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.

I've written a lot of reviews, but no more 😓😓 The hotel atmosphere is divided into a riverside room and a mountaintop room. There is a distance on both sides, and there are cars to pick up and drop off. The riverside room can encounter elephants during the day. In contrast, I prefer the quietness of the villa on the top of the mountain. Elephants are there in the morning, and they will come in the evening. Occasionally, people will come at noon, and I will stay for three days. It is beautiful, there are kittens and parrots here. 🦜 Western-style breakfast, you can also try it Thai rice, delicious

The price includes the elephant calling early, that is, there is a very large gecko on the roof at night, and it is not suitable for people who are afraid

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

Wonderful experience! I did the overnight package with bamboo rafting and a jungle trek! Definitely a must do experience to see more of Thailand. Bebe was a great tour guide and made sure we were okay during the 2 days. Wonderful meals were served at the home stay with an incredible breakfast served to your room!

I have been going back and forth about whether or not to write this review and let it go. However, after much contemplation and weeks of feeling pain, I decided it was important for others to be made aware. My husband, sister and I headed to the Chai Lai on the recommendation from a friend who was there about 8 years or so before. I must say, this was to be the one of highlights of a month long trip visiting Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand ending here. We were warmly greeted at the end of the day - I would first off say to try to get mjid day to get settled etc before dark. (one family arrived at midnight disrupting all of the rooms around us because they literally had no idea where to go ... it is DARK). Again, upon arrival, we purchased food to feed the elephants and have a drink then we were driven to our room which was nearly 1/2 mi away. Cozy would be a good description - but ample. It is glamping --- but bed was comfortable. The next morning we purchased food for the elephants and they came to our room and it was fun to feed them right next to our room, one even partially entering our room. Breakfast was also brought to our room, and we ate outside on the table. Important tip is to purchase and book the excursion you are interested in ahead of time. We decided on a full day excursion with a tad of hiking, rafting and visit to the waterfalls. Our wonderful guide, Tip was knowledgeable, warm and friendly. We started out in a different elephant area with a couple of females. The handlers showed us a different technique for having them open their mouths wide and then you plop the food in their mouth. This was the first mishap, when one grabbed my wrist and twisted it, scaring me that it would break. Thankfully, Tip and the handlers were on her quickly and I was fine, nothing broken.... Next we went to an area that had a year old baby and her mama elephant. She was cute and frisky , loocking into our bag. A visit to the river next to bath the elephants. Threw water all over them which they couldn't get enough of. Tip brought the ingredients to BBQ some lunch for us and it was beyond fun and delicious. Over an open fire, he put cut ingredients in a hollowed out piece of bamboo, then put the chicken pieces on sticks and BBQ'd hem. Took a short rafting trip on a bamboo raft with the most competent guide on the water as he carefully maneuvered past people who were stuck. On the rive, we did see another elephant sanctuary with many handlers around the elephants in the water, which actually surprised me how many there were. Lastly we drove, then hiked to a waterfall which was nice, but was crowded and we were not so impressed as we saw people slipping on the wet stones. Then came the disastrous end to our day. When trying the same move at dinner for feeding the elephant, an elephant grabbed my arm and threw me to the ground. I hit the cement wall, my chest hitting the wall, then landing on my knee on the ground. The wind was knocked out of me w

This is a beautiful experience however the check in process for larger groups is hectic , disorganized, and may leave some frustrated. It is also challenging to communicate with the lodge by phone and email to make specific requests or ask questions beforehand. For example I asked for rooms with two beds and they didn’t tell me the second bed would be a thin black mat on the floor! The A farme River rooms are the nicest however they are far away from the main reception and Resturant area. There is no WiFi by the River and you have to hike about 10 mins to your room and 15 mins up a steep hill to catch transport to the main reception mountainside. The mountain rooms are the most convenient to the Resturant and reception where you make bookings for excursions. I would not recommend the garden rooms at all. Bare boned and far from the Resturant and reception. The garden rooms are also the least attractive. What makes up for this is your experience with the elephants. The food and drinks at the Resturant are also very good. Breakfast is the same two options everyday but tasty and beautifully presented. I would stay again but not with a large group. Lower your expectations or don’t have any and you’ll be fine. P.s. The lodge would benefit from better communication and an update to the website with more detailed and accurate descriptions of the rooms, their locations, and on site activities.

A life-altering experience and a truly good cause. This place saves asian elephants and runs Daughters Rising (google it!) while providing very comfortable rustic 'glamping' accommodation amidst the first foothills of the Himalayas. For 3days/2nights we enjoyed great food and drink while taking in stunning views and major quality time with momma and baby elephants...trunk hugs! So memorable was a meandering 1.5 day hike and overnight through jungle and ravine and steep-terraced farms with the engaging guide Napakun, a true ambassador for not only ChaiLaiOrchid but the Karen peoples and his beautiful countryside too. He went above and beyond for us: pointing out flora&fauna&historical significances, cooking simple but delicious meals over open fire with only ingenious bamboo carvings for kitchenware, piloting our bamboo raft, sharing waterfalls and hidden shrines and the inner workings of local villages. We enjoyed many spirited, laughter-filled Charades/gab sessions with Napakun as we navigated our various limitations with the English, Thai and Karen languages, but nevertheless became great, fast friends and shed tears when we reluctantly had to go. If you are an able-bodied trekker seeking the combo of ethical travel paired with excellent hospitality and outdoor adventure, ChaiLaiOrchid is a MUST. Our heartfelt thanks to Napakun and all the lovely staff at ChaiLaiOrchid for our best experience in amazing Thailand...we're already scheming how to return.

We were immersed in a paradise, far from the busy multi-million cities, where animals and people live in complete symbiosis. Thanks to Chelsea, we were accommodated without any problems and felt like we were in our own home. Our cottage was surrounded by breathtaking green rice fields. In the morning, we were woken up by our huge guest, a 40-year-old male elephant, with whom we had breakfast and took pictures. The food offered in the restaurant is an explosion of flavors, perfectly presented, like in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The service is at a very high level. The prices are extremely low for the quality of food offered. While you eat, you are surrounded by elephants again and you can share your lunch with them, of course there were bananas and sugar cane for them. To this day, elephants do not cease to amaze scientists with their intelligence. Size doesn't always go hand in hand with intelligence, but these amazing animals are truly incredibly smart. They communicate not only with the help of sounds, but also with the help of seismic vibrations, kicking the ground with their feet. This method of communication is effective at a distance of up to 30 kilometers. Visiting this is definitely one of the hundred things you should do before you die!

Fabulous time at Chai lai Orchid. We stayed one night at the riverside and had breakfast with the elephants, lovely rustic bungalow sat watching the stars at night. The private tour with Chat and Boo was great. Knowledgable about the elephants and the area and Karen tribe. Had a fab lunch cooked by Chat by the river and swam with the elephants. Chat was great fun and made the day. Thankyou