to forget about it!

Later I heard a lot of reviews about other shows and saw photographs. And I came to the conclusion: there is no fundamental difference between transvestite shows in Pattaya. Everywhere there is lip-syncing, dance numbers, jokes about silicone breasts, and demonstrations of the beautiful figures of recently made women.

Tiffany is the most popular transvestite show in Pattaya, and therefore the most expensive. The other two are no worse.

Where to ride elephants in Pattaya?

There are several elephant villages in Pattaya, we mention them in our author's report. But since elephant riding lasts on average 20-30 minutes, we believe that it is not necessary to go to the elephant village for half an hour , it would be more advisable to combine elephant riding with another excursion. In some excursions, elephant riding is included in the price, while in others you have the opportunity to pay extra and ride. For example:

• Nong Nooch Garden
• excursion to Wat Yan, elephant riding for an additional fee;
• excursion "Koh Chang", elephant riding for an additional fee as part of free time. By the way, on Koh Chang, riding elephants in the elephant village costs 500 baht for 30 minutes, while in the elephant village in Pattaya the same 30 minutes costs 800 baht!
• excursion “Evening Nong Nooch”, elephant riding is included in the price;
• excursion to the River Kwai"Legendary Kwai" and "Fruit Paradise on the River Kwai", elephant riding included in the price.

You can find out how much these excursions cost and how to sign up for them in our article:

Elephant riding is included in the price of some excursions in Pattaya. For example, a trip to the River Kwai, where you will ride a good-natured giant against the backdrop of the breathtaking landscapes of the Kanchanaburi province.

Which water park should I go to – Siam Park or Cartoon Network?

There is a misconception that there is a water park in Bangkok - in the Siam Park amusement park. Friends! In the strictest sense, this is not a water park at all, but just a few water activities: two slides, a lazy river and a huge wave pool. All of them are wonderful, but this set does not look like a real water park, sorry...

If you need a lot of slides, pools and water in general, Cartoon Network is for you, which is located 12 km south of Pattaya. This is the newest, coolest and largest water park in Thailand. And the most expensive one, of course.

Siam Park in Bangkok is primarily an amusement park. If it's water slides that you're interested in, then Cartoon Network is your place.

How is Flight of Tarzan different from Flight of the Gibbon in Pattaya?

It's practically the same thing. Organized by two different companies. Flight of the Gibbon is located further from Pattaya (in the area of ​​Khao Kaew Zoo). However, the route is more varied and longer in “Tarzan’s Flight”, although this excursion costs less.

Which beach should you go to – Military Beach or Dancing Girl Beach?

As in the case of transvestite shows, there is no fundamental difference between these beaches. Military Beach (aka Blue Lagoon) is located 15 km from Pattaya, (aka Hat Nang Ram, aka Sattahip) - 40 km from Pattaya. Both have a wide beach line, white clean sand, azure water, dense thickets of casuarinas. The infrastructure of the beaches is also the same: on each of them there are toilets, showers, changing rooms, rental of sun loungers a la chair and wicker mats, cafes, water banana boats and kayaks - and all at approximately the same prices.

In our opinion, the difference is that Military Beach is more popular among tourists, while Dancing Girl Beach is more popular among locals. Military Beach is also distinguished by the fact that it has a good bottom, which continues far from the shore, and therefore low tides affect swimming to a lesser extent. But on the other hand, the Beach of the Dancing Girl is divided into two parts by a small hillock, and this allows more people to comfortably accommodate.

All tourists who find themselves in exotic Pattaya for the first time dream of riding elephants. This pastime is perfect for couples with children. Near Pattaya there is a popular elephant village, where you can see a stunning show with elephant acrobats, ride elephants along the tropical jungle, mountains and ponds. In the resort town itself, the elephant camps offer only short elephant rides without performances.

This elephant village ranks first next to the resort of Pattaya in terms of the scale of the performances taking place here and the number of pets. Its discovery took place back in the 1970s, but to this day this unique reserve remains a unique and sacred place in all of Thailand.

Due to the large territory, elephants in the village live practically as in their natural habitat. Thanks to elephant riding, all village residents earn their living and food. For most Thais, elephants are considered sacred animals.

The village offers not only elephant riding, but also a full tour of the reserve, which you wouldn’t mind spending the whole day on. Local residents also work as guides, they talk about the peculiarities of life and behavior of animals, and also show the ability of elephants to be professionally trained.

The centerpiece of the elephant village's entertainment program is the famous Thai massage, which is performed with the participation of one of the animals. Fragile women should not lie under the paws of an elephant. Only adventurers decide to take such a desperate step, who then have memories of the massage for the rest of their lives.

