Wildlife on Phuket Tours: Turtles, Monkeys, Elephants and Reef Fish
By the PhuketGO tour desk on Phuket — we book and run these trips every week · Updated 28 September 2026
Animals turn up on most of our tours, but each trip has its own: sea turtles are often seen on the early Similan boat, monkeys wait at Monkey Beach and the Suwan Kuha cave temple, elephants are the centre of several land days, and reef fish come right up to the sand at Khai island. Wild animals keep no schedule, so nothing is promised.
Tours and prices in Thai baht
| Tour | Duration | Adult | Child 4–9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Similan islands, early departure | One day, 04:00–17:00 | 2,800 ฿ | 2,500 ฿ |
| Khao Lak safari: jungle, waterfalls and elephants | One day, around ten hours | 1,650 ฿ | 1,450 ฿ |
| Phi Phi, Maya Bay and Khai island by speedboat | One day | 2,000 ฿ | 1,800 ฿ |
| Elephant beach, Samet Nangshe viewpoint and Mantra Spa | One day, 07:00–18:00 | 3,400 ฿ | 3,000 ฿ |
| Rafting and the elephant spa | One day, nine hours or more | 1,550 ฿ | 1,350 ฿ |
| Diving in the Andaman Sea: two dives in a day | One day, roughly 07:00–18:00 | 4,200 ฿ | 4,000 ฿ |
| Sea fishing from sunrise | One day, 05:30–15:00 | 2,500 ฿ | 2,200 ฿ |
Prices come straight from our booking system. Children under four join free on most trips — each tour page says so.
Where can I see sea turtles?
In the Similans. On the early Similan boat the snorkel stop in open water between islands 7 and 9 is where turtles are regularly seen, the card says — but no one can promise wildlife on a given day. The park is open from mid-October to mid-May.
On land, the Khao Lak safari visits a turtle farm at 14:50, between lunch and a waterfall.
Where are the monkeys?
Monkey Beach in Yong Kasem bay on Phi Phi Don, a stop on almost every Phi Phi trip. The Suwan Kuha cave temple in Phang Nga, where they come down to meet the minibus on the rafting days and the Phang Nga days. A lakeside park after the temple on the rafting days, where you can feed them. Rang Hill on the sightseeing tour, with wild monkeys at the viewpoint.
Keep bags zipped and sunglasses on your face; they grab things.
Which tours are about elephants?
Elephant beach, Samet Nangshe and Mantra Spa — feeding and swimming with them in the sea. The rafting days and the Phang Nga days with the elephant spa: mud, bathing, a shower, a show, and a ride on some. The Khao Lak safari with the full programme, the Avatar world day with an elephant bath. Our elephant tours page sorts them by activity.
Short meetings too: a baby elephant to feed on the sightseeing tour, and an elephant on Secrets of Krabi (100 ฿ to feed).
What will I see underwater?
Reef fish almost everywhere you snorkel. At Khai island they swim up to the sand in shallow water. Around the Similans, coral and reef fish on two dedicated stops. On Five pearls the card mentions snorkelling among reef fish and reef sharks. On the diving day: reef fish, moray eels, starfish, sometimes an octopus.
A mask is on board on every snorkelling trip; fins come with the early Similan boat.
Which trip for animal-loving children?
The Khao Lak safari: a cave temple with bats, a small local zoo, the elephant spa, a bamboo raft, a turtle farm, a waterfall and a fruit market — something different every hour, for one of the lowest land-day prices. For the sea, the Phi Phi Khai island day: fish at the sand at Khai and monkeys at Monkey Beach. Children aged 4 to 9 pay the child price.
What should I bring for wildlife stops?
A camera in a waterproof case for the snorkel stops. Zipped bags and no food in hand near the monkeys. Clothes you can get muddy for the elephant spa. Reef-safe sunscreen for the Similans, as the card suggests, and a mask if you prefer your own.
When is the best season?
For the Similans and their turtles, mid-October to mid-May, when the park is open. Everything else — monkeys, elephants, reef fish near Phuket — runs all year, weather permitting, and the land days with elephants run even when the sea is closed.
Are the elephant camps worth it?
That depends on what you want from them. Some programmes include riding, others bathing and feeding only, and on the rafting day you choose one. If you would rather not ride, tell us in the chat — the elephant beach day, for instance, is feeding and swimming with no ride at all.
What do we do if we see a turtle?
Watch from a distance and let it swim on. Do not follow, touch or block its way up to breathe; the guide will point it out to the group. The same goes for reef fish and coral: look, do not stand on or grab anything.
Anything else?
Flying foxes in the jungle behind the beach on Miang island, the first stop of the early Similan boat. Swiftlets, whose nests are still collected at the Viking Cave on Phi Phi Leh. Bats in the Suwan Kuha cave. And on the fishing boat, tuna, barracuda and mahi-mahi on the line, plus whatever turns up in the crab traps.
The tours on this page
Questions people ask
Can I see sea turtles on a tour from Phuket?
They are often seen on the early Similan boat's open-water snorkel, but no one can promise them.
Where are the monkeys on Phuket tours?
Monkey Beach on Phi Phi Don, the Suwan Kuha cave temple and Rang Hill on the sightseeing tour.
Which tour lets me swim with elephants?
Elephant beach, Samet Nangshe and Mantra Spa: the elephants go into the sea with you.
Where can I see sharks?
The Five pearls card mentions snorkelling among reef fish and reef sharks.
Are there flying foxes?
Yes, in the jungle on Miang island, the first stop of the early Similan boat.
Is wildlife guaranteed?
No. Wild animals keep their own schedule.
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.