e-mail : cmct@chiangmai-online.com
[Chiang Mai Carnival Tour T.A.T. LICENSE 23-0137 chiangmai-carnival.com]

Chiang Dao Elephant Camp

Chiang Dao is a town situated north of Chiang Mai, famous for its Elephant Camp and Elephant show. You arrive at the camp after a drive along picturesque routes - winding around the bends of the road high above the Mae (River) Ping.

The 40 minute show begins with a majestic procession of elephants marching up the Mae (River) Ping. Then it is bath time - with much splashing and trumpeting. Later, the elephants demonstrate how they move large teak logs as if they were matchsticks, a skill employed for more than a century in the teak forests of the North.

Boat Ride down Mae Kok River
(Please note: ON PRIVATE BASIS ONLY: Extra Charge THB 800 per boat)

When you pass Chiang Dao, the road then runs through tall teak forests before entering the plains around Fang and from there you arrive to Tha Thon.

After a lunch on the riverside, a boat can carry you (and up to 7 passengers) for a one-hour journey down the Mae Kok River, on the way to Chiang Rai (the capital of Thailand most northerly province - 180 kms -112 miles- from Chiang Mai), that will take you past hilltribes villages (cf. Doi Suthep Route) and grasslands.

Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phra Kaeo

Two temples in Chiang Rai are worth a close examination: Wat Phra Singh and Wat Phra Kaeo.

Wat Phra Singh is a modern temple distinguished by a pair of doors designed and carved by a local artist. The guardians both don penises, one in the shape of a serpent and the other, an elephant's head... - Wat Phra Kaeo is a fine example of Lanna-style architecture - the viharn having lacquered doors and a carved wooden gable. The temple is believed to have been the original residence of the Emerald Buddha - which is now kept in the temple of the same name in Bangkok.

Wat Phra Singh.

Chiang Rai city pillars.

Mae Sai and the Golden Triangle

Mae Sai is the northernmost point in Thailand (some 870 kms from Bangkok). There, at the Ruak River Bridge, the Burmese border - closed except to locals for decades - is now open to foreigners doing a day trip (the fee to the Burmese authorities is 10 U.S. $). For a couple of hours, you'll have the opportunity to make some exotic shopping - the town of Tachilek trading all kinds of goods from Burmese jade (cf. Shopping Tour) and antiques to coins and stamps (plus fishing tackle and videos).

The Golden Triangle -- the world-famous point where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet. You can take a photograph of the signpost marking the junction - and then climb in a boat for a 'cruise' around numerous islands in the Mekong. A 15-minute journey to a Laotian island will give you the chance to try and maybe take away some 'beer lao' or other indigenous products.

The signpost marking the junction.

A view of the Mekong River delta.

Suan Charin Resort

As you'll probably be rather exhausted by now, it's a good idea to make a break on your way back from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. You can take a rest at Suan Charin Resort, a complex of luxury bungalows in picturesque settings - where you can have delicious coffee, cake and pie. In addition, there are plenty of very beautiful roses to admire.

e-mail : cmct@chiangmai-online.com
[Chiang Mai Carnival Tour T.A.T. LICENSE 23-0137 chiangmai-carnival.com]

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