3 of my favorite travel experiences in Northern Thailand

How to describe Northern Thailand? Let’s start with the rich cultural heritage from the 13th century. Add in towering mountains, dry waterfalls, rushing rivers, ancient temples, lush green fields, high country tea and coffee plantations, and distinctive cuisine and you start to get the picture.

The largest city in northern Thailand and the second most visited destination in Thailand, Chiang Mai and its little sibling Chiang Rai are great places to base yourself while exploring this amazing region.

Hill tribe communities are another aspect of Northern Thailand’s history. Descendants of nomadic wanderers from Tibet, China and Laos – the Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Hmong, Karen and Mien tribes – call the interspersed green mountains on the neighboring border of northern Myanmar (Burma) home. For centuries they were often considered outcasts; However, this is changing and their special contribution to the history of the region is being honored and respected.

Having recently spent four weeks traveling across northern Thailand, I gained deep insights that made me appreciate my previous visits to this amazing region even more. I prefer to “travel slowly”, immerse myself in the history, understand the area, the people and the culture, meet the locals and do “volunteer deposits” where I can.

This article focuses on three meaningful experiences and activities that have stamped my soul.

1. Volunteering with rescued elephants

The 250-acre Elephant Nature Park (ENP) sits in the lush Mae Taeng Valley, 40 miles north of Chiang Mai. In the year Created in 2003 by Sengduen “Lake” Childert, the sanctuary provides a vacation home for rescued, injured, neglected and elderly Asian elephants. Born in the North, Lek has dedicated her life to supporting the rights of elephants in Asia and working with animals in need through the Asia Save Elephant Foundation (CEF).

These majestic elephants live in natural herds, go about life – grazing in paddocks, playing in mud baths, wading in the river and generally being elephants without any requirement to interact with people, entertain and transport them.

Tip: If you’re on a tight schedule, take a day trip or a 2-day, 1-night tour, although I recommend the 7-day volunteer stay for a fully immersive experience.

Elephant Nature Park 7-day volunteer program activities

Suitable for adults of all ages, this program starts on Monday and includes transfers from Chiang Mai. Accommodation in shared same-sex rooms is available for singles. Families or couples can stay together. A volunteer’s working day is from 8 am to 3 pm, with an hour break for lunch. Three meals a day (delicious vegetarian) are provided, and volunteers contribute 12,000 THB (approximately $330) to ENP for the week.

A maximum of 20 volunteers will be on site every week as extra hands to keep up the necessary work. Preparing food is a big job, with plenty of mouths to feed, 118 elephants eat about 10 percent of their body weight every day, plus buffalo and hundreds of dogs and cats.

The amount of melons, pumpkins, sugarcane and bananas that go into the elephant’s kitchen is eye-popping.

Other duties include cleaning the elephants’ enclosures for foraging and maintenance. Some volunteers travel with workers to collect large quantities of elephant food from local farmers. Then the rescued dogs and cats need feeding, grooming and exercise.

After a communal dinner, optional evening activities include Thai language and culture lessons or perhaps a chat with Founder Lek. An equally rewarding option is sitting by the river and chatting with the volunteers, listening to the sound of the elephants blowing their balsam into the night air.

The most memorable moments

Many moments from the award-winning Elephant Nature Park Week will stay with me. In the afternoon, a special highlight awaited on the banks of the Mae Thang River as herds of individual elephants descended into their enclosures. No mahout (elephant auctioneer) or other leading man was involved – just each herd leader, blowing a horn to urge her men to go faster. The elephants were heading home happy and excited knowing that some tasty treats were waiting inside the enclosure.

2. Hill tribe village stay

Northern Thailand offers many opportunities to visit hill tribe communities, get photos and perhaps buy a trinket. In contrast, lodges like Lisu Lodge, an innovation in community tourism, allow you to stay in the community for a few days and get closer to the daily life of the hill tribes. Your stay is hassle-free, knowing that you are providing direct employment to individuals and money from the business goes back into the community.

Lisu Lodge sits just outside the small village of Ban Chang, in the same Mae Taeng district as the Elephant Nature Park and a 50-minute drive north of Chiang Mai. The primary inhabitants of the village are the Lisu and Aka hill tribes who continue to practice their culture, tradition and lifestyle.

