Updated: Jul 18, 2023
Now if you can’t tell I am quite passionate about animals; keeping them safe, seeing them and giving them the best life, which often means leaving them in their amazing natural habitat. Well recently, I was lucky enough to go on holiday to Thailand and Singapore, which whilst I was there had a 3 day tour to elephant hills and the Khao Sok National park located In Southern Thailand. Me and my partner both love animals and wanted to experience elephants as magnificent as they are but in an ethical way. Well whilst searching for an experience like this we found out about Elephant Hills. My partner did a huge amount of research to find a place that puts the animals first, whilst giving us an amazing opportunity to experience Elephants and some incredible wildlife in the most ethical way. As mentioned, this led us to Elephant Hills and here I will tell you about my 3 day experience there, my opinion on their ethics and my recommendation whether you should go or not.
Are Animal Encounters Ethical?
Firstly, a lot of people are conflicted about encounters with animals and I should also note the best way is from a distance in a safe place in the wild with the animal is in their natural habitat. However, this is not always possible, as many animals have already been captured, put through horrendous acts, bred in captivity or require relocating and rehabilitating. Therefore, there are some places that will let you ethically help these animals, enjoy their company and get once in a lifetime experiences, which I would recommend. I should note you do need to do your research and find out what companies are good, bad and doing the right thing. Also, use your common sense, as there are so many different types of animals that you can have experience with and some you can instantly tell is not the right thing (such as those you should not be near (tigers, lions, most bears, certain apes, etc.)).
Elephant Encounters
Elephant encounters are much more common, I believe due to their softer nature but also as the unfortunate mode of transport some people use. Again I must press to leave the animal wild and in its natural habitat is definitely the best but some animals have had tough lives due to us (humans) and therefore left to our care. So when considering any experiences with these beautiful creature please take note of some of the following things. Firstly, never ride an elephant to do this it is often very painful for them and they have to have their soul broken to achieve it, something I hope you a agree you do not want to contribute too. Secondly, there can be many practices when having elephant encounters that are unethical such as using bullhooks, chains and forcing them to do anything. Therefore, make sure you do your research, so that these unethical practices are not undertaken and the elephant has freedom to do what they want.
Who is Elephant Hills?
Elephant Hills is a luxury tented jungle camp in Thailand, who offer amazing nature tours. They have two camps, one ‘Elephant Camp’ based in Phanon District between the Khlong Phanom and Khao Sok National Parks and the second ‘Rainforest Camp’ that floats on the Cheow Lan Lake. I would start by saying the luxury tents at both locations are for certain glamping and do give a luxury but adventurous vibe. I would also state you defiantly get a great experience of nature and local wildlife in the Khao Sok National park.
The Elephant Hill Camp has their luxury tents a very short walk surrounding the main hall, where you will go to eat, be briefed on the activities, as well as being able to participating in some. At the camp they have some information about the place, a small shop and have a small swimming pool for your down time. There is also plenty of staff to help you with any queries.
The Rainforest Camp again has luxury tents but on a floating string of approximately 20 with a slightly larger floating section for meal and again briefs. It is surrounded by the forest, which has Asian elephants, Malayan Sun Bears, Asiatic Black Bears, Clouded Leopards, Malayan Tapir, Asian Golden Cats, Crab-eating macaques, Great Hornbills, Gibbons and more.
They aren’t all about the luxury holidays they are also part of the bigger picture of helping the wildlife and nature. They are part of Elephant Conservation Projects ensuring elephants have the highest priority for their care, welfare and are happy but also spreading awareness of endangered Asian Elephants and conservation by keeping the wild populations safe. Further to this, they are also part of wildlife monitoring projects to find out all the kinds of wildlife in the forests of Khao Sok National Park.
Are they ethical?
