Visiting an elephant sanctuary is a pretty popular thing for people to do when they visit Thailand. There are so many elephant sanctuaries that it can be tricky choosing which one to go to.
The most important factor should be is the sanctuary ethical? This means the elephants are looked after in a kind and humane way, and their needs are put before those of the tourists.
We chose to visit Chai Lai Orchid elephant sanctuary which is about a 1 hour and 30 minute drive from Chiang Mai old town.
We stayed overnight at Chai Lai in one of their garden bungalows. Bear in mind that we booked this months in advance, before we even left the UK, and it was already very booked up.
We paid £180 which made quite a big dent in our Thailand budget but it really did sound like a once in a lifetime experience.
It was quite tricky actually getting to Chai Lai Orchid so I would advise sorting your transport beforehand. We eventually found a taxi that would take us for around £25.
Once we arrived at Chai Lai Orchid we were taken to our garden bungalow in a car. It was not within walking distance of the reception or the onsite restaurant. You had to speak to the staff to arrange transport whenever you wanted to go to the restaurant or anywhere that wasn’t within walking distance. This was a bit of a pain and made us feel restricted in what we could do.
The surroundings of the bungalow were lovely but the actual bungalow itself was quite underwhelming. It was incredibly basic with only a bed (with mosquito net, a table and chairs. The bathroom was outside so we had lots of visits from creepy crawlies.
There was a balcony at the back of the bungalow but this wasn’t very comfortable to sit on as all of the seating was wooden.
In the afternoon we went down to the river and saw several elephants walking into the water. It was incredible to see the elephants so close. We just watched them and took some photos. There were other tourists there who got into the water with the elephants and fed them. I think they had paid to do this.
In the evening we went to the onsite restaurant. We first took advantage of their 2 for 1 cocktail deal, and then had our food.
The cocktails were very nice, and I had a delicious fried banana for dessert. The mains were average but still enjoyable. The location of the cafe made it a great place to sit for hours just watching the elephants and enjoying the scenery. I was surprised though that there were no food and drinks included for the price we had paid to stay overnight.
You are able to visit Chai Lai Orchid without staying the night. If you do this you can visit the restaurant and pay to feed the elephants some bananas.
The following morning we had the opportunity to feed an elephant its breakfast. There were a few elephants walking around outside the bungalows. We were given a basket of bamboo and the elephants knew to come to the bungalow door for their food. We really enjoyed doing this and it was incredible to be so close to the elephants.
We then had our own breakfast which was pretty disappointing. We had pancakes and fruit. The pancakes had gone cold by this point and they weren’t actually very nice so we left most of it.
I would recommend Chai Lai Orchid elephant sanctuary as a place to visit for the day. This would still give you the opportunity to see the elephants and feed them if you wish. The cafe/restaurant is a lovely place to chill out with a cocktail, and watch the elephants.
Looking back I wish that we had done this rather than stay the night, but we weren’t to know. I don’t feel that we got value for money for the £180 that it cost us, especially in terms of the accommodation.
It really was a bucket list experience being so close to the elephants and getting to feed an elephant his breakfast. That certainly isn’t something you do everyday.
Down to Earth Travel 
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