ENP elephant playing in the sand. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Five days in northern Thailand over Thanksgiving was the perfect amount of time to experience many of the highlights, including an overnight in Chiang Rai. November in northern Thailand typically has milder temperatures, which makes it the perfect time of year to visit.
We arrived late in the evening on the first day and took a shuttle van from the airport (they provided car seats) that our Airbnb host had arranged for us. Upon arrival at the Airbnb, we put the kids to bed (it was the best little farm stay) and then were served a welcome dinner that was one of our top meals of the week. They served yellow chicken curry packed with so much flavor we were blown away. The food was phenomenal and the best way to kick off our time in Chiang Mai.
Day 1: Ancient Town
Wat Chedi Luang. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
We enjoyed breakfast at our Airbnb before hopping in a cab to Ancient Town. Our accommodations were located about 25 minutes away from Ancient Town, had a beautiful pool and animals roaming around (including a turkey I gave a wide berth to) and included a fantastic home-cooked Thai breakfast each day. After a quick stop for an iced coffee at Gravity Bistro, we set out to explore the temples. First up, Wat Chedi Luang.
Wat Chedi Luang. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Wat Chedi Luang is one of Chiang Mai’s most important temples. Construction began in 1391 on the order of King Saen Muang Ma to house his father’s ashes. The temple was finally completed almost a century later, in 1475. Sadly, in 1575, an earthquake struck and destroyed much of the pagoda (chedi). A partial restoration was undertaken in the 1990s, but the damage caused is still visible. They were also working on restoration projects on other buildings inside the walled part of the city while we were there.
A monk blessing a scooter in Chiang Mai. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
After nap time for the kids and a pool break for the adults, we ventured back to the ancient town and visited a few more temples, then ended the day with a fabulous dinner at the House by Ginger.
Day 2: Elephant Nature Park
While planning our trip to Thailand, I spent hours researching elephant sanctuaries and through that research, came across renowned conservationist Lek Chailert. Lek has dedicated her life to advocating for ethical elephant practices throughout Asia, creating sanctuaries committed to the rescue and rehabilitation of mistreated elephants.
During my research, I learned that for elephants to be trained to perform for humans or ridden, they undergo a process called phajaan in Thai, which involves breaking their spirit through torture. The elephants are removed from their mothers as babies, chained, beaten, starved and even stabbed in a small box with bull hooks until they submit or, in worse cases, die. If they aren’t used in the tourism industry, the elephants are put to work in logging fields, where they are forced to work tirelessly, often sustaining untreated injuries while performing hard labor.
The day finally came for us to embark on a tour of Elephant Nature Park, the elephant sanctuary and rehabilitation center founded by Lek Chailert in Thailand. ENP is located an hour and a half outside Chiang Mai in the Mae Taeng Valley. We departed in a shuttle from their Chiang Mai office, making one stop during our journey to the sanctuary. As we entered the valley, we began seeing other sanctuaries nearby and glimpses of elephants as we drove past, peaking the excitement of everyone in the van.
Our family at ENP. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
We opted for the half-day tour since we were traveling with our two young children. We arrived at ENP around 9:45 a.m. and were shown our assigned table, where we could leave anything we wanted to and where we would have our vegetarian lunch after the tour. We reconvened with our guide for the day and started our tour where they prepare the food for the animals on site.
In addition to elephants, the sanctuary also houses rescued buffalo, boar, goats, cats, and dogs, which require a substantial amount of food. We walked by shelves loaded with bananas, mounds of shucked corn and piles of watermelons prepped by dedicated staff and volunteers who spend their vacation days volunteering at ENP. Each elephant also receives a cake on their birthday (sponsored by digital donors who receive a video of the elephants receiving the cakes, a tradition that was started during COVID-19), so several were prepared on a table nearby to be taken out to the elephants. The sheer volume of food as we walked through was remarkable.
A volunteer at ENP prepping food for the elephants. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Next, we moved outdoors to where the elephants freely roamed the sanctuary. Having just spent time in South Africa the previous summer, I quickly realized how much smaller the Asian elephant is than the African elephant—other differences I noticed were in their head shape and ear size.
We continued our walk, catching up to a group of elephants just receiving their brunch. Sensing the arrival of the food, a baby trotted over and made sure to wiggle her way into a spot on the feeding platform between the older ladies already partaking in the vegetarian delights.
We spent the next hour and a half slowly meandering around the park, learning about the elephants we encountered along our walk. As we approached one of the last elephants on our tour, I immediately noticed her gait seemed off. As we got closer, it became apparent she had sustained a terrible injury. Medo came from the logging industry, where an accident left her with a broken ankle that went untreated for a long time. When her previous owners realized she could no longer work, they forced her into a pen for breeding purposes. The male bull she was caged with dislocated her hip in an attempt to mate, exacerbating her injuries further.
By the time Medo was rescued and brought to the ENP, there was nothing they could do to fix her ankle. Her story is just one of many like this as you walk around and see first-hand the results of human mistreatment of these beautiful animals. The backs of elephants are wholly worn down from being ridden and limps of other elephants who sustained injuries while logging, being chained up or performing for tourists. The magnitude of the mistreatment weighs heavily when you are staring at it directly in front of you.
