‘Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) needs your help! Connect with us and share our stories. Visit us and get involved.‘ This is the call-out on WFFT’s website, so we booked a stay at their I Love Phants Lodge. How could we not?
Our interest in animal welfare
Let’s go back a step. Mr Wren is a zoologist by heart who, many years ago, deviated into business, knowing at some stage when retirement beckoned, he would invest more time in this passion. Along the way, I’ve been fortunate through the Little Wandering Wren blog to be invited to learn more about Thailand’s elephant tourism through the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
Neither of us claims to be an expert in the field; we know from many years of living in Thailand that animal welfare in Asia is complex and not as simple as returning rescued animals to the wild. Here in Thailand, elephants receive a lot of publicity, but other animals are in need.
Fast-forward to our visit to WFFT, when Mr Wren happens to be looking for leading-edge ideas for animal care and rehabilitation for an animal conservation project he is helping out on…
Here is the story of our stay.
What is WFFT
WFFT operates Thailand and Southeast Asia’s largest multi-species wildlife rescue centre and elephant refuge. This animal conservation pioneer is not a secret or a hidden gem in Thailand; those interested in animal welfare will know of its work. Indeed, if you book their transport for a day experience, you will watch their work as featured on TV programs such as Bondi Vet, Animal Planet, and National Geographic during the ride.
However, holidaymakers in Thailand may not be aware that they can visit and stay; if they do, this may just be one of the most memorable activities of their trip.
The history of WFFT
Just a thirty-minute drive from Hua Hin in Phetchaburi province, this amazing refuge started from humble beginnings in 2001. Fast-forward to today, and it’s grown into a major player in rescuing and rehabilitating animals who’ve been abused, injured, displaced, or orphaned.
The impressive facility spans 200 hectares and has 900 animals across 65 species. Plus, it’s the biggest employer in the area, with 120 staff members working alongside up to 70 volunteers from all over the globe. It’s truly a remarkable place, and it is doing fantastic work!
Why Stay at I Love Phants Lodge?
Their eco-inspired lodges offer more than lovely accommodation. We found six reasons why you should book to stay at I Love Phants Lodge:
1. Support Wildlife Conservation
Your stay helps fund Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand’s (WFFT) conservation efforts. Their work is dedicated to the care and protection of 65 species, 22 of which are endangered or critically endangered.
2. Experience Eco-Friendly Accommodation
The lodges at I Love Phants are designed with sustainability and ethics in mind. The rooms are natural-looking and eco-friendly, with a water supply from a well and electricity from solar power. These beautiful, comfortable lodges blend seamlessly with the natural surroundings.
3. Enjoy Unique Wildlife Encounters
The I Love Phants Lodges overlook elephant enclosures, allowing you to witness the animals’ daily routines in a peaceful, natural setting. Imagine waking up to the sight of elephants bathing in a nearby pond or hearing the calls of gibbons as you enjoy your morning coffee.
4. Relax in a Serene Environment
The lodge offers a tranquil retreat away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s a peaceful place, gibbon calls aside, surrounded by lush forests and expansive grounds.
5. Learn and Engage
While staying at I Love Phants Lodge, you can join in one full-day or a half-day tour. These tours are a great way to enhance your stay, learn more about the sanctuary, and deepen your understanding of wildlife conservation. You may even be lucky as we were to meet Edwin Wiek and hear first-hand from the Founder of WFFT.
6. Contribute to the Local Community
The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand is a significant employer in the area, providing jobs to locals and supporting the community. By staying at I Love Phants Lodge, you’re also helping to sustain these employment opportunities and contribute to the local economy.
I Love Phants Lodge
Choosing your room.
Eight eco-inspired ethical lodges are located on the extensive Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand grounds. You can choose from double rooms to family rooms from Forest View to Mountain Views. There are also two-bedroom and three-bedroom pool villas.
Double Forest View Room
We booked a forest-view room. Our balcony overlooked a muddy elephant watering hole, and while we weren’t lucky enough to see elephants bathing, watching two rescue elephants amble past at dusk was really special.
The room has a downstairs open-air sitting and dining area, a kitchenette, and a fridge with complimentary soft drinks. A rather beautiful spiral staircase accesses the bedroom. We looked at it and decided to leave our large suitcase in the boot of our rental car!
The double room is huge, with a queen-sized bed and a sofa. I liked the way it was decorated in natural hues and elephant greys. A black-and-white elephant painting dominates the room behind the bed. The bathroom has an indoor toilet, washbasin, and an outdoor shower where you can look up at the trees in total privacy and listen to the animal sounds surrounding you.
It was quite surreal, and I had to pinch myself that I was still in Thailand on more than one occasion. It almost felt like I could have been on a posh safari in Africa!
On the doorstep, a black-and-white cat, perfectly matching the design colours, greets us with happy purrs. She nimbly leaps up the stairs and sits gracefully on the balcony, giving the impression that she’s quite accustomed to being invited in!
Pool Villas
The pool villas were alongside the I Love Phants restaurant. These villas have incredible views over the beautiful surroundings of Asia’s largest savanna-esque elephant enclosure.
The restaurant
One of my favourite things was sitting in their restaurant watching the animals. The Gibbon Island provides endless entertainment, watching the swinging primates enjoying their lives.
