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  • Writer's pictureEllen

Chiang Mai: Oh My Buddha



Last week, I spent the weekend in Chiang Mai, the northern part of Thailand. It is known for its slightly cooler temperatures than the rest of Thailand. Some quick facts about this city:

  • After Bangkok, Chiang Mai is the second largest city in all of Thailand

  • Chiang Mai's city center is surrounded by a walled moat, also called the Old City

  • The city area of Chiang Mai is home to about 300 Buddhist temples

  • There are about 200,000 people living in Chiang Mai City

  • Chiang Mai is also home to Doi Inthanon, the highest mountain in Thailand which is just about 2,500 meter high

One of the main reasons I wanted to visit this region was my wish to volunteer for 1 day at an elephant sanctuary. 'Elephant Heaven' is a special, small group "Saddle Off!" program in cooperation with a Northern Thai Lanna settlement. These young elephants used to spend their lives moved from street begging, performing elephant to elephant riding service. The elephants owner wanted to bring the elephants home to provide a better life. Now these young elephants are living under the care of their owner in natural surroundings, getting the space and freedom to be themselves.


As a volunteer, we wore traditional Lanna garments, prepared food and fed the elephants, enjoyed a short walk with them in their natural habitat and observed the elephant’s natural behavior while they were walking in the forest. Next, we let the elephants take a mud bath and bathed them in a pond.


For lunch, we could enjoy a delicious vegetarian buffet, trying a spicy salad and yellow noodles in a coconut curry soup with tofu. It was pretty hot (understatement), so the fresh papayas and fruits helped a lot afterwards.


Did you know...

  • Elephants eat for 18 hours a day, that means about 250 kg!

  • They sleep 3 to 4 hours a day

  • Pregnancy last 18 to 24 months

  • Young elephants lay down to sleep, elder ones keep standing

How can you help elephants? They are several options to support these amazing creatures, please check it out here.


Now, let's talk about Doi Inthanon, one of the most beautiful national parks in Thailand. It's famous for its waterfalls, few trails, remote villages, picturesque montane farms, viewpoints, sunrise/sunset watching, birdwatching and the all year round cold weather on higher elevations. Also known as "The Roof of Thailand", Doi Inthanon National Park covers an area of 482 km². The highest peak is at Doi Inthanon Mountain being the highest mountain in Thailand. The park has high humidity and cold weather all year round.


Spending 1 day at the park, I got to discover a lot of different things like the Ang Ka Luang Nature Trial. It's a shorter circular boardwalk nature trail slightly on the opposite side from the trail to the summit. The habitat around the boardwalk is magical, very dense and mossy. I loved the fresh air so much. Also the Two Chedis were a must see, known as Twin Pagodas. Slide away through the pictures and get a taste yourself ;-).


The Wachirathan Waterfall is one of the most impressive waterfalls in the park. With around 40 meters height and the impressive wide look, it is no doubt one of the most beautiful things I saw there. Sirithan Waterfall is another one that can only be seen from a viewpoint not too far from the falls. It's not possible to get all the way down to the waterfall though.


Last but not least, we met a local tribe in the village of Sobhad, where we learned more about the local community, their culture and way of life. We got to taste some homemade coffee, tried fresh pad thai & passion fruits, learned about the traditional clothing and so much more (such as meeting these cute little pigs).


My next article coming up is about saying goodbye as it's the end of the Fund Isaan program, but it's not really an end though... More to come.

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