We flew to Chiang Mai for a weekend getaway. Although Chiang Mai is Thailand second largest city and the most important city in Northern Thailand, we found it to be far more relaxed and less frenetic than Bangkok. The main purpose of our visit to Chiang Mai was to see the elephants and the long neck tribe. We got to see and experience both, so we were very happy that we took this trip.
Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Centre
We traveled about 60km north of Chiang Mai to the Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Centre. Founded in 1969, this was one of the first elephant training centres in Chiang Mai. One of the things that makes this training centre so special, is the natural setting and beauty of the centre and surrounding area. This centre is situated along the Mai Ping River and is surrounded by forests and hills. It is home to over 30 elephants and the training of these elephants only takes place in the mornings. During the afternoons and evenings, the elephants get to enjoy the natural setting and are allowed to return to their natural habitats, where they can breed and live as closely as they would in the wild. We got to the centre early in the morning and were given the opportunity to feed the elephants with bananas and sugar cane. Feeding them was a wonderful experience and it was interesting to see how they use their trunks to hold the fruit and put in into their mouths. Elephants are vegetarians and eat fruit, grass, foliage and twigs. We were surprised to learn that an adult elephant can consume up to 600 pounds of food a day ! No wonder we were told to feed the elephants more than one banana or sugar cane at a time, otherwise they would lose patience (a bunch of bananas or a few sugar cane is probably just a taste, not even a minuscule snack to an elephant!). After feeding some of the elephants, we got to watch the mahouts bath the elephants in the Mae Ping River (a ritual that is done each morning). It was wonderful watching the elephants having fun in the water.
We traveled about 60km north of Chiang Mai to the Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Centre. Founded in 1969, this was one of the first elephant training centres in Chiang Mai. One of the things that makes this training centre so special, is the natural setting and beauty of the centre and surrounding area. This centre is situated along the Mai Ping River and is surrounded by forests and hills. It is home to over 30 elephants and the training of these elephants only takes place in the mornings. During the afternoons and evenings, the elephants get to enjoy the natural setting and are allowed to return to their natural habitats, where they can breed and live as closely as they would in the wild. We got to the centre early in the morning and were given the opportunity to feed the elephants with bananas and sugar cane. Feeding them was a wonderful experience and it was interesting to see how they use their trunks to hold the fruit and put in into their mouths. Elephants are vegetarians and eat fruit, grass, foliage and twigs. We were surprised to learn that an adult elephant can consume up to 600 pounds of food a day ! No wonder we were told to feed the elephants more than one banana or sugar cane at a time, otherwise they would lose patience (a bunch of bananas or a few sugar cane is probably just a taste, not even a minuscule snack to an elephant!). After feeding some of the elephants, we got to watch the mahouts bath the elephants in the Mae Ping River (a ritual that is done each morning). It was wonderful watching the elephants having fun in the water.
After the elephants had their bath, we were given a demonstration on some of the things that the elephants are taught, for example how to walk in a single file, how to walk in pairs, helping the mahouts mount and dismount, picking up small things, dragging logs, and then picking up logs and stacking them. The best however was left to last, when we were treated to a demonstration of a five year old elephant painting a picture. It was amazing and definitely reinforced the fact that elephants are highly intelligent animals.
After the demonstration, we got to take an elephant ride to visit the Lisu Hill TribeVillage in the surrounding area. The ride took us through a lovely tranquil forest, along parts of the Mae Ping River and along a small stream in the forest. There were some parts of the path that were very steep, but we were assured that elephants are very sure-footed. It was one of the most relaxing things we have ever done and we thoroughly enjoyed this experience.
There are many ethnic minority groups that live in Northern Thailand. These ethnic groups are called hill tribes and one of these is the Lisu Hill Tribe. The Lisu people are descendants of a partly nomadic indigenous tribe from Tibet and began settling in Northern Thailand about 80 years ago. The Lisu people rely on farming and selling crafts for their livelihood. The Lisu people are known for their colourful crafts, and the colourful costumes that the women and girls wear. We spent some time walking around this village before taking an elephant ride back to the Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Centre.
After returning to the Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre, we had a delicious Thai lunch and then set about on a bamboo raft for an hour long ride on the Mae Ping River. Along the way we saw some elephants and cows on the banks of the river, and also came across an enterprising lady standing in a shallow section of the river selling cold beverages. This was another wonderful relaxing experience, and a great way to end our visit at the elephant training centre.
Karen Long Neck Hill Tribe - Padaung Village in Chiang-Dao
The Karen Padaung Tribe is another ethnic minority group living in Northern Thailand. The Karen Padaung people are descendants of the Karen tribe living in Burma (also known as Myanmar). The Karen people have fought for independence from Burma for many years and this has led to them suffering oppression and persecution. It has been said that that they are enduring an ethnic cleansing program at the hands of the Burmese. Many have thus fled to Thailand and live in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. The village that we visited is in Chiang-Dao and has been set up by the Thailand government to try and help these people until it can be decided where they go (a very sad situation indeed).