The menu offers various Western and Thai cuisines, and we were extremely well-fed during our stay. Our stay at I Love Phants Lodge included breakfast: cereal, eggs, fruit, and toast. The buffet lunch served a selection of Thai Favourites and was included in the price of our Full Day Experience. After our morning tour, we were all hungry, and the food was well received by all!
Full and Half-Day Tours
The following day, we were joined by participants arriving for a WFFT experience. We are a diverse mix of nationalities and ages united by a shared interest in learning about the organisation’s work with rescued wildlife.
One of the most touching aspects of the WFFT experience is the meticulous attention given to animal enrichment and care. A lot of thought is given to enclosure design, the swimming pools for tigers are one example, and who’d have thought these two below would be such soul mates and have such a bond?
The morning tour involved a walk around the captivity. We encountered elephants, bears, monkeys, cassowaries, otters, deer, and monkeys. Our guide, Edda, had incredible knowledge; her storytelling about the animals we encountered was powerful. I caught myself either wiping away a tear or laughing at animal antics on more than one occasion.
While it saddened us to hear about the injustices animals face at the hands of humans, it was heartening to learn about their unique personalities and see them in safety here at WWFT.
Following lunch, we all clambered aboard an open-air bus ride to explore further. The site’s enormity became apparent as we were driven around WFFT’s Newlands Area to observe even more rescued animals living in large open fields. We visited the Elephant Refuge, WFFT’s Ape Rescue Centre, and the Big Cat (tigers) Rescue Centre.
The final part of the tour involved getting a little closer to a few of the elephants, and we were invited to feed them some watermelon. As a leader in captive elephant welfare, WFFT does not offer a hands-on elephant experience.
Cost
We paid 4,200 THB (USD 115, AUD 173, or GBP 90) for our Double Forest View Lodge stay. This is possibly on the higher end of what you need to pay for accommodation in the area. However, knowing that our Tourism Baht is going to a good cause and that you are getting a very unique stay makes it a complete bargain in our books!
The full-day Adult experience price is 1,600THB per person, and the half-day experience price is 1,100THB per person (excluding transport). Children’s rates are available.
Where is I Love Phants Lodge?
Address: 108, Tambon, Tha Mai Ruak, Tha Yang District, Phetchaburi 76130
Transport: WFFT can provide transport from neighbouring Cha Am, Hua Hin or from Bangkok
Further details: www.ilovephants.org
Final Thoughts
The best way to learn about wildlife conservation and animal welfare in Thailand, its beauty, and its problems is to visit WFFT’s I Love Phants Lodge and join a Day Experience.
Of all my recent hotel stays in Thailand, WFFT’s eco-inspired ethical lodges were the epitome of a stay with purpose. When you stay at I Love Phants Lodge, you are more than just booking a room; you are making a conscious decision to support a cause that matters. Your stay helps ensure that rescued animals receive the necessary care and that conservation efforts can thrive.
Thank you for reading this. I hope that if you are in the area, you, too, will consider staying at I Love Phants Lodge and supporting WFFT’s work.
Read more
I have written more on Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand at the following:
Tourism Authority of Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and South Pacific blog: A hobby Gone Wild Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
Gap Beetle: A Gap Year Comparison Site: Volunteering at Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand
If you enjoyed this post, please check out the following posts:
Watermelon Love at Elephant Jungle Camp, Phuket, Thailand and Meet Thailand’s Elephant Influencers.
Little Wandering Wren’s Betty Pants from the Monpanama collection are perfect for WFFT adventures: read more on Monpanana here.
16 comments
Hello,
I would love to visit and stay at this lodge. I love all the animals, especially the elephants. Take care, have a great weekend.
Thank you Eileen, Yes I’m sure you would love it here for sure, as we did. Have a lovely weekend.
Wren x
Wow what an interesting blog. Preserving nature is so important!
Hi Inge
Thank you I’m glad you found this an interesting read and yes preserving nature IS so important.
Wren x
Thank you Inge, the work of WFFT is so impressive. They really do a great job in sharing their work and introducing visitors to the animals in a hands off way.
Have a great weekend.
Wren x
Hello,
I would love to stay at this lodge, seeing the elephants and all the animals would be a thrill for me.
The rooms, food and the pool look beautiful. Bonus, I like the idea of helping the rescue wildlife.
Thank you for linking up and sharing your post. Take care, have a great weekend. PS, thank you for leaving me a comment.
Thank you Eileen, yes they have been very clever with the design of these beautiful rooms. Seeing the animals is such a thrill, you are right.
Beautiful blog and very nice photos
Preserving nature is of vital importance.
Greetings Irma
Thanks for stopping by Irma, so lovely to see you here and adding your voice to this worthy cause. WFFT are a wonderful organisation doing their bit to preserve the wildlife in Thailand which as you say is of vital importance.
Greetings to you too.
Wren x
wow! Fascinating place and informative post and photos ~ thanks,
Wishing you good health, laughter and love in your days,
A ShutterBug Explores,
aka (A Creative Harbor)
Hello Carol, thanks for stopping by! Yes an incredible stay, they work with such a range of animals here!
Have a great week.
Wren x
I think it would be worth it too and such a unique experience! I love to read about your travels to places I’ll never get to see!
Hello Diane, lovely to share this part of the world with you and the good work of WFFT. I love my virtual tours with you in Florida too!
Happy wanders!
Wren x
sign me up…what an awesome place to stay. really beautiful pictures and detailed information!!
I’m sure you would love a stay here Debbie for sure! Thanks for stopping by!
Wren x
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