Tawan Riverside - Elephant Resort

The hotel is up in the mountains, so there aren’t many places to eat nearby. You can ask the driver to stop at 7-11 and pick up something to bring back. We booked the full-day tour and had a great time with the elephants. Bamboo rafting was relaxing and interesting, too. I’d recommend this hotel if you’re into elephants.

The elephant experience and the property are beautiful. Daniel, our tour guide, was fun and helpful, and made the activities a wonderful experience. The food was good, though there wasn’t much choice. Our room was cute, but I do think the bathroom could be cleaner or remodeled. 🫶🏻🫶🏻

We stayed in a deluxe room for two nights at the end of December 2025. The rooms were fine for what I expected, though not luxurious. It got cold at night, and there was no heater, even though the room did have air conditioning. I hadn’t expected that. The elephant wake-up was a lot of fun. At a set time, they bring a couple of elephants to your balcony so you can feed them sugarcane. My wife enjoyed the first session enough to sign up again the next morning. The people were very nice, and we liked the restaurant food. The elephants seemed to be treated as well as one could hope. They are chained at night, which I understand is for the safety of both people and elephants. One thing to know if you’re afraid of heights: getting from reception to the rooms means crossing a rope bridge. It felt fairly sturdy, but some people might find it daunting.

Back for our second visit, and we still love the quiet, peaceful surroundings. It feels really healing. The happy elephants made our days, and the on-site restaurant was just as good as before. We couldn’t wait to eat there every day.