The Karen Padaung women are known for the ornamental brass rings that they wear around their necks, arms and legs. Young girls start wearing these rings at the age of 6 years, with additional rings added over the years. These rings give the appearance of an elongated neck, but what these rings actually do is press the collarbone and vertebrae down, which gives the illusion that the neck is long. The women only remove these rings on their wedding nights, at which time their necks are washed. Other than this occasion the rings remain in place, as the muscles can no longer support the neck alone. We saw a few women who had many rings around their necks and it looked awfully painful and uncomfortable to us, but then again, to them it would probably seem uncomfortable not to have them on. Although it was hard not to notice the rings, we were also struck by some of their beautiful and interesting faces.
Some have likened a village like this to a human zoo and although we did feel a little uncomfortable visiting this village, the reality is that these women rely on donations and the sale of their woven goods for their livelihood. We made sure that we respectful and made sure we left a donation at the village donation box before we left.
The Karen Padaung Tribe is another ethnic minority group living in Northern Thailand. The Karen Padaung people are descendants of the Karen tribe living in Burma (also known as Myanmar). The Karen people have fought for independence from Burma for many years and this has led to them suffering oppression and persecution. It has been said that that they are enduring an ethnic cleansing program at the hands of the Burmese. Many have thus fled to Thailand and live in refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. The village that we visited is in Chiang-Dao and has been set up by the Thailand government to try and help these people until it can be decided where they go (a very sad situation indeed).
The Karen Padaung women are known for the ornamental brass rings that they wear around their necks, arms and legs. Young girls start wearing these rings at the age of 6 years, with additional rings added over the years. These rings give the appearance of an elongated neck, but what these rings actually do is press the collarbone and vertebrae down, which gives the illusion that the neck is long. The women only remove these rings on their wedding nights, at which time their necks are washed. Other than this occasion the rings remain in place, as the muscles can no longer support the neck alone. We saw a few women who had many rings around their necks and it looked awfully painful and uncomfortable to us, but then again, to them it would probably seem uncomfortable not to have them on. Although it was hard not to notice the rings, we were also struck by some of their beautiful and interesting faces.
Some have likened a village like this to a human zoo and although we did feel a little uncomfortable visiting this village, the reality is that these women rely on donations and the sale of their woven goods for their livelihood. We made sure that we respectful and made sure we left a donation at the village donation box before we left.
Wat Suan Dok
Wat Suan Dok is a Buddhist temple that was built in the 14th century. The one feature that makes this temple unique, is the temple's large wiharn (prayer hall) that is open on the sides (other prayer halls are completely enclosed). In addition to visiting the wiharn, we also walked around the large gold and smaller white chedi (bell-shaped towers similar to stupas, that contains the relics of the Buddha). Next to the chedi we also saw a group of white reliquaries, containing the remains of the rulers of Chiang Mai. This is definitely one of the most unique Buddhist temples that we have visited.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is a famous and important Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, and is one of the most revered temples amongst Thai people. It is perched on Suthep Mountain and it said to have been built in 1383. Legend has it that this site was chosen by a white elephant that carried a relic of the Buddha. This elephant reached this spot on the mountain, circled three times, knelt down and then died. This was interpreted as a sign and thus the relic was buried here and covered with a chedi (bell-shaped tower similar to a stupa, that contains the relics of the Buddha).
From the parking lot, we could either access the temple by cable car or up 309 stairs. When we got to the top, we were disappointed to find the 16 metre gold-plated chedi partially covered and surrounded by scaffolding, this due to a big restoration project that is taking place. We could still however make out the beauty of the gold structure. We visited this temple on a Sunday morning and it was streaming with both devotees and tourists, many making offerings in the courtyard surrounding the chedi.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is a famous and important Buddhist temple in Chiang Mai, and is one of the most revered temples amongst Thai people. It is perched on Suthep Mountain and it said to have been built in 1383. Legend has it that this site was chosen by a white elephant that carried a relic of the Buddha. This elephant reached this spot on the mountain, circled three times, knelt down and then died. This was interpreted as a sign and thus the relic was buried here and covered with a chedi (bell-shaped tower similar to a stupa, that contains the relics of the Buddha).
From the parking lot, we could either access the temple by cable car or up 309 stairs. When we got to the top, we were disappointed to find the 16 metre gold-plated chedi partially covered and surrounded by scaffolding, this due to a big restoration project that is taking place. We could still however make out the beauty of the gold structure. We visited this temple on a Sunday morning and it was streaming with both devotees and tourists, many making offerings in the courtyard surrounding the chedi.
