chAI Lai Orchid ecolodge
Live with Rescued Elephants in Chiang Mai
Book a glamping style bungalow that features handmade bamboo furniture, an authentic thatched roof, a private ensuite bathroom. All rooms booked directly through our site include breakfast with elephants. Additional tours, activities, and photography are available a la carte.
A Little Bit of Jungle
Chai Lai Orchid is a true jungle experience, and our bamboo bungalows are designed to let you feel connected to the forest. You’ll notice small openings and gaps in the bamboo walls—these are intentional and allow natural airflow, which is especially important because our jungle accommodations do not have air conditioning.
Because we are surrounded by nature, you may occasionally see or hear insects, geckos, frogs, or other small animals. Most are completely harmless and are simply part of staying in the jungle. And don’t worry—the gaps are not large enough for tigers! 😉
If you are uncomfortable with the idea of sleeping in an open-air, nature-connected bungalow or might be frightened by the occasional insect or small animal, Chai Lai Orchid may not be the right accommodation for you.
We want you to arrive knowing exactly what to expect—and to enjoy the wild, wonderful experience of being surrounded by the jungle.
Book a Room + Photography by DLC
Book a stay that includes breakfast and ‘THE DAISY’ Morning Call Photography session with James of DLC Photography. Additional tours, and activities are available a la carte.
Award winning hotel & eco tours
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.