chiang mai elephant rescue
Bamboo Ecolodge
Award winning hotel & eco tours in Chiang Mai
Live with our herd of elephants at this nature retreat in a lush tropical forest. Wake up above the clouds with stunning panoramic valley views from the top of the mountain.
Each glamping style bungalow features handmade bamboo furniture, an authentic thatched roof and ensuite bathrooms feature open-air showers. Private balconies provide breathtaking views of the starry skies, while traditional hand-woven textiles warm the interior décor.
Our Location, Mae Sapok
Thinking of eloping in Thailand? We offer custom Trips to celebrate your love in Chiang Mai with an Elephant Wedding package!
Chai Lai Orchid Bungalows in the jungle of Chiang mai
Sunrise over Mae Sapok is a guest favourite. Nature lovers can hike to waterfalls and swim in the river. Chai Lai Orchid is perfect for those seeking a peaceful retreat secluded in the jungle.
Mealtimes are undoubtedly one of the main highlights of the lodge—alfresco hilltop dining with panoramic views of the valley and elephants. Arrive before 16:00 to join elephant happy hour on the mountain!
The common areas feature a restaurant and bar, and even free WiFi so you can spend the day enjoying the wonders of the jungle and still stay connected to family back home.
You can choose a mountain-view, river-view bungalow or stay in the garden homestay. The areas are within walking distance, and free transportation is available every 30 minutes. The river location is slightly more adventurous. These bungalows are a short hike from the road and require you to cross a wooden footbridge suspended over the river.
Chai Lai Orchid is 1 hour and 10 minutes from Chiang Mai airport. Located on the way to the beautiful Doi Inthanon National Park. Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Thailand.
Book Here for free breakfast + elephant room service!
Features
- Ethical Elephant Experiences
- Free Wi-Fi in common area
- In-room massage available
- Walking distance to waterfalls and swimming
- Open Air Showers
- On-site Restaurant and Bar
Chai Lai Orchid Map
Location Details
Our bungalows are in 3 locations about 3 minutes (drive) apart. We offer free shuttle service between locations every 30 minutes. Once you know the way, you are also welcome to walk. You will meet friendly villagers, water buffalo, families of chickens, peeps, and even semi-wild pigs.
The price for the room includes a donation to DaughtersRising.org toiletries, housekeeping, breakfast, free elephant room service (normally 1500 thb), and one basket of food for the elephants.
The mountain rooms at the top of the hill are close to the cafe and offer beautiful sunrise views.
The river rooms are close to the water so you can hear the soothing sound of the water and jump in for a swim. (It’s very refreshing in the hotter seasons!)
The garden homestay is a renovated eco lodge. Each room belongs to 1 Karen hill tribe family. Your stay each night contributes directly to helping empower indigenous people.
Reviews
INCREIBLE! Experiencia espectacular en este alojamiento, no hace falta pensar nada de excursiones por la selva para ir a ver cascadas ni nada ya que te lo gestionan todo alli y la verdad que la experiencia de la excursion fue INCREIBLE! No duraria en repetir otra vez en este alojamiento… A se me olvidaba la comida también INCREIBLE. PD: ten cuidado con el desayuno en la cabaña que vendra el elefante y se lo comerá 😜 Recomiendo contratar el traslado de aeropuerto hotel porque nosotros cogimos un taxi cualquiera de la misma salida del ✈️ y tuvimos que andar 30 minutos por que un coche normal no llega bien por los caminos de montaña al hotel. Ellos tienen 4x4 preparados para los traslados 💪🏼
We spent two days with our amazing guide Lan. He showed us amazing parts of Thailand and nature that I would have never even experienced. I had more fun hiking and seeing a beautiful waterfall than playing with the elephants and that’s saying something. Plus he cooked us the best meal that I had on my entire two week trip in Thailand. Would 100% recommend the two day one night trip to anyone who wants this experience.
Wir hatten eine unglaubliche Nacht in Chai Lai. Die Location ist der absolute Hammer! Macht unbedingt eine eine Tour mit Charlie und seinen Elefanten. Die Tour findet immer privat und in keiner großen Gruppe statt. Preis-Leistung ist unheimlich gut. Und der Umgang mit den Elefanten ist mehr als fürsorglich. Wenn ihr es schafft solltet ihr unbedingt die Fahrt auf euch nehmen und mindestens 1 Nacht hierbleiben. Die Eli’s laufen am Morgen direkt an der Tür vorbei und sind auch während des hervorragenden Frühstücks zu sehen.
This place is amazing. The best part of the whole journey there was the elephant walk trough the jungle. I have been already at an elephant sanctuary before, but this was a complete new experience. Spending the day with the elephants in the wild was so raw and pure, I had a blast. The whole experience wouldn't be the same without Charlie, the tour guide and mahout. Is speaks very well English and you will realize up front that those elephants are his family. They whole place is way to humble, every gained penny goes to the elephants. They don't advertise that, in my opinion they should. One note here: Don't let you fool you by the cute baby elephant :-D. Seriously, it still thinks that it is little and that it can play with you, it is about 1 tonne. Nothing to worry, but be aware. Trip typeFriends Read less Maro a month ago on Google 5/5 Incredible Without a doubt, one of the best experiences I have ever had in Thailand. •A lifelong elephant experience •Absolutely friendly and helpful staff. •Unbelievable delicious breakfast. •Breath taking view over the mountains. •Unique & astonishing bookable tours. •Affordable prices •Authentic Thai house stay The elephant jungle tour is a clear recommendation. It absolutely blew my mind. Roaming through the jungle with giant elephants is an experience in a lifetime. Huge thanks goes to Charlie, who was our tour guide and the whole team including his brother Tiger. They put so much effort and care, not only in taking care of the guests but also in taking care of the elephants and their environment. The money for the tour goes directly to the elephants, the keepers and the environment.
Me and 4 close friends did the overnight trip. We hiked 2 hours into the jungle with the most amazing guide ever. His name was Lan, he showed us cool tricks of the jungle like what plants we can eat, plants that blew bubbles, cut down bamboo and made us cups and forks out of it, made the most amazing Thai food over our camp fire, told us stories and much more. He made the trip so special! He even had his little dog Chao come with us which we loved. The bungalows we stayed in had no power but that made us all connect and really take the time to appreciate each other and our lives without interruption from the outside world, there was an adorable waterfall right outside of your door and it was the first thing you saw when you woke up in the morning. That next morning we hiked for another hour or so and saw a cute hidden temple, then we had lunch he made for us and wrapped in palm leaves. This was our favorite activity we did in Thailand and I recommend it to everyone!! Ask for Lan, he made the whole experience so special. Such a great man. He spoke perfect English as well!
This place is amazing. The best part of the whole journey there was the elephant walk trough the jungle. I have been already at an elephant sanctuary before, but this was a complete new experience. Spending the day with the elephants in the wild was so raw and pure, I had a blast. The whole experience wouldn't be the same without Charlie, the tour guide and mahout. Is speaks very well English and you will realize up front that those elephants are his family. They whole place is way to humble, every gained penny goes to the elephants. They don't advertise that, in my opinion they should. One note here: Don't let you fool you by the cute baby elephant :-D. Seriously, it still thinks that it is little and that it can play with you, it is about 1 tonne. Nothing to worry, but be aware.