Pai? Elephant trek?

[foreigner]

I'd like to tour the hill tribe region near Chiang Mai.
Pai gets a lot of press.
Other towns in the region around CM / Mai Hong Song / Chiang Rai?

I want to visit an elephant park .. & perhaps do a elephant overnighter out in the hills.
I assume 'elephant tour booking agents' are available all around CM. ..? Several elephant tour web sites are out there on the www. They are vague at best.

Suggestions / recommendations for an elephant trek in the North or Golden Triangle.

Actually any elephant park with overnighters would be cool.

[mobs00]

Pai has 3 or 4 elephant camps all pretty close to each other. Not sure about overnight though.

There is the elephant conservation camp in Lampang that does mahout training and overnight stays, ( *-* ) Welcome to Thai Elephant Conservation Center ( * - * )

Also the elephant nature park:

Elephant Nature Park supported by EleAid

Elephant Nature Park - Northern Thailand's conservation project for visitors.

[Carnwadrick]

Sign up for one of the many three day mountain jungle hikes offered by any travel agency in town . that start off with a elephant trek into the jungle then you are on foot with a overnight stay in a hill tribe village, awesome experience but make sure you are fit enough for the hiking, I was 58 years the rest of the group in their late 20s, we all did ok. best experience of my life

[TizMe]

You really do not want to spend too long riding an elephant.

They get awfully uncomfortable after a few hours.

[blackgang]

And stay away from Pai after dark as they have a Sgt. of Police that gets drunk and shoots foreigners at will with no action taken again him, Shot a couple of Canadians last year, killed one and still a cop.

[Sculpto]

Can anyone give some feedback on the two parks?

The single day tour has a pretty large price difference. Is one place really that much better than the other?

Thanks.

[Wallalai]

You can go to San Pa Tong saturday market (morning till 12:00) and ask there, not a tourist place. I know they can arrange elephant ride to your will and even elephant overnighter out in the hills near Mae Wang. We know a teacher there who can provide bungalows, food and elephant ride. I'll be able to give more infos in 1 month when I return home there.

San Pa Tong is 27km out south of Chiang Mai, go to Hang Dong and 11km further you'll be there.

[Sculpto]

Thanks Wallalai.. I will be in Chiang Mail I think around the 18th of October.. but I should be able to navigate tot he town you mentioned.