Elephants at ENP. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
To care for the elephants and other animals, ENP has nine veterinarians on-site, with three specializing in elephants and the remaining six serving as general practitioners.
As the tour ended, we were left to reflect on the experience and enjoy a buffet lunch before hopping the shuttle back to Chiang Mai.
The sanctuary model created by Lek is being utilized in other parts of Thailand and Southeast Asia, where the shift from riding and watching elephants perform to solely enjoying them in their natural habitat is slowly gaining traction.
Per ENP, “Elephant Nature Park encourages elephant owners and tourism operators to adopt ethical practices for the well-being of elephants under their care. To further promote responsible elephant tourism, Asian Elephant Projects was established to support various Saddle Off projects throughout Thailand, representing a significant advancement in the way these projects operate.
The Saddle Off model seeks to elevate the living conditions of captive Asian elephants by eliminating the burden of elephant riding and performing in shows, while still enabling owners to sustain their livelihood through responsible tourism. By creating a stress-free environment, these programs provide elephants with the opportunity to roam, socialize, and forage in natural habitats, while allowing visitors to have an authentic and intimate interaction with these gentle giants.”
The Elephant Nature Park in Thailand spans approximately 200 acres, housing over 100 elephants on site. As they continue to rescue elephants, the need for additional space will inevitably arise. They also have a sister sanctuary in Cambodia, the Cambodia Wildlife Sanctuary, which is home to a 32,000-acre jungle habitat preserve featuring three elephants and other wildlife.
If you’re planning a trip to Chiang Mai, I highly recommend ENP. They offer various ways to get involved through volunteer efforts, as well as full-day and half-day tours for visitors.
Day 3: Breakfast, then more temples
Our son at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Our third day brought more temples, starting with Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. To get up to this golden temple, you must ascend 300 steps. With our kids in the carrier packs, we went up. At the top, we removed our shoes and enjoyed strolling around the ornate temple. Up the road from the temple are a campground and a lookout point, so after we walked to that, we made our way back to our farm stay. In the early afternoon, my friend who was with us and I went out and got fine-line elephant tattoos, an optional stop on your itinerary, ha!
Early evening brought a few more temples around the ancient town, including Wat Sri Suphan, a stunning silver temple (though men are only allowed inside the main temple). Next door, local artisans are working on various projects. Dinner time brought us to Aroon Rai, a restaurant that received notoriety as one of the places Anthony Bourdain ate at while filming A Cook’s Tour in 2002.
Wat Sri Suphan. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Day 4: Overnight trip to Chiang Rai
Instead of doing just a day trip to Chiang Rai, we opted for an overnight trip since our flight on our last day was not until 11 p.m. That gave us roughly two days in the Chiang Rai area to explore. If you don’t have time for an overnight stay, various tour groups offer various day trips, which are great since they include transportation to each location and back to Chiang Mai.
We hired a private shuttle driver with car seats to take us from Chiang Mai to the White (Wat Rong Khun) and Blue Temples (Wat Rong Suea Ten) in Chiang Rai before dropping us off at our hotel for 4,500 Thai Baht ($125). The trip is roughly two and a half hours by car. After we arrived at our hotel, we grabbed a late lunch at the resort while waiting for our rooms to become available.
That evening, we enjoyed a lovely dinner and drinks at the resort restaurant at Le Meridien (Marriott family) overlooking the water. We decided once we arrived in Thailand to stay overnight in Chiang Rai, and I am so glad we did. There is so much to do up there, and I wish we had spent an extra full day to see the Golden Triangle. The mountainous countryside is beautiful, with pineapple fields, tea fields, and, of course, stunning temples. There are also several waterfalls within an hour of Chiang Rai that would be worth checking out.
Day 5: Temples, village, tea plantation, airport
Choui Fong Tea Plantation. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
Through our resort, we hired a guide to take us to a few more sites around Chiang Rai before driving us back to the airport in Chiang Mai in the evening. We started the morning at Wat Huay Pla Kang, Goddess of Mercy Chiang Rai, then made our way to the Karen Hill Tribal Village nearby.
Wat Huay Pla Kang Goddess of Mercy Chiang Rai. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
We finished our morning at the Choui Fong Tea Plantation. The views from the tea plantation are stunning, and to get there, you drive through miles of pineapple fields and countryside.
On our way back to Chiang Mai, we stopped at one more temple, Wat Saeng Kaeo Phothiyan (which felt a little cluttered and like a theme park inside with all of the statues), and then witnessed a beautiful sunset as we walked back to our shuttle for the airport.
Wat Saeng Kaeo Phothiyan. (Photo by Erin Henderson)
If you are planning a visit to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, a week is ideal for seeing many of the major sites. When we travel with our kids, we try not to pack our schedules as full so they have some downtime in between visiting the sites and we were all experiencing some temple fatigue towards the end of the trip. Despite the temple fatigue, we highly enjoyed Thailand. If you are traveling with older children or no children, you will be able to fit in even more. The food was outstanding, the people were incredibly welcoming and the scenery was unbeatable.
About the Author
For 15 years, Erin Henderson has been a photographer capturing compelling stories around the world – from travel and food to conservation and military life. She’s published internationally and mentors entrepreneurs from her base in Stuttgart, Germany. You can find more of her work at erinhendersonmedia.com.
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