The Elephant Village is open to guests every day from 8am to 6pm. There are several programs you can choose to attend:

1. A standard one-hour tour of the reserve, which is carried out on the back of an elephant. On this short ride, your guide will tell you about the animals, invite you to visit a silk factory, and you will also receive a light lunch. The cost of such an excursion will be 1200 baht.
2. More expensive, but more exciting, tourists are offered to spend time in the village by visiting combined trekking on elephant back. The cost of such an excursion will cost 2000 baht. In a few hours you will visit a lake, a silk factory, go rafting on a mountain river, walk on elephants through the jungle and have lunch at a small national restaurant.

The village is located 7 kilometers from the center of Pattaya, which can only be reached by taxi. You can also get to the village with a tour group, having previously purchased a ticket from one of the travel agencies.

There is no public transport to this village, so to get there you need to take a taxi. The village is located approximately 30 minutes drive from Pattaya. It is best to visit this elephant village as part of an excursion group, while also seeing the painted walls, as well as the Karen people.

Directly opposite the peculiar rock paintings is the site of the elephant village. The tour runs every day from 8:00 to 17:00. Experienced guides will put you on elephants and lead you through mountains, plantations and dense jungle.

Village prices vary and depend on the duration of the ride. 20 minutes riding an elephant will cost an adult 400 baht, and a child up to 120 centimeters will cost 200 baht. A 30-minute ride will cost 200 baht more, and for a whole hour you will have to pay 1000 baht for an adult and 500 baht for a child.

Thai Tong Elephant

The main advantage of this elephant farm is its pedestrian accessibility, since it is located within the city limits of Pattaya. Not far from the Theprasit night market in the Jomtien area is the Thai Tong Elephant elephant sanctuary. Here you will not be able to see a luxurious performance with elephants, you will only be able to ride.

The cost of a half-hour walk will be 800 baht for an adult and 400 baht for a child up to 120 centimeters tall. The price includes not only riding elephants, but also the opportunity to feed them, as well as take memorable photographs.

In the Jomtien area park you can book a tour outside the city, which costs 1,600 baht. There you can swim in a small lake with elephants. The duration of such an excursion including travel is about 3 hours.

Elephants in Nong Nooch Garden

The most expensive elephant rides you can find are in the tropical one. However, despite the expensive ticket price, the skiing is not at all interesting and takes place on asphalt in the sweltering heat. The cost of a 15-minute ride on an elephant will cost an adult 400 baht, a child under 7 years old 200 baht.

But here there are daily elephant shows, which are considered the best in all of Pattaya. During the performance, you will be able to get up close and personal with the elephants, feed them and take photos together as a souvenir. The trainers force the elephants to perform acrobatic tricks and perform interesting scenes. The cost of the performance is 1000 baht along with a 10-minute ride. In addition, during the performance you will be able to see:

• football of a whole team of elephants;
• riding elephants on bicycles;
• drawing pictures with a trunk;
• Thai massage.

You can get to the tropical garden by taxi or tuk-tuk. The first option will cost you about 300 baht. You can get there by tuk-tuk only with transfers; first you need to get to the Sukhumvit Road and then change to a white tuk-tuk, which will take you to the garden turnoff. Next you will have to walk to Nong Nooch Garden. Opening hours: daily from 08:00 to 18:00.

Elephants in Champ Chang Park

For those vacationers who come to Pattaya with small children, a visit to Champ Chang Park is an excellent option. Here tourists are offered an elephant ride from 20 minutes to one hour. The cost of skating varies from 400 baht to 800 baht, and the price for a child ticket is always 50% lower.

Getting to the park is not difficult. It is located just one kilometer from the floating market, famous throughout Pattaya, on Sukhumvit Road.

In addition, in Champ Chang Park you can shoot at a shooting range with a professional rifle or ride a carriage with a horse. Children will also love the fact that here you can see little baby elephants still feeding from their mother.

Elephant villages on the map

On this map I marked all the villages and elephant camps that I described in this article.

Usually, elephant riding is included in most popular ones. It is best to ride elephants in the morning, when the animals are not yet tired of the crowds of tourists, and it is not too hot outside. Elephant villages have their advantages - picturesque terrain and beautiful landscapes for walking.

You can ride elephants in Pattaya either on your own, by visiting a place specially created for this purpose, or during an excursion, for example to the Nong Nooch Tropical Garden or the Million Year Stones Park, or by booking a specialized excursion “ Elephant Trekking».

Today we will talk about where it is better to ride elephants in Pattaya and how much it costs.

Locations and prices

In total, there are three elephant farms in Pattaya, which are not difficult to get to on your own. Elephant riding in all these places is the main, but not the only entertainment. Somewhere you can still shoot with military weapons, somewhere you can feed crocodiles, somewhere you can watch a show of trained monkeys, etc.

Below we have prepared for you a map with the location of these farms and a brief description of each of them.

Elephant farms in Pattaya on the map:

Where is: Jomtien district, Teprazit street.

