Chai Lai Orchid Lodge

For centuries Thailand has had a long association with elephants.  Elephants are the national animal of Thailand and you will see statues of them everywhere you go in Chiang Mai.  

Thai elephants are classified as Indian elephants, but there is a slight difference from others in that classification.  They are smaller, have shorter legs, and a thicker body than the ones found in that sub-species.  Elephants are herbivores, and consume ripe bananas, leaves, bamboo, tree bark and other fruits.  Eating occupies almost 18 hours of an elephant's day.    

In the early 1900's there were an estimated 100,000 domesticated (or captive elephants) in Thailand.  As of 2007, there were only about 3,500 domesticated elephants and only about 1,000 wild elephants left in Thailand.  The main reason the elephant population declined was due to industrial farming and more villages being built on their habitat.  Today the elephant is considered an endangered species in Thailand.  (Thanks to Wikipedia for the information gathered above.)

Chai Lai Orchid is a lodge you can visit in Thailand.  It is located about an hours drive from Chiang Mai.  They house about 12 domesticated elephants and offer visitors the chance to interact with them throughout the day.  Along with the elephants there are a variety of other activities you can participate in including bamboo rafting, hiking to a temple and later a swim at a waterfall, and zip lining just to name a few. 

Rafts are abandoned at the end of their one hour ride.

It's important to note that Chai Lai Orchid is not an elephant sanctuary.  According to their literature, there are no true elephant sanctuaries in Thailand.  A sanctuary is a facility that houses elephants with no human interaction.  Instead, they offer an experience that promotes a more humane treatment of elephants.  Visitors are not allowed to ride the elephants and the mahouls...or handlers...are taught to train the elephants using positive, rather than negative reinforcement.     

Lance and I booked two nights at the lodge and we enjoyed the time we spent there.  The trip was listed as an AirBnB experience and was booked through their website.  We had a comfortable room that included air conditioning.  

One of the most popular activities at the lodge was to bathe and/or feed bananas to the elephants.  You had to pay to bathe the elephant...but anyone who was interested could feed them.  

Here are a few more photos from Chai Lai Orchid Lodge.

Often the elephants were allowed to roam freely throughout the grounds, 

however the mahoul was always close by in case of any problems.  

The only elephant we saw with big tusks.  Due to his temperament, 
he  was kept separate from the other elephants.

Check out the 7 month old baby next to his mom on the right hand side of the picture.

One of the huts used to house the workers.

Corn husks used to feed the elephants.

Lance looking a little leery as he approached the elephant.

These are covered platforms along the river where you can sit, have a drink and/or something to eat while you watch the people arrive on their bamboo rafts.

Me, enjoying a drink while watching the people arrive on their rafts. 

This elephant has a strange lump on one side of her body.
We thought she might be pregnant.  

My favorite snack!

Chiang Mai, Thailand

Chiang Mai is a city filled with many Buddhist temples...

numerous fresh fruit and vegetable markets...

Durians are fruits found in Thailand.
You see them in the market, but they have been banned from our building because of their strong odor.  

and Night Markets.

There are a few parks providing some much needed green space.  To get to the park we have to cross the river using a bridge such as the one seen below.

The park we go to is located close to our yoga studio.  It is small and used mostly for people who come to walk or jog on the paths that surround the ponds.  There is also a coffee cafe that serves delicious carrot cake.  

Chiang Mai also has its fair share of artist communities that offer hand made clothing, jewelry, pottery, and textiles.  They also have some lovely cafe's.  The next six pictures were taken at Baan Kang Wat, which is located on the outskirts of the city.     

A lovely coffee cafe and restaurant

Beautiful handmade jewelry

The rest of the pictures were taken at another artist community found right outside the old town near the river.

A wooden house typically found in Thailand before the use of cement.

Food is often attractively presented at the cafe and restaurants.
  

We have continued our practice of going to yoga class here in Chiang Mai.  This time our teacher is from the states.  Ester is 70 years old...and has lived in Thailand for the last 25 years.  She is a self described old hippi who lived in Telluride, CO before moving to here.  

To get around town all you need to do is flag down one of these red trucks called Songtaews.  In the back are two long benches where you can sit.  You often share the ride with others, but unlike a bus...they will take you to your exact location.  The cost is cheap...about 1 American dollar...to get anywhere within the city.   We use them almost every day.   

Inside the Songtaews

At the end of this post, I have included a picture of the shadow puppet show we went to in Siem Reap  before leaving for Thailand.  It was an interesting show that was a play  with actors that included the use shadow puppets.  Here you are seeing the actors demonstrate how they are used.  Normally the puppeteers would be on the other side of the screen and you would not see them.