An eye-opening trip to Chiang Mai - Part 2

Many short trips around Chiang Mai are available for the tourists. Usually the packages include a touch of nature like few hours walk in the forest, a short visit to hill tribe villages, swimming in the waterfall, elephant riding or bamboo rafting. I took up a day trip with the shortest itinerary to be safe for the aching back. It was just a small group with two ladies from England and two girls (I just guess by their appearance) from Japan and a lady tourist guide. All women - let's have fun...

The elephant ride into the forest is quite an experience. Not sure how it was started to become an attraction, but it seems to be a good alternative for the elephant owners. As the machinery is more advanced and the regulation for logging are stricter, these elephants became idle. With the need to feed 2500kg a day (as per the guide), they are too expensive for keeping without income. Now those elephants bring the tourist for a ride of about 45 minutes and and I hope the owners earn enough to feed them.

I think even the elephants build up a habit if they were repeatedly treated the same way. We bought bananas for the elephants. While we were on the back of the elephant, we feed the elephant - a banana at a time. The elephant learns to ask for the banana before stepping up on the slopes. It would put up one fore leg on the little bump and wait to move another leg until the rider gave a banana.

This view with paddy field, the nearby hills and forest is a very simple sight in many Asian countries. Although it didn't make me so much excited, it grabbed the attention of the westerners I met on the one-day trip. They were so much interested in the plant that was grown in the field, and also amazed by the beauty and serenity of the nature. We walked through the shady trees and get into the forest.


It was a very refreshing stop at the waterfall. The facilities - a restaurant and some toilets were not fascinating but good enough for the short rest. On the way back from the water fall, we walked through the banana plantation. It was not as green and fine as Ayung River Canyon in Bali, Indonesia but interesting enough to create a day trip. While walking in the jungle which is nothing different from my grandparents' village, I keep on thinking about how an ordinary place can be turned into a tourist attraction.

We visited two villages where the tribes live. The village were set up with some houses which were unique to each tribe, hand weaving equipment, and some shops selling mixtures of their hand-made and machine-made clothing. We, curious ladies, were trying to judge how much is authentic and how much is prepared for attracting the tourists.


I would say that I had a chance to see Thais' rural live while rafting along the quiet stream. They love to drink - either soft drink or beer. There were many small huts on the bank along the stream. They look like custom-built for picnics. I saw some youngsters and middle-aged couples having fun on the huts and on the rafts as well. That is one way we could simply enjoy life.

I enjoyed the day trip which brought me back to my childhood holidays at my grandparents' home village and a reflection "I can be happy in any place if I wish to be".

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