Doi Suthep — Attraction in Chiang Mai Province

Authentic, unforgettable experience at an ethical elephant rescue park! After a scenic drive past picturesque rice paddies, the elephant tour takes you into the forest to an actual elephant rescue homestay where you bathe, feed, and walk with several elephants (no riding allowed). Get as close as you want by feeding them the free elephant food provided (bananas and bamboo). Then bathe them in a creek and put those pics on insta. Next, walk with the elephant family (grandma elephant was 64 and baby was only 3!) through the forest where they sleep. Later on, feed them some more.

The elephants were docile and friendly (especially when you have food), but exercise common sense. Don’t shout, block an oncoming elephant’s path, or use the flash on your camera. Surprisingly, the elephants’ diet is so pure that the rescue park does not have the odor that often accompanies zoos.

Jay was an awesome guide—fun, friendly, knowledgeable, energetic, and an excellent English speaker. I did the half-day tour. Jay picked me up from my hostel at 8:30 as promised. He provided bottled water at no additional charge and went out of his way to make sure I was content (clean bathroom/coffee breaks as needed). We returned around 2:30 after spending lots of time with the precocious pachyderms.

This elephant experience was easily the best value I found (700 baht cheaper). Most tours are harder to book when solo traveling, as I was, but Jay was also able to help me book a very competitively priced full-day tour to the sticky waterfall (Bua Tong), Karen village (where he is from), and Doi Suthep. After 6 months traveling around SE Asia, this has been one of my favorite...

Came here in early Sept 2024 and joined a night tour to Doi Suthep. It was magnificent!! The glittering gold stupa and the entire temple were just breathtaking. This is a must go place when you're in Chiang Mai. The drive up here from the old city is quite a distance. Applaud to the skilful driver. When you reach, you can have the option of taking a cable car for a nominal fee or walk up using its stairs at super nice side rails. I took the cable car as I came with a senior citizen. We went to listen to the story of the temple.. which I felt was very touching.. legend has it that the royal family will find its resting place and miraculously a white elephant appear after the passing of the king. The elephant was carrying the remains of the king at its back and walked 3 days and 3 nights without eating and sleeping to ensure its mission was accomplished. Finally, the elephant 🐘 reached the top of the mountain (Doi Suthep) and collapsed. The poor elephant sacrifices its life for the deceased king as though this is its mission. And now where the stupa situated is the resting place of the deceased king. The top of the stupa were made from real diamonds 💎!! And the entire place is cctv-ed!! Don't try to be funny!! Also, for ladies, please ensure that you have your legs covered, you can get the sarongs at the entrance for free. Also, please keep quiet when you're inside the vicinity. Soon after that, we walked to the other side to have a view of the city below. The night view is just...

This temple at The Doi offers the perfect escape when Chiangmai starts to grate on you, if ever. At least for me, it is. It's less than 15km from Maya Mall and probably take less than 45 mins on a scooter to reach the foot of the temple. From there your sincerity and resolve will be tested by Buddha twice. Firstly, you are required to climb 306 steps to the top. Secondly, you will be asked to purchase a entry ticket even though there's no one at the gate to check your ticket. It's tempting to cheat on the second test but Buddha is watching you, mate. So be careful now. Personally, I find this temple to be awesome. Whenever I need some divine intervention, I will pray with the divinity sticks and get a fortune cookie type of response. The answers are vague so that there is ample room for interpretation and introspection. Still, it beats trusting a cocky 25 year old life coach who's getting pocket allowance from his parents back home while traveling and building their coaching empire. And cheaper too. If you're not too hot about temple hopping, then do what the masses do. Cycle up The Doi, take a shower followed by a nap, and wait for Durian Rider to catch up to you. Life doesn't get any...