Price: 800 baht for 30 minutes. 1200 baht for 1 hour.

The easiest elephant farm to visit on your own, but also the most expensive. It is located on Teprazit Street, a little before reaching the Colosseum (if you come from the sea). This place can be reached very easily by tuk tuk.

If you order a 30-minute walk, you will ride directly in the park on Teprasite. If you take 1 hour, then this story will be much more interesting. You will be taken to the mountains, where you will ride an elephant through the rough terrain of the tropical jungle (with a dive into the river).

In addition to riding elephants in Thai Thong Park, you can also shoot with military weapons of various calibers. Prices start from 1400 baht (26 shots).

Where is: Najomtien district, Sukhumvit street.

Price: 600 baht for 30 minutes.

You can get to this place on your own by taking a white tuk-tuk along Sukhumvit.

In addition to riding elephants at Camp Chang, you can also shoot at a shooting range with military weapons (400 baht for 6 shots) and attend a show of trained monkeys (300 baht).

Where is: next to Wat Yan temple.

Price: 400 baht for 15 minutes.

Here you can ride elephants and watch a crocodile show. It only makes sense to go to this farm on your own if you have personal transport and really want to ride an elephant as cheaply as possible. Taking a taxi to this place will be expensive.

In the immediate vicinity of this farm you can also visit such attractions as the Wat Yang temple complex, the Chinese Viharnra Xien Temple, the Golden Buddha Mountain, the Silver Lake Vineyard.

Excursion

The easiest way to ride elephants in Pattaya is to book a tour. Cost: 700 baht - 30 minutes, 1100 baht - 1 hour.

In the vicinity of Pattaya there is a unique place where several dozen elephants live. Animal lovers should visit there - where else can you get so close to these giants, touch them, feed them and even ride them. The farm where the elephants live is called “Elephant Village”. It is located 7 km from the center. The elephant sanctuary is home to about three dozen elephants.

The adult elephants living in the Elephant Village are enjoying a well-deserved rest. When the animals were unable to work, they came up with another activity - to entertain and give rides to tourists. The Elephant Village, founded in 1973, is self-sustaining. For the money received from the performances, the animals are fed and treated. In addition to adult elephants, there are also young elephants that arouse constant interest among the public.

Practical information

The elephant village is located in Nong Prue, near Siriporn orchid farm. Public transport from Pattaya does not go here. You can get there as part of a tourist excursion or by taxi. Ticket costs 650 baht for adults. For children whose height is less than 100 cm, the price is lower - 500 baht. The ticket price includes viewing of the elephant show. Excursions are paid separately. One hour of riding an elephant costs 1,200 baht, a three-hour combined excursion will cost 2,000 baht. For children whose height falls within the “meter” limits, the price is 1000 and 1600 baht, respectively.

The price of the one-hour program includes: elephant riding for 45 minutes. around the farm, a visit to a mini silk factory and a small snack with tea and fruit. The combined excursion includes a trek through the jungle on elephants' back, an elephant ford across a river, a ride on a buffalo cart, and lunch at a Thai restaurant.

Opening hours: opening at 8.30, closing at 18.00. The show runs from 14.30 to 16.00. The elephant village has a shop where you can buy a souvenir to remember your visit to this unusual place. Of course, all products are somehow related to elephants: figurines of these cute animals, paintings painted by elephants. Eco-friendly photo frames, notepads, and postcards are made from elephant feces.

Elephant show

Once a day, tourists are entertained with a 90-minute performance. Elephants demonstrate miracles of training - they dance, perform acrobatic tricks, play darts, twirl a hoop with their trunks, and paint pictures. The most daring spectators can experience an elephant massage: a person lies down on a mat and his back is covered with a rug. After this, at the command of the trainer, the elephant gently hits the back with its trunk and lightly presses with its paw. At the end of the performance, the elephants come out to the audience in ceremonial blankets and colorful headdresses.

Elephant rides

It’s interesting to watch elephants from the outside, but a ride on a gray giant evokes a whole flurry of emotions. How does this happen? To climb on an elephant, you must first climb onto a high platform. The elephant is brought to this elevation and the tourist sits in a chair on its back. This chair can accommodate two people. For those who are afraid of heights, this trip may seem like a real challenge: it’s very high, the elephant sways while moving, and you always feel like you’re about to fall.

Each elephant is accompanied by a mahout, who walks next to the animal, holding it by the leash, or sits in a chair with a tourist. When the elephant goes down to the river, the most interesting thing begins - he can plunge into the water and shower the passenger with a whole fountain of splashes. It is better not to wear good clothes on such a trip. It is also advisable not to take the camera - you might drop it into the river. For an additional fee, the mahouts themselves take photographs of tourists on elephants and even insert the photo into a frame made from their excrement. Before the excursion, it is customary to buy a bunch of bananas and feed the elephants along the way.