Is the Avatar World Tour from Phuket Worth It?

The day, hour by hour

Pickup is at 07:00. At 08:30 you're at a café built around a pond of giant water lilies, at 09:30 a white temple, and at 11:00 the elephant spa, where you help wash and bathe an elephant and watch the baby elephant show. Thai lunch is at 12:00, and at 13:00 the group stops at the Samet viewpoint over the bay.

The second half is the active part. Bamboo rafting down the river at 15:00, ATV trails with a bridge, a swing and a maze at 15:30, and the waterfall at 16:50 to rinse off the mud. From 17:30 you're at the Hotspring Beach Resort on Natai beach: thermal pools around 40°C, a cold pool around 16°C, a freshwater pool, and the sunset over the sea. The bus leaves at 19:00.

Why it's worth it

Variety, mostly. In one day you get elephants, a river, a jungle track, a waterfall and hot water, and the order works: the quiet stops come while everyone's still waking up, the physical part comes after lunch, and the day closes in warm pools facing the sea. I'd call the hot springs at sunset the real reason to pick this tour over our other jungle days: the rafting days and the safari finish at a waterfall or a market, not in warm water. The other warm-water day is in Krabi's forest, with the Emerald lake and a hot waterfall; see is Secrets of Krabi worth it.

The price also covers almost everything. Hotel transfer both ways, the guide, lunch, medical insurance and every entrance fee in the programme are included — the lily café, the temple, the elephants, the viewpoint, the raft, the ATV, the waterfall and the hot spring resort. On the day you pay only for drinks, personal spending, and spa treatments if you want them.

Why it might not be

Twelve hours is a long time. If you want a half-day, or you're tired from an early island trip the day before, this isn't the one. You'll be back late: departure from Natai is at 19:00.

Three more things to weigh. There's no elephant ride in this programme — bathing and the show only. The ATV trail has bridges and mud, which some people love and some don't (driving is optional, you can wait at the base). And if you're staying in the far north — Kamala, Surin or Bang Tao — the transfer costs 1,000 ฿ extra, and guests in the north either reach the lily café on their own or skip that stop.

What's included, and what you pay on the day

Included: hotel transfer both ways, the guide, Thai lunch, all entrance fees in the programme, medical insurance, the lily café, the white temple, bathing with an elephant and the baby elephant show, the Samet viewpoint, bamboo rafting, ATV riding, the waterfall, the hot springs and pools, and Natai beach at sunset.

Not included: the far-north transfer (1,000 ฿), drinks at the restaurant, personal spending and tips, massage or spa treatments at the hot spring resort, and a private dinner on the beach if you'd like one. Bring shoes you can walk in the jungle in, swimwear, a towel, sunscreen, mosquito repellent and a phone in a waterproof case. The price itself is in the table on this page, in baht.

Who it suits

It works best for people who get bored on a beach by noon. Couples like the sunset in the pools. Families with school-age children like the elephants and the raft, and the card's own answer about children is that the day is long but keeps changing, with water stops to break it up.

• →You want elephants and hot springs in the same day — the Avatar world
• →You want an elephant ride included — Khao Lak safari instead
• →You want proper rapids with an instructor in every raft — Rafting and the elephant spa
• →You want elephants in the sea and a spa, without the ATV — elephant beach and Mantra Spa
• →You want a short day — Phuket sightseeing in half a day

Avatar world or another jungle day?

The closest alternative is the Khao Lak safari: similar elephants and raft, plus a ride, a cave temple and a fruit market, heading back at 16:50, but no ATV and no hot springs. The side-by-side is on Khao Lak safari or Avatar world. If the spa side appeals more than the jungle side, the elephant beach day swims with elephants in the sea and ends at Mantra Spa — see elephant beach and Mantra Spa: is it worth it. The safari gets the same treatment on is the Khao Lak safari worth it. The Khao Lak side of that choice is on Khao Lak from Phuket.

Guide, children and booking

Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price, and under-fours travel free. For a stop-by-stop look at the day with a child, read is the Avatar world tour suitable for children.

The programme can change with the weather. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed. Send the tour, the date and your hotel, and we confirm the pickup time. Expecting a baby and weighing a land day against the sea? Boat tours during pregnancy lists which boats the cards advise against.

Questions people ask