Elephant Beach, Samet Nangshe and Mantra Spa from Phuket: Is It Worth It?
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Yes, if you want to swim in the sea with elephants without riding them, and would rather end the day in open-air mineral pools than on a boat. The day from Phuket runs from a 07:00–08:00 pickup to an 18:00 departure: the white temple, the airplane beach, the elephant beach at 12:20, lunch at Samet Nangshe over Phang Nga Bay at 13:30, and Mantra Spa from 15:00.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elephant beach, Samet Nangshe viewpoint and Mantra Spa | One day, 07:00–18:00 | 3,400 ฿ | 3,000 ฿ |
| The Avatar world: jungle, elephants, rafts and hot springs | One day, 07:00–19:00 | 2,950 ฿ | 2,650 ฿ |
| Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants | One day, around ten hours | 1,650 ฿ | 1,450 ฿ |
| Phang Nga and the Samet Nangshe glass skywalk | One day, 06:30–18:00 | 2,650 ฿ | 2,400 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
The day, hour by hour
Pickup falls between 07:00 and 08:00, depending on your hotel. At 09:30 you're at the white temple, reflected in the water, quiet and good for the first photographs. At 11:00 the airplane beach, where aircraft pass right over the sand. At 12:20 the elephant beach: you feed the elephants, swim with them, then have time in the sea.
Lunch is at 13:30 at the Samet Nangshe viewpoint, facing the bay and its limestone islands. From 15:00 the afternoon belongs to Mantra Spa — mineral pools, herbal and tom yum baths, mud treatments, saunas, a lily lake and cafés, all in the open air. Departure back to the hotels is at 18:00.
Why it's worth it
The elephant part is the reason most people book it, and it's different from our other elephant days. There's no riding. The elephants are fed and walk into the sea with you on a real beach, and then you stay in the water. If you've been uneasy about the ride on other tours, this is the one I'd point you to.
The pace is the second reason. The card describes a day where the energy goes up and then comes down: a quiet temple, the noise of the airplane beach, the elephants at midday, lunch with a view, then most of the late afternoon in warm pools. Nobody runs between stops, and the spa stop is long enough to try the pools, the baths and the saunas without watching the clock.
Why it might not be
You will get completely wet, and early. Swimwear goes on for the elephants, and the card asks for a full change of clothes because after the elephants everything is wet. If you hate the feeling of sand and salt for the rest of the day, plan for the change before lunch.
Also worth knowing: this isn't a sunrise trip. You reach Samet Nangshe for lunch at 13:30, in full daylight, so if the sunrise over the bay is what you want, the Cheow Lan lake day makes Samet Nangshe its first stop at dawn. And if you want to ride an elephant, this day won't give you that — there's no riding in the programme.
What's included, and what you pay on the day
Included: hotel transfer both ways, the guide, insurance, lunch with a view over the bay, the elephant programme (feeding and swimming), entry to the Samet Nangshe viewpoint and entry to Mantra Spa.
Not included: personal spending and souvenirs, drinks beyond those with lunch, and temple clothing hire if you need it. Bring swimwear, a towel, a full change of clothes, something that covers shoulders and knees for the temple, sunscreen, a hat, a rain jacket and a charged phone. The price is in the table on this page, in baht.
Who it suits
Couples, friends who want an easy day, families with children who love animals, and anyone who wants elephants without the ride. It suits less well people who want an action day with quad bikes and rapids.
- Swimming with elephants in the sea, no riding, then a spa — elephant beach and Mantra Spa
- An elephant ride included and a cave temple — Khao Lak safari
- Elephants, a bamboo raft, ATV and hot springs at sunset — the Avatar world
- Samet Nangshe at sunrise, then a jungle lake — Cheow Lan lake
- The bay from a glass bridge and the full elephant programme — Phang Nga and the Samet Nangshe skywalk
Elephant beach or another elephant day?
Our jungle days handle the elephants in different ways. The Khao Lak safari and both Phang Nga days include a ride; the rafting day lets you choose bathing or a ride; the Avatar world has bathing and the baby elephant show. Which tour gives you what is set out on does the rafting, elephant and ATV tour include elephant bathing. If the spa is half the appeal, the Avatar world ends in hot springs instead — see is the Avatar world tour worth it. For an elephant ride included in the price, see is the Khao Lak safari worth it; for warm water in Krabi's forest, Secrets of Krabi: is it worth it.
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 from ten the adult price applies. The temple asks for covered shoulders and knees, and cover-ups can be hired there for a small fee. Weather can change the programme.
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.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Is this an elephant riding tour?
No. The elephants are fed and go into the sea alongside you, and there is no riding in the programme.
How long is the stop at Mantra Spa?
Most of the late afternoon: you arrive at 15:00 and the departure back to the hotels is at 18:00. That is enough for the mineral pools, the baths and the saunas without rushing.
What time is the pickup?
Between 07:00 and 08:00, depending on where you stay. We confirm the exact time once you send your hotel.
Do I see Samet Nangshe at sunrise?
No. On this day the viewpoint is the lunch stop at 13:30. For a sunrise at Samet Nangshe, look at the Cheow Lan lake day, which makes the viewpoint its first stop.
What should I wear for the temple?
Anything that covers shoulders and knees. If you arrive in swimwear and shorts, the temple hires out cover-ups for a small fee.
Is an English-speaking guide available?
Yes. Every tour in our catalogue runs with an English-speaking guide.
Does the Samet Nangshe and Mantra Spa tour include the glass skywalk?
No. This day includes entry to the Samet Nangshe viewpoint, with lunch over Phang Nga Bay at 13:30. The glass skywalk at Samet Nangshe is on our Phang Nga glass skywalk day.
How do I book the elephant beach and Mantra Spa tour?
Send the tour, the date, your hotel and everyone's ages in WhatsApp. Pickup falls between 07:00 and 08:00 depending on your hotel, and we confirm the time; payment by card online is agreed in the chat once the booking is confirmed.
Can I take a toddler on an elephant tour from Phuket?
Yes. Children under four travel free, without a separate seat or meals, and this card sets no minimum age. At elephant beach you go into the sea beside the elephants, so keep a small child with you and tell us the ages when booking.
Tell us your dates
Send the trip you like, your dates and your hotel. We confirm the pickup time and how the sea looks for that day. Payment is agreed in the chat after the booking is confirmed: by card, bank transfer or USDT.