Chai Lai Orchid
One of the things we were most excited about for this trip was experiencing elephants, so we booked a stay at Chai Lai Orchid Elephant Sanctuary - and it ended up being such a highlight.
After arriving, we dropped our bags and headed out for the day. We hiked out to where some of the elephants live and got to meet them for the first time… including an 11-day-old baby. Our guide taught us how to make medicine balls, we fed them, and then got to bathe them in the river. Afterward, we helped prepare lunch, cooled off at a waterfall, and eventually made our way to our bungalows overlooking the most incredible rice terraces.
After arriving, we dropped our bags and headed out for the day. We hiked out to where some of the elephants live and got to meet them for the first time… including an 11-day-old baby. Our guide taught us how to make medicine balls, we fed them, and then got to bathe them in the river. Afterward, we helped prepare lunch, cooled off at a waterfall, and eventually made our way to our bungalows overlooking the most incredible rice terraces.
The evening at Chai Lai Orchid felt like something out of a dream - fresh fruit smoothies on the balcony, the kids feeding elephants and playing with all the dogs roaming the property. They basically adopted them and named every single one. And because they gave them so much attention, most of the dogs camped out on our balcony the entire time we were there.
We finished the night with a Thai dinner just as it started pouring rain. We had originally planned to split up into two bungalows, but ended up all piling into ours to watch an episode of Stranger Things. We ran through the rain to our room, everyone got showered, and we all cuddled up in bed. It was pitch black out there, far from any city lights, and before we knew it, everyone had fallen asleep with the rain pouring outside.
Not exactly what we planned, but honestly… one of those magical nights we’ll never forget.
We finished the night with a Thai dinner just as it started pouring rain. We had originally planned to split up into two bungalows, but ended up all piling into ours to watch an episode of Stranger Things. We ran through the rain to our room, everyone got showered, and we all cuddled up in bed. It was pitch black out there, far from any city lights, and before we knew it, everyone had fallen asleep with the rain pouring outside.
Not exactly what we planned, but honestly… one of those magical nights we’ll never forget.
The next morning, we woke up to an elephant right at our balcony 🐘
The sanctuary brought us fresh fruit for breakfast and sugarcane to feed her, so we got to sit there, take it all in, and just enjoy the moment. After a slow morning at the bungalow, we headed out for some bamboo rafting down the river and then visited a Karen village, where we learned about their customs and traditions.
Such a fun way to wrap up our time at the sanctuary before heading back to Chiang Mai.
The sanctuary brought us fresh fruit for breakfast and sugarcane to feed her, so we got to sit there, take it all in, and just enjoy the moment. After a slow morning at the bungalow, we headed out for some bamboo rafting down the river and then visited a Karen village, where we learned about their customs and traditions.
Such a fun way to wrap up our time at the sanctuary before heading back to Chiang Mai.