Lodge accommodation and meals

A lodge is four traditional houses set around paddy fields. A total of 20 guests can be accommodated overnight, with most visitors opting for a 2-day, 1-night stay. All guests have their own room and private bathroom. The included delicious dinners and breakfasts are enjoyed together on the spacious covered terrace, providing an opportunity to mingle with other guests.

Upon arrival at the lodge and welcome, an Aka woman named Bowi gave us a tour of the village, giving us an insight into daily life. She told us that the village candle sometimes goes out to meet visitors.

Exploring Wat Ton Lung, a local Buddhist temple and medicinal herb garden, provided great insight into the health benefits of herbs that I only associate with Thai cooking. The village’s vegetable gardens and surrounding rice fields are organic.

Local trips and tours

Guests can take the lodge’s bikes and explore at their own pace or sign up for one of the complimentary activities. These include taking a nature walk with a local guide or lazing down the river on a bamboo raft.

Tip: A must-do excursion is to visit the nearby village-run Araxa Tea Plantation. Take the tour to learn about the tea growing process and get your hands on picking fresh leaf tips. See how tea leaves are processed in an ancient tradition, tour the factory, and sample organically produced, award-winning teas. If time permits, stop for lunch or a snack at their cafe.

I loved seeing the village life up close, the freshness of the delicious food, and the friendliness of the lodge staff and the rice paddies draped in the morning mist. And most of all, I loved the authenticity of the whole experience.

Tip: Visitors can extend beyond the typical 2-day, 1-night stay, and I recommend an extra night. Every excursion is great, and you get to spend more authentic time with the host community.

3. Golden Triangle Luxe Eco Lodge Experience

The mountains to the north and west of Chiang Rai – dubbed the Golden Triangle by the CIA – were once known as the world’s largest opium-producing areas. That situation has changed since the beginning of the 21st century, thanks in particular to the efforts of the Thai royal family.

The region is now famous for its forested mountains, colorful hill tribe communities and high value and quality export crops such as coffee, tea and macadamia nuts. Mountains ranging from 3,500 to 6,550 feet, narrow winding roads and picturesque villages – all worth your time.

A great base for exploration

One place to base yourself for a few days while exploring the region is Phu Chai Sai Resort, less than an hour north of Chiang Rai. Perched atop a bamboo-clad mountain with stunning views of the Mae Salong Valley, Phu Chaisai, which translates as “Mountain of the Clear Heart,” is an eco-lodge created by Thailand’s leading interior designers ML Sudavdee Kriangkrai.

On land that has been held in her family for many years, Pu Chaisa’s design is in harmony with the forest environment and split bamboo is used as a strong design element. Local hill tribe fabrics add color and texture to the rooms, while the fresh mountain air reduces the need for air conditioning. There are no televisions and alarm clocks here.

Fu Chaisai’s overall concept of “less is more” gives you the opportunity to immerse yourself in the rhythm of nature and the remote northern environment.

Walk the marked trails on this 800-hectare organic estate, visit their oolong tea plantation, or learn local cuisine at a cooking school using produce grown in the theme parks. Experience spa treatments incorporating natural aroma oils created from resort-grown plants. Dine on the restaurant’s authentic Northern Thai, Burmese and Akka regional dishes and sip the resort’s organic tea or Arabica coffee from a neighboring farm.

I loved the luxury of dining and enjoying spa treatments with the morning birdsong in the cool morning air, plus knowing that all the ingredients of the products served or served were natural and sourced from the surrounding hills. The resort brings a sense of peace and relaxation.

Other things to do near Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai

Phu Chai Sai is a good base for exploring the nearby region if you have your own vehicle. Less than 20 miles from the resort is the must-visit Doi Tung Palace and the stunning 10-hectare all-climate Mae Fah Luang Garden.

Learn how the royal family has positively impacted this region and hill tribe communities through the Doi Tung Development Project at the Inspiration Hall. Indulge in internationally-awarded ceramics, textiles and handicrafts at the boutiques and enjoy locally brewed Doi Tung coffee.

When to visit Northern Thailand

It is worth considering when to visit Northern Thailand. Although it’s busiest, November to early February is a good time to visit as the daytime temperatures are pleasant and the nights refreshingly cool. From March to May, it is hot and often foggy due to crop burning, so it is not good for people with respiratory problems. From June to October is the rainy season, followed by heavy rain and sunny skies.

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