Chai Lai Orchid is quickly rising as one of the most popular (and most Instagrammable) hotels in the Chiang Mai area. This hotel, located in the mountains about an hour outside of Chiang Mai is famous for one thing, one big thing: elephants. Although the accommodations at Chai Lai Orchid are a bit rustic, the hotel books up months in advance by travelers excited to eat breakfast with elephants and interact with these magnificent animals in an ethical, responsible way. But what is it actually like to stay at Chai Lai Orchid, and is this experience really as magical as it looks?
The short answer is yes!
Getting to Chai Lai Orchid
Our one night at Chai Lai Orchid was actually the first thing I booked for our trip to Thailand, even before flights! I had travel dates in mind and was researching where we might want to go and what we might want to see when I stumbled across photos of Chai Lai Orchid. Even though I was booking about six months out, there was exactly one room available in November for a one night stay, and I snagged it. We felt extremely lucky to get the reservation and built our itinerary around staying at this hotel.
As I mentioned, Chai Lai Orchid is located about an hour from Chiang Mai. We flew in from Bangkok and booked a transfer ahead of time through the hotel. I recommend this option because the location is quite remote at the top of a very steep road. We were glad to have a driver who knew the area and could get us there without issue.
No sooner had we pulled into the property than we were greeted by several of the elephants, including a juvenile! They had decided that the front entrance of the hotel was a good place to hang out that afternoon, and I can’t imagine a better welcome party.
Check-in was extremely straightforward. We paid for our room and transfers, and we booked a full-day elephant experience for the following day. We were able to pay with a credit card, but did have to pay an additional transaction fee. The ladies at the front desk were very helpful and explained all about the various activities we could book, then a truck arrived to take us to our room.
The Rooms
The property at Chai Lai Orchid is divided into different sections: mountain, river, and garden. The mountain bungalows are the closest to reception and to the restaurant, so it is often recommended. We stayed in a river bungalow, which was all that was available, but I actually think the river view was the best place to stay. This is because people doing a day trip to Chai Lai Orchid all have the chance to bathe the elephants in the river, so as we were settling into our room, elephants kept walking right past our door! I could literally watch elephants play in the river from my bed!
We stayed in the river view A-frame bungalow, so that is the only type of room I’ll be able to describe in detail, but I believe the amenities in each room type are quite similar. The best words I can use to describe the room are “rustic charm.” With the bamboo structures and white, gauzy curtains, the room definitely had a boho-chic vibe. However, there is no AC, limited power sources, and the bathroom was functional rather than comfortable. In my opinion, the space was excellent so long as you come with the right expectations. This is not a luxury hotel; it’s more like glamping.
Because the riverside bungalows are located down the hill from the main area, we could message reception and ask for a truck to pick us up whenever we wanted to go to or from the restaurant. However, we usually walked because it wasn’t really that far, and we didn’t have great cell service in our room.
Elephant Happy Hour
Once we’d settled into our room, we headed to the restaurant just in time for elephant happy hour. We ordered some delicious cocktails and snacks which we enjoyed with an amazing view of the mountains. We could have leisurely sipped our drinks all afternoon, but instead we guzzled them down as soon as the elephants arrived.
Led by their mahouts, a handful of elephants came to hang out and enjoy their own snacks by the restaurant. We had the chance to buy a basket of bananas and feed the elephants. If you have ever wondered what it takes to get an elephant to like you, the answer is food. The elephants totally ignored us until we were holding bananas, then suddenly they wanted to be best friends. But as soon as the basket was empty, they’d all turn their attention to someone else. One of the other girls there must have bought five or six baskets just so she could keep feeding all the different elephants! It was a wonderful experience. These animals are such gentle giants and were friendly and playful. At one point, the juvenile raided the bar and stole some watermelon! Petting them was sort of like rubbing your hand on a course rug. I could have watched them all evening, but for the benefit of the elephants, they only stayed with us about an hour before being led to their own sleeping area.
With gigantic smiles on our faces, we ordered another round of drinks and a delightful dinner. It was just after sunset when we made our way back to our bungalow for bed.
Breakfast with Elephants
One of the main reasons to stay at Chai Lai Orchid is the opportunity to have breakfast at your bungalow with an elephant. When we checked in, we told reception what time we wanted breakfast delivered to our room, and with it another opportunity to interact with the elephants. So, bright and early like we asked, an elephant and her mahout came to our room. We were given a basket of sugarcane to feed her, and we got tons of awesome pictures! The elephant who came to our room sadly had a broken leg, and the mahout told us that one of the main things tourist dollars support is veterinary care for the elephants.
