Chai Lai Orchid Reviews

Best vacation ever, amazing experience with elephants. We stayed at riverside, its a cute bamboo lodge, my son jumped into the river anytime he wants. We joined the full day jungle tour, our guide Sam was fantastic. He knows the village very well, very fun to hangout with. The elephants are definitely the star over there, my son didn't want to leave in the end of the trip. Highly recommend.

nice place can play with elephants anytime, a lot of dogs and feel like quite freedom, countryside and relaxing. facilities not really good and have to say , really worth to try this different experience, btw the stars in the night are amazing. wonderful experience

Exceptionally nice stay. The location is very idyllic, quiet and you can really relax and switch off. The highlight are the elephants. The staff is very nice and helpful, the food is delicious and sufficient. Clear recommendation!!! One Life Time Experience

Riverside cottage, a bit far from restaurants and main events, lots of bugs, but still a very special experience

This accommodation cannot be compared with normal hotels. I stayed in the room on the edge of the river. The room was very primitive. There was no air conditioner, no signal, no WiFi, no phone, no towel, toothbrush, slippers, only shower gel, bottled water and an electric fan. The mountain road is really difficult to walk, especially on rainy days. My elephant call that morning was cancelled because the water level was too high for the elephants to come over on a rainy day. The host is not very professional, so I have to take the initiative to ask. The call was cancelled early and no one notified me. I was waiting in the room stupidly because there was no phone in the room, no WiFi, and the mobile phone had no signal in the village room. If you have anything, you have to walk to the reception to ask. Long distances are dirt roads. In fact, it is much more convenient to live in the mountains. But I still think it's worth it. Although not an enjoyable experience. But it's a really special process. I chose to take a bath with an elephant for 1200 baht per person. It was fun. This is an elephant conservation purpose. There will be a chance to go again.

Great stay and all the staff so hard working and lovely.

Booking here was honestly an absolute disaster, but the activities and elephant experience was absolutely wonderful. I emailed a few months in advance after being confused by all the options online to confirm my booking. There are several room options and I am honestly still very confused how to book which room you want. At check in, the employees did not know we were spending the night and thought we were only doing the Doi Inanthonan tour, which was concerning. Upon arrival, we immediately went into the tour of Doi Inanthanon. It would have been nice to have some time to put our things in our room, change, etc, and we did feel a bit rushed into the activity. The highlight of the tour was definitely the hike led by a local Thai woman and the lunch following. It was lovely and probably one of the best meals I had during my time in Thailand. There was alot more driving involved in this tour than I expected. An hour to the park and another two hours back at the end of the day. Once we got back to Chai Lai Orchid, they told me I couldn’t have two nights in the private bungalow, I would need to have one in one spot and the second night in the other. This was confusing, but whatever. They mentioned the private bungalow we would have the next time was new and had a bathtub. Breakfast the next morning with the elephants was lovely. We then started our hike to the waterfalls with our tour guide, Sion. Sion is an absolute light and we absolutely adored him. He did everything perfectly and was such a fun host and leader. This hike was literally the hardest thing I’ve ever done and took MUCH longer than the website leads on. We did the hike to the waterfall from around 9:30am to 3:30pm and all the other activities on the tour the following day. This hike was not beginner mode but so fun. The lunch he made us, including the vegetarian soup with lemongrass, mushrooms, and cucumbers was so delicious and one of my favorite things I ate in Thailand. After the hike, we went back to Chai Lai Orchid to get our luggage and checkout. I was confused why we were checking out in the middle of our stay, but again, whatever. Then, we drove to our bungalow which ended up being a home stay in the Karen village. I think we would have enjoyed ourselves here and it seemed like a lovely experience, but not what I booked. I looked back at emails and confirmed I had emailed them a few months back to confirm I wanted 2 nights in the private bungalow. I just don’t think anyone actually read my email or saw I had questions about booking and wanted to make sure I was booking the correct option. Also, this obviously was not the new bungalow with the bathtub. I emailed Chai Lai Orchid to ask them if we could still go to the private bungalow and they did solve the issue. It still was not the room I requested with the bathtub, but whatever, it was a beautiful room with a beautiful view of the river. At the end of the next day we were pretty confused about transpiration. Sion told us he w

FANTASTIC experience, highly recommended. The staff was wonderful. We stayed at the Karen Village Homestay and it exceeded our expectations! Clean accommodations, great food, hot water with a private bathroom, and a creek running behind our bungalow. The elephant excursion was truly amazing! A true experience that will be forever remembered.

Our family did a one day private tour with chai lai orchid. The guide Tatoo was very patient and full of smiles! We had a very pleasant and healing time bonding with the locals and observing rescue elephants. Chai lai orchid’s location is very serene and picturesque. This tour is very suitable for seniors and children.

An amazing experience that we will never forget. Our brilliant guide, Chai was extremely knowledgeable and it was very insightful to have a tour given by a local. We had a great time with the elephants, which seemed to be treated very well with care.

Unforgettable 2 day experience - the guides Son and Pohp couldn’t do enough for us and prepared a sumptuous lunch in the jungle during our trek. The accommodation was perfect, next to the river in cosy, comfortable bamboo tiny houses. The trek is a proper walk and was sloppy in parts due to the recent rain. Fed the elephants, learned about them, bathed with them, walked with them in such a natural environment. Loved it all, thanks for the special memories!

We had the most incredible stay at Chai Lai Orchid, it was definitely the highlight of our trip to Thailand. We did the full day experience with our guide Sunny, who was incredibly helpful, knowledgeable and kind. Feeding and walking with the elephants was just amazing, and our lunch by the river was absolutely delicious. Rafting past more elephants and visiting a waterfall too, so much crammed in to one day. The whole day was perfect, more than we could have dreamed for. The food and cocktails at the cafe were so good, and our room was perfect. Feeding the elephants again at happy hour and breakfast was a real treat. I cannot recommend this experience enough, it was perfect for us as a family, memories we’ll cherish forever.

Chai Lai Orchid is truly one of the most unforgettable places I’ve ever stayed. Nestled deep in the jungle outside of Chiang Mai, this eco-lodge is not just a beautiful retreat—it’s part of a mission that matters. From the moment we arrived, we were immersed in the lush natural surroundings, welcomed by the kindest staff, and of course—greeted by elephants. We had the incredible opportunity to feed, bathe, and learn about these gentle giants in a way that felt respectful and meaningful. Every experience, from the river sessions to bamboo rafting to waking up to the sound of nature, felt magical and grounding. What sets Chai Lai apart is their partnership with Daughters Rising, helping empower women and refugees escaping trafficking and hardship. Knowing our stay supported this mission made the experience even more powerful. Our bungalow was tucked away with breathtaking views, the on-site café served delicious, fresh meals, and the entire stay felt like a once-in-a-lifetime adventure. If you’re looking for more than just a vacation—if you want to connect with nature, people, and purpose—this is the place. And if you book a professional photo session which I HIGHLY recommend, go with Pern - she's awesome!

So many magical experiences to be had! Beautiful area -- Elephants aplenty. Satik was the perfect guide for our elephant adventures, keeping us informed, entertained, and safe.