This is a huge concern for us, Me and my partner, wanted to have a once in a life time experiences with amazing creature but in a way where it is ethical, benefits the animal, the environment and in a safe manner. Therefore, we looked at, where the elephants came from? How they were treated? Do they help prevent animal captivity of any sort? We understand Thailand has their own culture and rightly so but we still wanted our experience to align with our own beliefs. Therefore, we did not want anything we didn’t agree with such as elephant riding, bullhooks or forcing the elephant into anything. To help show their devotion to the animals in their care (many who had been rescued) they have been audited by Global Spirit (an independent UK-based company, assessing animals welfare standards) meeting 100% core criteria and achieving level 5 of exceeding requirements. Also, when booking we confirmed with our travel agent that their ethical standards of no rides, no bullhooks and only great care for the animals. When we arrived we found many of the elephants are rescued from labour roles and even a circus, which we were happy they no longer lived these lives. During the visits the elephants could come and go as they please and were not forced to do anything they did not want to. Additionally, we were told that they limit the visits to two visits a day to further prevent any stress of the animals.
The Experience
Now to tell you more about our experience on our short get away to both their camps and what we thought, saw and felt about our adventure.
Day 1:
When we arrived we had a brief induction to the camp and schedule and then got allocated our tent for the night. The whole place was as described eco-friendly and this certainly seemed to be the case with all the items appear to be from natural sources and waste free, including the lack of air conditioning. Although it was hot, it was not unbearable and we managed to get some sleep with ease. Before this we had a dip in the small pool, explored the site, as well had a nice dinner in the evening within the main hall. Around the place and our tent we saw many glimpses of wildlife, from strings of ants, a snail climbing a leaf, numerous birds and many other insects.
After the night our first day was off to see the elephants, which was a great experience and the main point of our trip. When we arrived we saw a separate group leave, so waited in their café overlooking the elephants. When we went up to visit the elephants we first saw them around the large pen with some currently bathing in a large pond splashing about. I should also note that we were happy not to see any bullhooks and no one on top of an elephant with each elephant having their own keeper, so they connect with a regular person daily. The keepers encouraged the elephants over by holding their trucks like two people holding hands but never forced any of them, as proven when some chose not to come over and to remain elsewhere in the large pen. Even when they came over to the section we were at they were also free to walk off at any time. We were each given a platter of food to give the elephants including a number of veg and a medicine ball of herbs to help them. This was great to have the elephants come over and hand feed them and watch them spit the little herb medicine ball out, whilst holding out for their favourite treats. We then went over to another section to give them a wash, each elephant had their own spot, we were given a bucket, a hose and some brushes to scrub them. I would have to say this was incredible to get this close to the elephants, touch them, get picture and help them out, bearing in mind they were free to leave whenever they wanted. We then went back to the little café nearby, where they taught us more about the care of the elephants and the project to protect the wild ones.
After this, we went down onto a small boat trip along the meandering river nearby. The guide was incredibly helpful and pointed out creature for us to see, one unique one was a bright yellow mangrove snake dangling over a tree. They also told us some information about the local national parks. After this when we got back we got changed for the evening to get a taste of the local culture and participated in a cooking demonstration, as well as a dance presentation from a local school, which gave us a great experience of the local culture.
Day 2:
On the second day, we went out to a remote Khao Sok lake to their ‘floating Rainforest Camp’ a string river tent boats. On the way, we stopped off at the Ratchaprapha Dam, which has some beautiful gardens, trees and view of the lake and was close to where we set off to the river houses. The journey took some time but was amazing to see the beautiful crisp water, white cliffs and surrounding forests. When we arrive we got another brief introduction and saw the fish by the cooking house section of the string of boat, who seem to convene for the food they receive.
The journey had taken much of the time but there was still time for a bit more adventure, so me and my partner grabbed a Kayak free to go on and paddled around the lake into the creaking arms etching into the forests to hear the chirping of birds and the odd movement stirring our interest further. One of my favourite animals is the Gibbon, so I was on a keen look out for them.
When arriving back we saw another marvellous site when a group of Langur Monkey began jumping through the trees by the waterside. We were lucky as they were right of toward the backside where our river tent was, I quickly scampered to the tent got my camera and began taking some photos. We must of stood there for about an hour watching these monkeys in their natural habitat until they disappear back into the forest they came from.
The evening was another spectacular. We enjoyed a meal in the communal tent and then sat outside our river tent for about an hour. Looking out at the darkening tree line, listening to the noises that seemed alien to us, wanting to see the incredible creates they come from. Then just before we went to bed the skyline transformed into what I can only describe as a work of art. Due to us being in the middle of a large national park there was no light pollution, so the night sky stars were more vivid than ever, another memory I would never forget (the photos below do not give it justice).
