Chai Lai Orchid

Everything about it - the staff were wonderful, great food and drinks, spectacular views, room was gorgeous. And of course, the elephants!!!

Everything plenty of time with the elephants and the location

Wish it had sold coffee at the Cafe but that was okay I asked and ended up with some

Unique experience, surrounded by nature and nice staff

Doesn’t have ac and the bedrooms are too open but it’s part of the experience

Elephants all the time. What more can you ask for?

Room is very rustic! We expected it but were surprised at just how rustic. Like, if you're not under the mosquito net you're exposed in the room rustic. Go for it! It's fun. ☺️

We were blown away by our stay in Chai Lai Orchid. We began by doing a two-day hike through the countryside to a Karen village where we spent the night. The trek was fascinating and our really outstanding guide, Cam, shared his enthusiasm and knowledge of the local area, people and nature. He cooked a great lunch for us which we ate by the river. The return trip involved a bamboo raft ride along the river which was great fun. Once back at Chai Lai Orchid we were treated to some one on one time with several elephants which we found very moving, culminating in a dip in the river with a couple of elephants. Such an amazing experience. Every morning we had a delicious, beautifully presented breakfast on our verandah and were visited by two elephants and their mahout. We were able to feed them bananas and sugar cane - an unforgettable experience that we never grew tired of despite staying four nights!Our room was very spacious and airy. We loved looking out over the open bathroom 'wall' and seeing the beautiful changing skies and countryside.The cafe/bar/restaurant was a busy place offering hot drinks, beautifully presented cocktails (which were very popular during happy hour!!!) and really good meals. The staff were friendly and attentive.We were also very impressed by the ethos of the place and its work amongst refugees and local young women, all of whom were given life-changing opportunities for education and training. There was also an opportunity in the restaurant to buy an extra meal which would contribute towards the support of refugees and other vulnerable people in their care.All in all an amazing and unforgettable experience which we'd highly recommend.

Nothing at all.

Wow the stay was magical with elephant wake up call with breakfast and so many opportunities to feed and observe the elephants great value for money. The only thing I’d say is our “hut” wasn’t fully enclosed so we had lots of bugs and lizards in with us which didn’t bother us too much. We did get 2 loud geckos for the first two nights that kept us up but staff were brilliant and so friendly helping to get rid of them! We ended up staying 3 nights rather than 4 and I’d say 2 nights would be perfect amount!

The environment and staff was amazing . Also the experience with elephants and banana and ice cream as well

The elephants and the breathtaking scenery

This hotel was a huge letdown—completely disorganized. We arrived at 4 PM, eager to check in, but by 8 PM, we were still stuck in the hotel café, exhausted, with all our luggage, waiting for a room that should have been ready hours ago.I had reserved a quadruple room with a mountain view nine months in advance, only to find out they had given it away to someone else. Instead of the scenic view I paid for, they tried to put us in a shabby, windowless room that didn’t even come close to what we expected.To make things worse, the hotel is spread out across different locations, requiring a shuttle truck to transport guests up and down the mountain. They kept shuttling us back and forth, unsure of where to place us, treating us like misplaced luggage. Eventually, they decided to evict the guests who had mistakenly been given our room and clean it for us, which meant even more waiting—this time, in complete darkness, in the middle of the jungle, with all our belongings.When we finally got the room we had booked, it looked nothing like the photos. The advertised rugs, sun loungers, and colorful mattresses were nowhere to be found. While it was better than the first room, it was still far from what we expected. The pictures they use for promotion are completely misleading.As compensation, they offered us two burgers and a fruit plate—hardly enough to make up for the ordeal. To be fair, the staff was kind and apologetic, doing their best to fix things, but the booking system was an absolute mess. Apparently, they allowed two different guests to book the same room. Honestly, we were lucky they even had enough rooms for everyone.Checking out was another hassle—they tried to charge me again for drinks I had already paid for in the café. Be sure to keep proof of payment because they automatically add everything to your room bill at checkout.We were also supposed to have an “elephant wake-up” experience with breakfast delivered at 9 AM.