It was magical to interact with an elephant in such a calm, peaceful environment and to spend time up close and personal with such a magnificent animal. All the sugarcane was gone in what seemed like no time at all, and the elephant was led away while we enjoyed our own breakfast. We opted for the Thai style breakfast, which I definitely recommend, but they have a western option available as well. Because of the prime location of our bungalow, we got to sit on our front porch and watch all the elephants on their way to the other bungalows while we ate.
Full Day Elephant Jungle Tour
After breakfast, we embarked on a full day tour with Chai Lai Orchid. This tour is also bookable as a day trip from Chiang Mai, so even if you don’t get the chance to stay there, you can still hang out with the elephants and see what the property is all about.
One other couple staying in one of the neighboring villas did this tour with us. Our first activity of the day was feeding the elephants “medicine balls,” a mash of goodies meant to help the elephants’ digestion and overall health. We also gave them other treats while our guide explained how they take care of the elephants at the sanctuary.
Next, we went for a “hike” with two of the elephants. I put “hike” in quotes because it was actually a very short walk in the forest. Our guide told us that they do these walks to exercise the elephants, but an animal that size would have to walk that path a lot of times to get much exercise! At the end of our walk, we got to spend some time with a brand new baby calf, and it was so cute!
Then we went down to the river to give the elephants a bath. None of the elephants are forced into the water, but they seemed as eager to play in the water as we were. We splashed around in the cold water and took lots of good pictures. Throughout our time at Chai Lai Orchid, the guides and their mahouts were always eager to take photos for us, which we really appreciated.
Sadly, it was then time to say goodbye to the elephants, but our adventure was not over yet.
For lunch, we helped our guide make a traditional Thai chicken curry which was cooked over a fire inside a piece of bamboo. This was definitely not the most hygienic way to prepare a meal, but it was cool to watch and tasted pretty good.
After we ate, we walked through the local Karen village just outside of Chai Lai Orchid’s property, and our guide told us stories about local life. Then we hopped in a truck and drove to another part of the river where we got the chance to ride on a bamboo raft. Minus a few small rapids and a bold swimming snake, this was the most relaxing part of the day. We glided through the water listening to the sounds of the jungle and looking out for birds and other wildlife.
Finally, we hiked to a beautiful waterfall and had the chance to cool off a bit in the water. By this point in the afternoon, it was getting very hot, so the quick swim was a welcome refreshment. The truck picked us up after our hike and drove us back to Chai Lai Orchid where we picked up our bags, checked out, and snuck in one last yummy cocktail before heading back to Chiang Mai. It was a very full, very fun day.
Is It Ethical?
The big question with any type of elephant in counter is this: Is it ethical? Elephant tourism in Thailand has rightly come under fire in recent years for widespread mistreatment of elephants. Most visitors coming from the US are aware of the abuse that goes on in camps that offer elephant rides and performances, but it can be more difficult to distinguish whether all of the camps that brand themselves as “sanctuaries” truly have the best interest of the elephants at heart.
I really appreciated Chai Lai Orchid’s upfront information on this tricky subject. There is an argument to be made that no personal encounters with wild animals are ever ethical, but the sad reality is that none of northern Thailand’s elephants are truly wild anymore. Habitat loss and local laws in addition to thousands of years working alongside humans means that elephant survival in the area is dependent on human intervention. A major piece of this is tourism.
Caring for an elephant is extremely expensive, and elephant tourism is the main way that elephant caretakers (mahouts) can earn enough to feed and care for their charges. Chai Lai Orchid does not pretend that their elephants are 100% free or that they are trying to return them to the wild. Instead, they emphasize trying to provide the best life possible for their domesticated elephants.
Chai Lai Orchid is also extremely interested in community outreach and intentionally works for provide protection and economic opportunities to the local Mae Sapok village. In addition, they donate 100% of their proceeds to Daughters Rising, a program designed to educate and empower women at risk of human trafficking.
Put together, we feel confident that Chai Lai Orchid is operating in a responsible way and have no qualms about recommending their property and tours. Their clear, honest communication about their methods and goals as well as their ethically conscious business practices gave us the assurance we needed to feel good about participating in this experience.
Overall Impressions
In conclusion, what are you waiting for? Just book it!
Our time at Chai Lai Orchid remains one of our favorite memories from our trip to Thailand. It was truly magical to see Asian elephants up close, and the services provided by the hotel and our guide were top notch from start to finish. This is definitely a bucket-list experience that should not be missed on your trip to Chiang Mai.
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