Chang Puak Resort Damnoen Saduak — sleep inside an elephant camp near the floating market
If you're visiting the Damnoen Saduak floating market and want a stay that's genuinely different — sleeping in a cottage inside an elephant camp, where you wake up and walk to see the elephants and shows in one place — Chang Puak Resort Damnoen Saduak is a pick many families go for. It's a budget cottage resort set inside Chang Puak Camp in Khun Phithak, Damnoen Saduak. Rooms come as Standard cottages (2 guests) and one-and-a-half-story Family cottages (3 guests), all with air-conditioning, hot water, free Wi-Fi and free parking, plus an in-camp golf-cart shuttle. It's about a 5-minute walk to the elephant village and shows, close to the floating market, with rooms from approximately THB 1,500/night.
Damnoen Saduak is famous for its old canal-side floating market, but a side of the area many don't know is that it's home to Chang Puak Camp, an elephant camp that runs elephant and crocodile shows. Chang Puak Resort is the camp's accommodation, set on the same grounds — which makes its selling point different from any other resort in Ratchaburi: you actually sleep inside the elephant camp. It's about a 5-minute walk to the elephant village and show ground, ideal for families bringing kids who want a trip with built-in activities.
Rooms are separate cottages in two main types by price. The Standard is a compact single-story cottage for 2 guests, and the Family is a one-and-a-half-story cottage for 3 guests. Every room has air-conditioning, a hot-water heater, TV and free Wi-Fi. The rooms are simply furnished in budget-resort style — not fancy, but with the basics covered for a night or two. There's a golf-cart shuttle running guests within the camp to the breakfast point and activity areas, which helps a lot since the camp grounds are fairly spread out.
"Brought the kids to see the elephants — they loved it. The elephant and crocodile shows were fun, the room was comfortable, and you can walk straight over to the elephants without driving anywhere."
Facilities in the camp include a restaurant, a cafe, a garden and massage/spa service. There's spacious free parking, CCTV and security staff. What sets it apart is the in-camp activities — elephant shows, crocodile shows and walking the elephant village — which are the main reason people choose to stay. To be honest, travellers uncomfortable with animal shows may not be a good fit here, and it's worth weighing that before booking. Note that pets are not allowed.
The location is in Khun Phithak, Damnoen Saduak. It's about a 5-minute walk to the elephant village, roughly 3 km from the Damnoen Saduak floating market, and a short drive from the local cobra farm and nearby temples. The town centre is about a 25-minute walk, or a few minutes by car. It suits self-drivers who've come specifically for the floating market or the elephant camp, rather than as a base for central Ratchaburi, which is a fair distance away.
On scores, Chang Puak Resort gets mixed reviews — both praise and gripes. The real-guest average sits around 7.2 out of 10 (about 3.6 out of 5 from roughly 66 Google reviews). Fans mention the elephant-camp atmosphere, the shows kids enjoy, friendly staff, easy parking and the novelty of sleeping near elephants. The repeated criticisms are that some VIP/Family rooms have weak air-conditioning and aren't as good value as the Standard rooms, cleanliness can be inconsistent in some rooms, there's occasional noise from other guests or construction, and breakfast is fairly thin. It's a budget resort where the draw is the elephant-camp experience, not luxe rooms.
Honestly, Chang Puak Resort isn't for everyone. If you're after beautiful, quiet rooms or a resort with a pool, this isn't the answer. But if your trip is a family visit to the Damnoen Saduak floating market and you want the kids to see elephants within walking distance of your room — that novelty is something ordinary hotels can't offer. Pick a Standard room, which many reviews call the better value, check the air-conditioning at check-in, and set your expectations correctly that this is a budget resort inside an elephant camp, and you'll have a trip that's fun on its own terms.
A tip from reading plenty of reviews here: choose a Standard room first if you're on a budget, since many reviews say it's better value than the Family. Try to stay when there's an elephant/crocodile show on so the in-camp activities are worth it. Driving yourself is easiest since the spot is out of the town centre, and book ahead on long weekends because families visiting the floating market fill it up fast.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Elephant-camp atmosphere, novel, kids love it
- ✓ Walking distance to the elephant village and show ground
- ✓ Near the Damnoen Saduak floating market, free parking
- ✓ Friendly staff, in-camp golf-cart shuttle
- ! Simply furnished rooms, cleanliness inconsistent in some
- ! Breakfast is fairly thin
- ! Occasional noise from other guests or construction
- ✓ Location inside the elephant camp, near the village and shows
- ✓ Good for families bringing kids for activities
- ✓ Near the floating market, easy for self-drivers
- ✓ Reasonable starting price for the Standard room
- ! Some VIP/Family rooms have weak AC, less value than Standard
- ! No swimming pool, basic facilities
- ! Out of the town centre, far from central Ratchaburi
- 💡If you're uncomfortable with animal shows (elephant/crocodile) — the camp's main draw is these activities → weigh this before booking; if it's not for you, choose another Damnoen Saduak stay instead.
- 💡If you're eyeing a Family/VIP room thinking it's better — many reviews say some have weak AC and aren't as good value as the Standard → the Standard is usually better value, and check the AC at check-in.
- 💡If you expect quiet, pretty rooms or a resort with a pool — this is a budget resort inside a camp, with simple rooms and occasional activity noise → reset expectations and focus on the elephant-camp experience and the floating-market location.