Why Travel With US? » Chai Lai Orchid

TRAVEL Better

When You Book an Experience with Us, You Support Human Rights and Help Rescue Elephants

Why Choose Chai Lai?

Help Elephants

Over the years, we have rescued more than 15 elephants from abusive practices. At the Chai Lai Orchid, we do not support the buying or selling of elephants so baby elephants get to stay with their mothers.

no abuse

The elephants we love and support are trained each day through positive reinforcement, helping them learn to respond to voice commands. Managing them responsibly helps us ensure these elephants can safely receive veterinary care because they trust the humans around them.

Social Good

Because we are a social business we prioritize people over profit. 100% of our proceeds are donated to Daughters Rising, an anti-trafficking organization that helps at-risk women and girls.

Gender Equality

We have made it a point to support women, which is why 90 percent of our leadership is female. We pride ourselves on providing job and learning opportunities for ethnic minority women and refugees, with the majority of staff from Karen communities, local and further afield. We look upon our staff as family. They receive food, shelter AND we pay them fair wages.

Community-Based Tourism

Nature here is pristine because the local community pays the price to maintain it but too often the primary beneficiaries are multinational tour operators, who retail these assets. Chai Lai Orchid is a community-based travel project that is a partnership with indigenous stakeholders. From our locally sourced food to hiring an all indigenous team we are committed to making contributions to the natural areas we love to visit and which are in danger of being loved to death.

Justice Tourism

Our tours create economic opportunities for the local indigenous community and refugees, We are a small grassroots organization. Unlike a chain hotel, you can be sure that the money you spend here stays right here in the local community, not off to a corporate office in New York or Shanghai. We love Mae Wang.

Eco Friendly

Chai lai Orchid not a five-star hotel but you can see thousands of stars from the view here. We believe nature is the ultimate luxury so we’ve strived to make our hotel a low impact as possible while providing unforgettable experiences. As humans we must improve our relationship with nature, understanding its value and putting that value at the heart of our decision- making. Travellers love to visit the waterfalls of Mae Wang, the cloud forests of Doi Inthanon and of course the elephants.

Value-Based

Chai Lai Orchid offers you the best experiential travel and tours at affordable prices. We aim to keep our prices as low as we can. We want to share what we are passionate about with as many people as possible after all! But, we also believe that everyone we work with, from guides to housekeepers, as well as the elephants, deserves a fair wage, time off and fun experiences outside of working hours. Chai Lai Orchid also provides food, blankets and mosquito needs to those in need in our community.

Location - Unspoilt tranquility at your fingertips

Deep within the mountains yet just one hour drive from old Chaing Mai.

Whether you prefer to relax with a sundowner on the edge of the forest beside a gently flowing river, or to wake up in the clouds and enjoy your breakfast overlooking a panoramic view of the mountains, you will find yourself immersed in the most beautiful natural environment.

Private Custom Tours

Do you want to escape the crowds and have a private tour or one custom made just for your group? We are here for you, to create jungle magic and authentic experiences for the once-in-a-lifetime memories that you will always keep in your heart. Let us know what you long for, bespoke tours are our specialty.

Trust - Ethical Storytelling

We practise honest marketing and realistic business approaches because we believe that to truly help this magnificent species, people must be made aware of the reality of the situation. Only then can they justifiably advocate for elephants and their environment.

Education is key

We know that education may be an every-day occurrence for most of our guests but for our staff it is an amazing opportunity to change their lives for the better. So we treat every moment of our days as a new opportunity to learn something new from each other and we include our guests into this concept. Whether it is a new phrase in your language or something from your country you can share with our Chai Lai Orchid family or it is something you learn from them about their culture and amazing food. There is never a day without something we can learn and share with each other.