When traveling to Thailand, one of the essential parts of your trip should be spending time with elephants! These large, gentle creatures are majestic to behold up close, and caring for them will quickly become a core memory.
It’s no secret that Thailand is notorious for exploiting elephants for economic gain, so finding an ethical sanctuary can be overwhelming. Thankfully, there are places all over the country that dedicate their time to rescuing abused elephants so they can live freer, happier lives. The Chai Lai Orchid Eco-Lodge is one such place. After scouring the internet for the perfect sanctuary for multiple days, Instagram’s recommendation won out.
Located an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai’s city center, the eco-lodge homes fifteen rescued elephants and donates 100% of their proceedings to an anti-trafficking organization, Daughters Rising, that helps at-risk indigenous women and girls. They offer a variety of adventures and welcome people to stay for a jungle getaway. My friend Soleil and I booked the one-day Elephant Jungle Expedition, which included hiking through the jungle, visiting a nearby Karen Hill tribe village, bamboo rafting, learning about the local crops and indigenous people, eating a home-cooked meal in someone’s “house,” stopping at the Mai Wang Waterfall, playing in the river with elephants, walking with elephants, and feeding elephants. It was an unforgettable day filled with joy and new experiences.
Early Morning Pick-up
Our adventure began bright and early as we were picked up from our hotel and helped into the back of a van equipped with padded benches. Soleil and I were the first to be picked up, so we had the pleasure of meeting each new addition as they were collected from their hotels. The first stop introduced us to a young woman from Manchester who was backpacking through Asia. She had a lot of energy and resolved that everyone should have the privilege of hearing her stories when they got in the van, so our ears were blessed with her tales not once but THREE times!! Thankfully, all her talking wore her out, so she promptly fell asleep the rest of the way, allowing us to get to know the others. There was a couple from San Francisco, Carmen and Steven, with whom we spent the entire day, and a family from Georgia who thought they’d booked the tour for the following day. It was really nice to hear everyone’s stories and share ours.
Once we arrived at the Chai Lai Orchid Eco-Lodge, we were introduced to our guide, Roberto, who is part of the Karen Hill tribe. Every day, Roberto runs down the mountain to get to work and climbs back up every night to get home. Incredibly, despite the 10-kilometer morning hike, he still has mounds of energy to take tourists like us around the area, explaining the plants we passed, the history of the area, and the ways of his people. He was an exceptional guide and promptly invited us to his village to meet his family and tribe. (Maybe next time)
Let the Jungle Expedition Begin!
As we began our walk through the jungle, Roberto paused to make us girls vine tiaras and Steven a big leaf crown. Officially titled king and queens of the jungle, we continued through the foliage until we arrived at the nearby Karen village, with over 250 inhabitants. As we took in the area, we learned that half of the village works at Chai Lai Orchid as guides, drivers, farmers, and hotel staff. The Karen women also sell handwoven shawls and textiles in the Rise Up shop at the eco-lodge’s entrance. Walking through their village was a humbling experience. The houses were built out of bamboo and surrounded by mud, nothing like the villages we’re used to seeing in Israel or Europe.
Bamboo Rafting
At the bottom of the hill, a truck took us to the river rafting site. There wasn’t much warning or preparation for what we would do next, so we were all surprised when Roberto told us to take our shoes off and leave our bags in the truck’s bed. Not wanting to leave her valuables unattended or go on the raft without a life jacket, Soleil chose to stay behind and listen to Roberto’s life story while I got a raft to myself.
Pro-tip: Bring a waterproof bag to put your phone and valuables in before rafting. This will eliminate any hesitation and allow everyone to have an unforgettable time!
Bamboo rafting was a crazy experience. The raft was made of bamboo logs tied together, so my butt got wet as soon as I sat down. As my guide steered me down the river, I tried to savor the relaxing journey, but it felt strange to sit like a princess while someone did all the work. It didn’t help that I was alone and had nothing to do except sit. I was about to ask if I could try steering when my guide seemed to read my mind and handed me a fresh bamboo stick before pointing it to the front of the raft. Excited to have something to do, I slowly made my way to the front, using my ore as a balancing stick like a tightrope walker until I was in position. For the next twenty minutes, we drifted down the river, going through small rapids and around sharp corners. Amazingly, I kept my balance through it all! Even when my guide got naughty and started rocking the raft and splashing me, I stood firm and gave it right back to him! It was so much fun and a highlight of the day! While I wish Soleil had come with me, I’m glad she wasn’t forced into an uncomfortable situation and grateful she could take a cool video of me steering the raft when we returned.