The property is amazing! In the jungle but really clean! The staff make the stay they are so helpful and couldn’t do enough for you ! The dogs are so friendly and looked after A must do trip and worth every penny

Nothing it’s amazing but if I’m being picky space for clothes to hang or shelves Would be good to see where the elephants are kept as we only see them when being brought up

I could write a 10 page essay about this place and how utterly beautiful it is. But honestly just go. See for yourself. Book it and go. Real bucket list stuff. For info we stayed at Mountain View 1. Huge Villa and a perfect location ??

Literally nothing . Oh if I’m being picky, there’s not much in the way of storage in the villa. A little unit or dressing table or something would be nice ??

The whole thing was amazing! Please look out for rocket I named him the puppy he’s new to the gang and arrived alone he’s so precious! I spent more time with him !!

Magical experience staff amazing and the time with the elephants was a dream come true! Also food and drinks delicious!

I had seen other rooms nicer than the one we had but it was still ok

The staff were really sweet and kind - always went the extra mile. The elephants at times are just roaming around with their caretakers. You get an elephant morning wake up where you get to feed them as part of the stay. And there’s a happy hour from 3-5pm where you can pay like £1 to feed them bananas and sugarcane. The rooms are really nice and clean - but they are relatively basic and you’re in the jungle so there’s insects about. Although none that I found in the living area.

The location was beautiful and the elephant’s really made the trip

The property itself was very basic but that’s to be expected in a mountain village. The food was ok, the staff work hard and were very friendly the only downside was the dogs barking and howling all night long. They come up from the village and run round all night barking at each other, I had a very sleepless night and couldn’t face staying our second night so we checked out and came back down to Chiang mai. The activities they provide at a cost are amazing, I was sorry we couldn’t stay our two nights but listening to those dogs for another night none stop would have ruined the whole stay. I think they should advise that this happens, I certainly couldn’t fall asleep listening to the sounds of nature as the say on their website ( this was the mountain side not the riverside)

Such a beautiful location. The staff are incredible, so friendly and helpful. Nothing is too much trouble for them and they go the extra mile to make your trip memorable. A big thank you to Charlie our wonderful tours guide! The food and drinks are great and good value for money. The huts you stay in overnight are basic but comfortable. The elephants are so well cared for and they are loved by all there. Such a wonderful experience and can’t wait to go again!

The staff are amazing and very friendly! The elephants were the highlight of our stay and we wished it would never end! You could tell that the elephants were well taking care of as were the stray dogs :)

There was absolutely nothing I didn’t like about the property or my stay there. The rooms were so lovely and spacious

Loved the Elephants wake up call woth breakfast brought to your room (included in the booking price)We loved elephant happy hour sipping cocktails and feeding the elephants. The day trips on offer were great. The rooms are basic but they fit into the natural surroundings of the mountains and have all you need for a few nights stay. Great food, atmosphere amd cheap prices. There is a camp fire each night also .

The room could have done with a fridge. It was impossible to keep anything cold.

Absolutely unique and fantastic experience! Nature, animals, lovely people, food, everything is amazing! The creators of this sanctuary did great job!

We loved everything about it! Just be ready for chilly nights in Jan-Feb, as it’s the mountains in the north, especially at riverside. And the simplicity of the bungalows may be surprising, but it actually adds to the ambiance! ❤️Also, there came a bit of a mess at the check-in, but they are trying their best, please be patient.

It was absolutely incredible!The whole experience, the way you could interact with the elephants continuously! The food was insane and such good value, all the tour guides were friendly and it was so varied with places to sit and relax!

Nothing, honestly 10/10! Would love to come back

The breakfast was amazing brought to your room to enjoy at your leisure and the bonus is the elephants come along as well

A shelf in the washroom would have been handy