Our next stop in Thailand after Chiang Rai was Chiang Mai. Over the past few weeks, we had explored the southern gems of Phuket and Ao Nang before venturing northward. Chiang Rai was relaxing and wonderful, with the only dent in the experience being the lack of clear blue skies and fresh air due to the lingering haze from the burning season.
Regardless, we managed to have a good time, visiting several ornate temples and enjoying whatever beautiful scenery that escaped the harsh weather.
Getting to Chiang Mai from Chiang Rai
After two days in Chiang Rai, we journeyed back to Chiang Mai, the starting point of our northern Thailand adventure. Getting back was just as easy as our arrival – we called a Grab taxi that drove us directly to the next pickup point.
For travellers on a tighter budget, an excellent alternative would be to research bus options using the 12go.asia website. This platform offers a variety of economical transportation choices throughout travels in Asia.
In Chiang Mai, we had planned to stay in Chai Lai Orchid, a beautiful eco-lodge situated a few hours outside the city centre.
We arranged a pickup with the lodge, which promptly arrived just as we returned from Chiang Rai. From the city centre, it took about an hour to get to the lodge.
2D 1N in Chai Lai Orchid…
As all the rooms in the main area were fully booked, we needed to wait for a shuttle (songthaew) to take us to the adjacent accommodation. In the meantime, we got acquainted with the resident animals on the premises and had a delicious lunch at the restaurant.
After lunch, we boarded the shuttle to our accommodation to settle in for a while. Our room, though basic, provided all the essentials for a comfortable and peaceful night’s stay. It featured a bed with a mosquito net, a small fan, and an ensuite bathroom and toilet.
Ginger Garden Homestay, Chai Lai Orchid
I was initially concerned that the fan would be inadequate to combat the swelter of the night, however, my apprehension proved unfounded. To our pleasant surprise, we found ourselves comfortably cool throughout the night.
The next morning, the day began with an “elephant room service” and breakfast. This experience alone was worth staying at this lodge. It was pretty incredible! The previous day, the receptionist had asked us what time we wanted to have this wake-up call and I had chosen 7 am.
At 7, an elephant with its handler showed up at our doorstep and we were given a basket of bananas to feed him with.
“Elephant Room Service” at Chai Lai Orchid
This interaction was truly surreal, and I savoured every moment of it! Being in such close proximity to these huge magnificent creatures was nothing short of otherworldly. I believe we had up to an hour with this gentle giant before the bananas ran out and he was out too.
Our breakfast was then served at this time. We sat on the benches outside, watching the elephant and handler make their rounds to the other rooms. Later, we sat down with two women to purchase a few crafts as souvenirs.
After breakfast, we packed up our bags and took a shuttle to the main lodge. There, we left them at the reception and signed up for two tours that morning.
We decided to do the elephant bathing experience. But I must warn you, this was not the most sanitary thing to do! Haha!
Things to Do at Chai Lai Orchid, Chiang Mai
It was something I had read about online and was wary of doing mainly because the elephants poop in the water! Urgh! But I thought, flowing river and all that… how bad can it really be?
But my love for great photos thwarts my fear of germs and I did not need much convincing to get up, close and personal with the elephant and his poop! Again, urgh!
In the end, the experience was a fun one! We returned to the lodge to take a much-needed bath. Seeing that we had more time to kill, we decided to sign up for another experience which was bamboo rafting across the river.
Bamboo Rafting in Chiang Mai
We hopped back on the shuttle towards our next destination. This place was packed with locals having a good weekend, celebrating the beginning of the Songkran Festival. The festival wouldn’t start until the next week but not here. These guys were ready to go!
We should have known that this was going to be a wild experience when we saw vendors selling waterproof phone cases. I just thought it was to mitigate damages to your phone if it fell into the river. But I was so wrong!
Celebrating Songkran Festival in Chiang Mai
So rather than the peaceful quiet bamboo float I had imagined the experience would be, we had a lively and energetic scenery filled with blaring music, dancing locals, and a jubilant water battleground! It was exhilarating!
Everyone was in such good spirits just having fun. There were no age barriers – both the young and old were participating fully in the waterfights. We got drenched but it was all good fun!
We returned to the reception area for lunch and one last time with the elephants before checking out and heading back to the city centre.
Our stay at Chai Lai Orchid was the highlight of our time in Chiang Mai. I recommend reading more about this lodge and the work that they do for the local community and Asian elephants.
Back in Chiang Mai City Centre…
Back in the city centre, we checked into our hotel at POR Singharat – which was a pretty cool place to stay and wandered leisurely around the city over the next two days.
We visited a few more temples, explored the night markets, restaurants and malls and just generally enjoyed being in the city.
Chiang Mai was an exciting stop on our Thailand itinerary. From the awe-inspiring elephant encounter to the serene temples dotting the city, every moment felt infused with wonder and discovery. After two days, we packed our bags and hopped on a flight to our final destination in Thailand – Bangkok.
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