Chiang Mai is a good spot to spend a day or so checking out the temples and markets, or a bit longer if you take one of the famous cooking courses. But the highlight is heading out into the mountains and jungle on a 3 day trek that will let you stay with some of the the hill-tribe villages, interact with the elephants and go rafting down the rivers.
The only problem is that these treks have now turned into a bit of an industry and the market is full of companies that provide the “standard package”. This most likely won’t meet your idea of adventure and, worse, may be keeping the elephants in very poor conditions.
I did this trek years ago when awareness of the treatment wasn’t so clear and it wasn’t quite so commercialised as it is now, and have since returned to do it in 2024 without the elephants. My take is:
- There are companies out there that focus on the well-being of the elephants. They tend to be the ones that lean more towards a multi-day trek. If you are prepared to do thorough research, you can get closer to the genuinely “authentic” experience with a provider that cares for the animals.
- Chiang Mai as a city is great and the surrounding activities cool. But the Chiang Rai / Tha Ton areas to the north are simply better for mountains and wilderness. Consider making the effort for the extra push up there and I’ve written a review on a great Chiang Rai overnight trek into the nearby hills (wow factor ⭐️⭐️) and Mopeds along the Thai / Laos border near Chiang Rai (wow factor ⭐️⭐️⭐️) which was super cool.