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!