Day 3:
After another night on the river houses, we had another opportunity to see more wildlife. A short boat trip and a wobbly run across some large floating logs we stopped in the middle of well a rainforest. From here, we went for a walk to see some incredible tree and plants, that we climbed up and over through the forest on a small track, I would barely call a path. This was exciting because tracking through the jungle is an amazing experience. We saw all manner of bugs and stings of ants marching across and up the giant trees. then after a little trek, we ended up at a steep decline and descended into a large opening of a cave. The cave was massive, very high inside, which we walked through and came to a large opening and was directed around to see the wildlife, including bats, whip spiders and even an incredible colourful (blue headed) snake. Coming out of the cave, it felt like we had experienced another different world of nature among an amazing wildlife tour.
After a short tour back to the boat we got to the river boats with enough time to get our belongings together. As we had some time we did take another short kayak journey in and out the meandering lake into the crevices, eye peeled for any more signs of life. We saw some birds but other than that we were unlucky. Back to the string of riverboats we did get another chance to see the langur monkeys appear again, which we watched for some time. We were given lunch and then got back onto a boat to take us back to civilisation.
Would I recommend going?
Well from my experience, I would defiantly recommend you visit and experience Khao Sok National Park and if you want an ethical elephant experience then Elephant Hills is a great choice. I should note it is quite expensive and when we were out in Thailand many trips for elephant experiences were offered and detailed to be ethical, however, we didn’t know that going to Thailand and we weren’t able to vet it and hold someone accountable. What I will say is the whole experience did seem ethical for the elephants and all other animals we experienced. Although, I have heard of one or two possibly negative things in regard to ethics in the past. I believe that you need to give time for places like this to receive more education and change to a better standard. It is important to understand that these cultures that have been there for years takes time to change to what we consider ethical. All I can say is I did not witness any poor ethics and I do believe the people there had the animals best interest at heart as well as that of the locals. Overall, It was a great experience filled with nature and wildlife.
Updated: Jul 18, 2023
I have been getting into my houseplants and to keep them fit and healthy they often require you to use filter water. Additionally, filtered water can often be a much-needed item in your household depending on your local water supply. However, something that has always bothered me about most conventional water filters is the wasteful ‘cartridges’ that constantly need to be changed, often going to landfill and contribute to one of the worst pollutants in our modern day, plastic. Now I know some of these companies may detail some recycle scheme, however, I feel these are often ineffective, as to recycle them you have to go through the onerous task of returning it to the company you brought them from. This is often difficult to do and takes more actions of you, which I believe often leads to the majority of people not doing so. Additionally, you are still going through hundreds of plastic cartridges and the harmful plastic they are encased in.
Therefore, I went to search for an eco-friendly way to filter water. This is where I
found Phox Water, who market themselves as ‘The World’s Most Eco-Friendly Water Filter’. This defiantly peaked my interest and with some research, they defiantly seem a lot better than conventional water filters I could find. So I quickly ordered one with a 12-month supply of the clean refill filter media (they also offer an alkaline filter media, which offer other benefits) and waited. It arrived shortly and I have been using mine for several months, so here is my review of the Phox V2 Glass Water Jug and clean filter media.
Look & Size:
Packaging:
All their packaging seemed to be compact and professional, which was a good initial sign. My order came in a single large box (about the size of two show boxes with some extra depth) with the jug and the 12-month supply. The filter media comes in a very small box with the carbon filter and the media in a vacuum packed tight paper PLA composite that is compostable, keeping it all condensed and easy to store. I assume this can be delivered through your letterbox if you only ordered a 3–month supply. The box has all the instructions on how to insert the filter material and prep the jug for use. This made the installation and replacing of the filter elements simple and easy.
The Glass Water Filter and Jug:
The jug itself was larger than I thought it would be. I have seen a couple of Brita filters in the past and they are quite thin and can often fit in the side of your fridge door. Well for sure the Phox Water Jug certainly cannot do this. It is a large cylindrical shape that can hold about 2.2L. For me this is not so much a problem, as I have not kept it in my fridge and just stored it near my houseplants. However, if you are thinking about having this in the fridge, I hope you have a large amount of free space. For your reference, here are some of the filter dimensions:
- Height: 30.5cm
- Diameter: 14.5cm
(the diameter was taken from the spout to the lip section to take the lid off [widest section])
As for the look, you can see the picture for yourself and make your own judgment, for me it looks fine, nothing spectacular but then again I am not that bothered, as it is not really an item you have on display in the house.
