Chai Lai Orchid Lodge in Chiang Mai – Review

This was a bit of a treat for us in Chiang Mai but we thought it was worth it because:

a) we were in the middle of an elephant camp (yes elephants walking past our windows every morning)

b) the location is high up in the mountains and you’re surrounded by fruit trees, forests and nature!

c) the profits go to provide educational and paid vocational training opportunities to at-risk girls, young mothers and the local people

Most of all this is an unique experience for the both of us, living in a hut all built entirely out of bamboo right by the elephants.

The location is about an 1 hours ride from the centre of Chiang Mai backpackers central and the cost for the two of us was 700 Baht.

You have to cross a bridge to get over to Chai Lai and it’s a bit scary when it is completely dark when we arrived there and not knowing we were so high up.

The place is fab and the girls are really friendly. The atmosphere is great there’s so much adventure to do here – ride, feed, play with the elephants, go bamboo rafting, hiking in the mountains, visit a waterfall or local hilltribe, partake in a homestay, or do some kayaking. They have an endless list that includes some of the Chiang Mai attractions such as temple hopping and Tiger Kingdom.

The bungalow is super cute and cosy. It’s really good fun staying in one of these. They are quite cool at night (they have a duvet for you) and we had both windows open. There is one fan that accommodates the whole room, one fridge and a bathroom. Towels, shampoo, conditioner and bodywash are provided. Everything is pristine clean and a mosquito net protects you from the mosquitos. The bed is super comfy and we had a great sleep before embarking on some crazy activities. You can read what we got upto here.

Breakfast is included in the price, which was fab. There was a huge selection to choose from: fried rice, soup, cereal, a selection of fruits, yoghurt, bread, jam, tea and coffee.

The chill out zone is really cool as you are overlooking the bridge and river below. Meals were a bit out of our budget but nonetheless if you are not a backpacker this is the perfect resort to be in.