Thailand
Phuket – Krabi – Phi Phi
Car Park near T5 at Heathrow Airport – the cheapest option was Just Park – a private property, safe location, close to a bus stop – we took Uber.
LHR – AMS Amsterdam Airport Schiphol, British Airways, 1.5hr for the transfer what was just enough to get from gate D to gate G and grab soya latte at Starbucks (no vegan latte at gate G).
AMS – HKG Hong Kong International, Cathay Pacific, 11hrs flight, 2 vegan meals, drinks but no coffe (no idea why????), 1.5hr for transfer was like running all the time, to get from one gate to another was 30mins walk, no problem with soya latte at the bars!
HKG – HKT Cathay Dragon, very slooowww boarding, vegan food not bad but without any spices, no drinks unless you call somebody and ask...
The car collection went very smoothly, and in no time we were on our way to Rat Villa, where we had a bungalow booked through Booking.com.
The place is really nice and cozy, and the bungalow has everything you need. We initially had some trouble contacting the owner, as no one was there when we arrived, and later there was a mix-up with overbooking. But overall, the place is spot on.
The bungalows are located very close to the Elephant Sanctuary office. Speaking of Thailand, it's impossible not to mention the issue of animal welfare. Sadly, the abuse of animals for tourist entertainment is still widespread.
Elephants, once exploited for labor, are now often used in tourism — and it’s tourists who drive this demand. A quick look at reviews for places like the well-known Tiger Kingdom in Phuket (often praised by tourists, especially from China) shows how normalized this exploitation still is.
Many travelers want to make ethical choices and assume that visiting places labeled as “sanctuaries” or “rescues” is harmless — but that’s not always the case. Animal tourism businesses have caught on to this and frequently market themselves using these terms. As a result, in Thailand, nearly every animal-related attraction now brands itself as a "sanctuary," "rescue," or "park," even when the animals continue to suffer behind the scenes.
It’s incredibly important to do thorough research and not be misled by glossy adverts or claims that these places "care" about animals. If a so-called “sanctuary” offers any form of interaction between tourists and animals — whether it’s petting, feeding, riding, or taking selfies — it is not a real sanctuary.
These animals have often endured a lifetime of abuse, and the last thing they need is to be treated like props for entertainment. A true sanctuary prioritises the animals’ well-being, which means limited human contact, space to roam, and no performances or unnatural behaviour.
Take a look at Tripadvisor photos of Tiger Kingdom in Phuket, for example. Some visitors thought they were going to a tiger sanctuary, only to realise too late that the tigers are kept in unnatural conditions, likely sedated, and used for constant photo ops. Others left reviews saying something felt “off” — a gut feeling we should all listen to.
Two places for animal lovers to visit in Phuket are:
http://www.phuketelephantsanctuary.org/en/
https://www.gibbonproject.org/
Both places can be visited in 1 day, for elephant sanctuary 4-5 hrs is needed, 20mins to get to the gibbon project and 1hr to visit.
Day 2
“The Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is a joint partnership between Mr. Montri Todtane, a previous Phuket elephant camp owner and world-renowned elephant rescuer and conservationist Lek Chailert, founder of Save Elephant Foundation.
Following the success of Lek Chailert’s highly acclaimed Elephant Nature Park in Chiang Mai, the Phuket Elephant Sanctuary is the first of its kind in Phuket and seeks to meet the highest standard in animal welfare : rescuing, retiring and rehabilitating elephants that have suffered from working in the trekking and logging industries.
Over the past 10 years, Lek has been a driving force of change in the industry by inviting elephant riding camp owners to embrace change through the Save Elephant Foundation’s ‘Saddle Off’ program. Although there is still work to be done, her continuous and tireless efforts have resulted in many camp owners approaching the Elephant Nature Park to learn more about elephant welfare and ethical tourism.”
Phuket to Krabi
Sand Beach Bungalows
Day 3
Phi Phi – We booked our boat tour with thalassatour.com, and it was worth every penny! We visited several islands, relaxed on beautiful beaches, and enjoyed some incredible snorkeling. We explored Phi Phi Leh Lagoon, snorkeled in crystal-clear waters and caves, and made a stop at Maya Bay to see the famous Maya Beach. The visit to Maya Beach was a bit bittersweet — sadly, the coral has been almost completely destroyed by tourism. Currently, the beach is closed and will likely remain closed for a long time to allow the area to recover from the environmental damage caused by excessive visitor numbers.
Day 4
Railay Beach & Phra Nang Beach
Krabi
Baan Nai Lake View Resort https://goo.gl/maps/JkWEMUZAeUUQLDzZ8
Great place to stay, the bungallows were very clean with everything what’s needed. The whole complex is very nice, quiet and the views are amazing. The kitchen at the place serves very good food – no problems with asking for something vegan.
Day 5
Day 6
Krabi – Phuket
To get to Samet Nangshe Viewpoint (the red dot on the map below), we left the main road and crossed the bridge connecting Phuket Province with southern Thailand, driving along small roads through local villages. There's a clearly marked car park right by the roadside — it's impossible to miss. You’ll leave your car there (the area has toilets and a small bar), and from that point, a 4×4 vehicle will take you up to the viewpoint.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Project
Don’t miss this place when you’re visiting Phuket! It’s a fantastic project dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating gibbons. You can support their work by purchasing beautiful gifts like t-shirts, mugs, bags, and more — all proceeds go directly to the Gibbon Project.
If you're planning to bring souvenirs home for friends or family, buy them from the Gibbon Project or the Elephant Sanctuary. They both offer truly beautiful items, and your money will help support the care and protection of animals in need.
The Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre is a small facility located just off the main road, about 20 km from Phuket International Airport. You’ll need about an hour to visit, observe the gibbons, and browse their gift shop. For a longer stay, you can take a scenic walk to the nearby Bang Pae Waterfall, a small and charming spot where swimming is also allowed. Gibbons were poached to extinction in Phuket over 40 years ago. Today, the Gibbon Project works to repopulate the last remaining rainforest in Phuket, as well as a second site in northern Thailand — Pang Champee. Every gibbon at the centre has come from a background of cruelty or exploitation, and the project is dedicated to their rehabilitation and return to the wild.
“One of the best ways to end those illegally use of gibbon is to end the demands, both for black tourist business and pet trade. We do this through the education of visitors at our Center for Conservation Education and Fund-Raising, the GRP hopes to create awareness of the plight of the captive gibbon and to the role that tourism plays in the demand for baby gibbons.”
Information: https://www.gibbonproject.org
Bang Pae Waterfall
We had our last night booked at Rat Villa (the same place we stayed on our first night), but it turned out they were overbooked. Luckily, we ended up at Moonlight Cottages, which is very close to both the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project and the Elephant Sanctuary. It turned out to be a fantastic surprise — a quiet, peaceful place with very clean rooms that had everything we needed. They were ready to welcome us just minutes after our phone call. A lovely bonus was the breakfast the next morning (breakfast was not included in any of our other bookings in Thaniland) — sticky rice with coconut milk wrapped in banana leaves.
Day 7
Buddihst Temple and gardens
Ao Por Marina
Phuket International Airport – Hongkong – LHR