The filter:
Now, I have to say this filter is still not perfect but then I do not think there one that is. The reason it is not perfect is due to the filter media. Unfortunately, even though the media is derived from natural sources it contents are not recyclable or compostable. I believe this is because there aren't components that can be used to ensure the water is properly filtered, which are also compostable or recyclable. Now, this is still a negative and I wish there was a solution, having said this, in order to get filtered water I would much rather only have to replace the filter media than the whole plastic cartridge.
To replace the filter media you take the jug apart and twist out the cartridge and clean the parts. The cartridge has its own lid, which has a carbon filter flattened between it and is where the first point the water runs through. You then fill the top container with the media, which filters the water to the holes at the bottom, which lead into the large 2.2l reservoir jug.
Quality:
Now, I do not have any tests or knowledge to check the water quality before and afterwards. Additionally, I have not had much experience with previous water filters. However, in my opinion the water to me taste cleaner after it has been filtered, which must mean it works, right !? Further to this, I have been using it on my plants for the last few months and they have not shown any negative signed and are continuing to grow.
The Positives:
To summarise the overall positives of the Phox Water system here are my key points:
Its more Eco – You do not have to bin large cartridges with all its additional plastic. They have made a filter system, which you can easily replace the filter media only,
Packaging is small and completely recyclable, reducing your waste impact.
The water tastes cleaner and fresher, so it does its job as a water filter.
The instructions are clear and concise and makes it easy to reuse.
The Negatives:
Now for some negatives. These are some I have noted and others I have seen people mention online but thought as this is a review I should put these into this article. I should note though that I always like to be a bit pessimistic, as I do not know your personal circumstances and if you want to buy this I want to be as open and honest. Although there might be more negatives than positives, this is not to say that the filter is poor. It does what it is meant to do; I just wanted to share everything with you:
The jug is a bit heavy, which is not a problem for me at all but if you think it will be for you, it is something to consider.
It has a wide spout, again this is not much of an issue, as long as you are filling something bigger than it is you shouldn’t have a problem. However, if you are filling anything too small like a typical bottleneck you might get your hands wet.
Some people have noted the filer is a bit slow but again, I would not have thought this is much of an issue. Most people fill theirs up and leave it (often in the fridge) until they want a drink. For me as I mainly use it for my plant it is much the same. I fill it up and let it sit until I want to use it for my plants.
As mentions, the filter media is neither recyclable nor compostable.
In my opinion, considering these negatives do not affect me, these are nit-picky and very small compromises to make for the benefit of reducing your waste. I would much rather use a heavier, wide spout and wait for the filter to do its job than contribute to the plastic pollution destroying this world that our typical filters cause. I will admit it is not perfect, as the media still has to be wasted but it is a step forward and drastically reduced the amount of waste you would typically produce.
My Verdict
Well I have decided to share this on my sustainable blog, so I do believe it works and overall a far more sustainable option than conventional water filters. I find the filter works fine and replacing the filter media simple and easy. Most of all I am happy more and more companies are working towards producing a more sustainable, eco-friendly and less harmful product of everyday items. Having said all this, if there is a more sustainable, eco-friendly option out there I would love to know what it is, as I haven’t been able to find one. I will conclude with, if you need one right now that filters the water to a level of non-eco-friendly water filters does and is better for the environment, why not try Phox Water?
Updated: Feb 16, 2022
I have recently had my adventure where for 4 hours myself and my partner have been taken around a quaint peninsular in a Land Rover in Suffolk with our tour guide Phil in search for some of Great British wildlife. We enjoyed it so much that I thought I would right a summary of our experience and the motivation it has given us to get out and see more.
It was Christmas 2019 (a distance memory) were my partner gifted me an experience to discover some of the British wildlife right on our doorstep but are unseen by most. I had received a voucher to book and see what Phil called the Suffolk big 5, which consists of ‘badgers, foxes, hares, owls and deer. Although, he cannot guarantee everything on the list he knows the locations to go and what to look out for. Well unfortunately, due to COVID-19 and the poor weather at the time it has taken to May 2021 to book a date and despite the spotty weather we had decided to go for it and hope for the best.