Lunchtime
Back on dry land, we made to begin our hike towards the elephants when our grumbling bellies announced that it was lunchtime. Roberto was carrying all the supplies in a bamboo backpack (3x heavier than my loaded backpack), so I’m sure he was grateful we wanted to eat so soon. For the next hour, we sat in someone’s “home” — it was more like a wooden shelter on the side of the road — while Roberto made a bamboo fire and cooked us an exceptional lunch! The chicken skewers were the best I’ve ever tasted, while the stew — diced pumpkin, mushrooms, and fresh lemongrass cooked in a bamboo log on the fire — and fried rice were the perfect combination! While waiting for the food to cook, we enjoyed munching on a refreshing watermelon and talking to our new friends.
Once all the food was gone, our satisfied stomachs replenishing our energy, we continued our hike towards the stunning Mai Chai Waterfall. Though we didn’t have time to jump into the water, we did stop to take pictures and savor the view before climbing steep stairs to our next destination.
Earlier that day, my hat blew off my head as we headed to the rafting site (sorry, Mom), so when Roberto asked if anyone needed a hat, I naively thought he meant a real one. Mimicking Donkey from Shrek, I raised my hand and said, “Me, me, me,” looking forward to finally having shade over my sun-kissed face. However, instead of receiving a nice ball cap, Roberto disappeared into the bushes and emerged with a one-of-a-kind leaf hat that sat snuggly on my head. Looking back at the pictures, I understand why everyone kept laughing at me, but since I didn’t have a mirror at the time, I felt so proud of my hat and didn’t care what I looked like so long as my head was covered. — I’ll further my embarrassment and add a picture of this hat in the gallery below (you’re welcome).
ELEPHANTS!!
With half the day gone, we began wondering when we would finally see the elephants. To my surprise, as I was thinking this, I looked to the path below and jumped when I saw an elephant snacking on one of the plants. For the next five minutes, we hiked toward the bathing pool with the elephant!! It’s not healthy for elephants to stay in the cool water for too long, so I was happy to see them getting in and out at their leisure, their mahouts (caretakers) alert to their body language and needs.
It felt so surreal to get in the water with these large beasts. The water was freezing, but the cold was forgotten as we had a water fight with the elephants. Once we were all cooled down, we followed the elephants up the hill to a feeding area, stopping every few steps so they could scratch on a tree or spray themselves with dirt.
Fun fact: Elephants eat 200 kilos of food and drink 100 liters of water daily!! That’s a lot, so it’s no wonder these sanctuaries need visitors like us to help care for them.
At the feeding area, we hand-fed four elephants, giving them sugar cane (I also got to try some, which was tasty), bananas, and vitamin balls (which we had to churn – yes, I was put to work again, haha). Feeding elephants felt the way I imagined feeding a whale would. They could fit so much in their mouths and were always after more. At first, I thought I’d be afraid to get close, but it was a peaceful experience, and the elephants were so gracious and loving toward us. After years of being abused by humans, it felt wonderful to serve them in this way, showering them with love and kindness.
We ended our day at Chai Lai’s headquarters for a cold drink before returning to our hotel. Sipping on a fresh coconut while elephants roamed the grounds is a memory that will remain engrained in my mind forever. I feel truly blessed to have had this adventure and share the experience with Soleil. If you’re looking for a packed day of adventure and newfound knowledge, the Chai Lai Orchid’s Jungle Expedition is worth every penny!
For now, it’s back to our hotel a day of pampering at the Nakara Spa before flying to Bangkok for the final part of our trip. As Roberto loved to say, “Hakuna Matata, whoop whoop!”
Pictures From Our Elephant Adventure!
