The Wonderful Wildlife of Khao Lak

When searching for a location that The Sarojin could call home it was important to us to find somewhere that our guests could be surrounded by nature and wildlife, giving them the ultimate Thai escape. Khao Lak, with its incredible combination of local culture, Thai ambiance and undisturbed natural beauty, offered us just that and now our guests love to explore the area around our resort and to meet its local inhabitants.

From friendly elephants and cheeky chipmunks to colourful coral reefs and stunning marine life, or an endless walk along our secluded beach, there’s plenty to discover – so here are some of our top recommendations for you to get up close and personal to the amazing array of animals that also call Khao Lak home…

Locals on land…

Meeting and learning about our native Asian elephants is a once in a lifetime experience that many of our guests are keen to do during their stay. At The Sarojin we are lucky enough to neighbour the Phang Nga Elephant Park Camp – here, you can learn the key fundamentals in caring for these majestic creatures and how to spot the signs of a healthy elephant. From bathing them in the local lagoons to feeding the rescued animals back at the sanctuary, it’s your chance to get hands-on with our national treasure and we offer a number of different excursions to the sanctuary from the resort.

Asian elephants are crucial for maintaining the integrity of both forests and grassland habitats in Thailand as their large size enables them to create pathways through our dense forests, helping other species to survive. In turn, there’s plenty more wildlife to spot during your exploration on land.

The world’s smallest bear (the Malayan Sun bear) and the cute mouse deer can both be spotted alongside a number of species of primates including gibbons and apes. The  playful Macaque monkey is also famous for being seen in the area, munching on fruits and veggies given to them by the locals – you can even try to feed them during your stay!

Back at the resort, we’re regularly visited by the chipmunks that live in the trees around the hotel. Our gardeners love to feed them bananas, so make sure to catch a glimpse of these adorable creatures during your stay. For a sneak peek of what you can expect to see, check out our Instagram video here.

Life in the deep blue…

It’s no big secret that The Sarojin beach is only a short boat ride from the world famous Surin and Similan Islands, which both boast Marine Nationals Parks that can be visited from mid-October through to early May.

Renowned for their underwater beauty, marine life, coral, soft white sand beaches and lush interiors and with reefs beginning only yards from the shore the islands offer superb snorkeling as well as diving experiences – so it goes without saying that a day of exploring this world-class underwater beauty should never be missing from your itinerary. Here you can expect warm and clear waters teeming with exotic tropical life from colourful crustaceans to giant manta rays and whale sharks. Whether it’s taking a dip or snorkeling offshore from the deck of our Lady Sarojin charter or  venturing on a more immersive SCUBA experience you can expect to see lion fish, ghost pipefish and even the occasional leopard sharks.

Fun fact – whilst both the manta ray and whale shark are the largest of their respective species, they primarily feed on plankton – so don’t be scared if you spot them swimming alongside you in the waters!

Wildlife experiences we can arrange for you…

Our team of personal guides organise a number of different excursions to make sure our guests get to explore all of the natural wonders that make Khao Lak so special. You can find more details in our Adventure and Discovery brochure or just speak to the team to discover the right one for you. But do bear in mind that while some animals are easy to spot, others are rare and very hard to catch a glimpse of – but no matter what you see, you are guaranteed to enjoy a day of flawless nature in this area of outstanding natural beauty!

If you would like to know a little more about the wonderful wildlife around our resort and the stunning national parks we neighbour, why not have a read of some of our other blogs such as: Discover the Wild Beauty of Khao Sok National Park and Unearth the Untouched Beauty of Koh Prathong Island.