So with my new trendy (according to their online reviews and my opinion) Nocs Waterproof binoculars, my compact digital camera and excitement we met at the start of the peninsular to begin our tour. We received a warm welcome from Phil who pleasantly introduced himself and then detailed the journey we would be going on. Although, most of it was done by car there was also a short walk to see a bit more. Luckily, Phil is very agile in his car and is able to manoeuvre the thin country lanes and stop in the right spots to see some incredible creature.
We start the journey and quickly go through to the country lanes between farm fields. Our first spot is the British Hare, which stood out with it reddish fur and black tip ears (the picture does not do it justice) poking among the farmers crop. Although we saw many of these throughout our tour I cannot think of a time I have seen them before. We saw them jump around a little and as we went on saw plenty more in every field looking up, running through the field before lying down out of site. Through these lane we also saw Sparrows, Goldfinches, Robins and more darting in and out of the road side hedges, where much of our wildlife live. Occasionally we would see among the hares the odd rabbit, partridges and female and male pheasant in all their colours and glory. We also saw a little Muntjac Deer and pheasant slowing out vehicle as it crossed our path.
Further along among the farmers field in the distance on the far edge of the fields in front of a small woods we see our first heard of farrow deer, again a pleasant sight. On the way to our next area, we hit a stroke of luck as I managed to spot what turned out to be a slow worm. I spotted it and thought it looked strange but as it was in the middle of a muddy country drive thought it was likely to be a bit of wire. We got out to see the slow worms tongue flicker out and slowly move on to the local bush. Another first experience for me.
After this we head towards a small old hamlet, where Phil gave us the history, which was interesting. On our way to the final destination we also passed a bridge and spot a Tuft duck to add to our growing list of wildlife spotted. We reach the hamlet and drove up by a row of trees, not sure what we were looking for until Phil pointed out a Little Owl sitting proudly on one of the stretched out branch. These owls are rather small but still incredible, after a while it got spooked by the some dog walkers and fly’s off. Luckily it lands on a wood fence just around the corner, again we watch the little owl for some time and takes some pictures before we leave.
We park up and take a short walk to a quiet area. Again seeing some Greylag and Canada geese, squirrels, dark pheasants, some local horses and some interesting looking trees. It was a nice to break the drive and get out and be among nature for a while. We come back and head to our final destination, on our way stopping again to see a different herd of farrow deer and a distinctive melanocytic one standing out among the rest. Another beautiful wildlife spot.
We finished our evening by parking up on a hill overlook another and into a small valley oversees two bushy patches. It was a great position although far away but you could see the hills and these habitat hotspots perfectly, especially with some binoculars. Immediately we saw a Roe deer staring dead at us from the middle of the valley by the bushes on the edge of the farmers field. After starring for a while we did not see anything else until I spot a fox that seemed to suddenly appear right onto of the badger set, I pointed it out and watch it walk across the hill and under a row of bushes along a farmers field. Before long, Phil pointed out another fox from the other bushy patch that slowly walked off to the same direction. After a little, more time my partner pointed again to the Roe deer just in front of the bush line at the bottom of the fields, which had moved, whilst looking at this I noticed something in the tree/bush line, a white floating head. I focused in on it and it came a little further out and then I was sure. I had just seen my first wild badger. We continued to watch the two deer and the badgers behind them come in and out of sight for some time. Then to finish the evening we had cups of teas and listens to the cuckoo. A great wildlife tour, rekindling our passion for nature and wildlife.
The afternoon was an incredible experience and I couldn’t thank our guide Phil enough. He did a great job to show us some incredible wildlife and I hope he continues to do this career he is clearly so passionate about. He now specialises in wildlife photography tour, which I would encourage you to book and enjoy.
We enjoyed the tour and all it taught us about finding incredible wildlife, right on our doorstep. We learnt a lot about where to find them, what to look for, what to avoid and much more, all to help you find these animals without unethically attracting them. This experience ignited something inside myself and my partner to take the time and explore more of Britain and its wildlife, which I will hopefully show with you over the years to come.
