Complete guide to the Mae Sa Valley: Chiang Mai's adventure playground

Mae Sa Valley

Elephants have a new career now in Thailand

Just 15kms north of Chiang Mai is a wonderful outdoor playground often overlooked by tourists to Chiang Mai. The Mae Sa Valley offers a plethora of sights and activities for visitors. The botanical gardens and lovely ten-tiered Mae Sa waterfalls are the chief nature attractions, but there is also a lovely elephant camp straddling the tumbling river, an orchid farm, and a selection of animal shows, including monkeys, dogs and snakes. You can also work up some adrenalin bungy jumping or riding ATVs.

There are a few fancy resorts in the area as well as some budget accommodation. Restaurants in the area are plentiful, ranging from roadside stalls grilling chicken legs and eggs, to open-air budget Thai-style restaurants serving noodle dishes and Northern fare, as well as pricier resort restaurants.

Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

The first true botanical garden in the country, the QSBG also serves as a centre of botanical studies and research. The highlight here is the Glasshouse Complex, comprised of four exhibition conservatories and eight display glasshouses. Plants are grouped together according to their environmental conditions, and the houses are each monitored to control light, humidity and ventilation. Plants are well labelled in Thai and English.

The other areas of the QSBG include: the Arboreta, Natural Science Museum, Climber Collection, Thai Orchid Nursery and Rock Garden. There are numerous walking trails in this expansive area, as well as plenty of shaded places to relax. All areas are well signposted in English and Thai. The river also runs through the grounds, providing some lovely spots. This is arguably the best value for money attraction in the area. Facilities include a restaurant, first-aid station, souvenir shops and toilets. Open: daily 08:30-17:00. Entry: 20 baht per person, 30 baht per car. Tel: 053-298-171/299-753. Email: qbg@chmai.loxinfo.co.th.

Mae Sa Elephant Camp

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Travellers footage: Elephants play football

See these gentle giants up close. The entertaining shows are included in the entry cost and definitely worth seeing. Football-kicking and painting are favourite acts among the elephants. The Exhibition Hall features displays of rare stories and photos of newborn elephants. There is also a collection of hunting equipment and weapons used in past elephant hunts. You can also purchase bananas to hand-feed the elephants and take photos with them. For an additional charge, you can ride an elephant. The charming restaurant about half a kilometre up the road straddles the river and is a good place to eat. Open: 08:00-14:30. Entry and show: 80 baht. Show times: 08:00, 09:40 and 13:30. Rides: 1000 baht per hour, 600 baht for half an hour. Tel: 053-206-2478, 053-206-247 and 09-838-4242. maesaele@loxinfo.co.th.

Mae Sa Snake Farm

The biggest snake reserve centre in the north of Thailand, the snake farm offers entertaining shows in English and Thai. Bleachers surround a performance ring where agile snake handlers show you a variety of non-poisonous and poisonous snakes, with cobras being the highlight. Guests can even touch a live cobra (considered a gesture of luck) and hold an enormous python. The show itself is quite entertaining, even including a 'surprise' for some audience members. Afterwards, you are free to roam the few enclosures. Show times: daily 11:30, 14:15 and 15:30. Entry: 200 baht, 100 baht per child. Tel: 053-860-719.

Mae Sa Dogland

This is a good attraction for families. Performers in the show are a mixed collection of dogs, including golden retrievers, dalmatians and a german shepherd. Accommodation is available as well, as this attraction is part of Mae Sa Golf & Resort. Show times: daily 10:30, 13:15 and 15:00 (these show times sometimes change, so call ahead to confirm). Entry: 200 baht, 100 baht per child. Tel: 053-298-095.

Mae Rim Monkey School and The Original Monkey Centre

The shows at either of these venues offers a delightful opportunity to see a variety of species performing cute tricks such as playing basketball, riding tricycles and going through counting exercises. You'll also see how they climb trees and retrieve coconuts for farmers. Show times at both places: daily, 11:00, 12:15, 13:15, (14:15 Monkey Ctr only), 15:15 and 16:15. Entry: 200 baht, 100 per child. Tel: Monkey School 053-298-818/860-547, Monkey Ctr 053-298-442. Chateau Kumone Art Museum is located across the road from the Monkey Centre and features antiques and handicrafts, as well as a restaurant/café.

J&T Happy Riding

This small pony ride is a treat for children. Open: daily, 08:00-18:00. Cost: 700 baht per hour, 450 baht for half-hour. Tel: 05-036-1227.

Jungle Bungy Jump

Operated to New Zealand standards and open since 1992, this attraction allows you to bungee jump from a height of 50m over a small lake. There are international jumpmasters and jumpers are fully insured. You can watch the action from the lakeside bar. Don't worry if you're a bit on the hefty side, there's a small collection of photos of the heaviest people to have jumped here. Open: daily, 09:00-18:00. Cost: 1st jump 1400 baht (includes t-shirt and photos); 2nd jump 800 baht; 3rd jump 600 baht; 4th jump free. Tel: 053-298-442, 01-885-1912. Email: info@junglebungy.com. Website: www.junglebungy.com.

IMAC ATVs

Enjoy the beauty of this area on a scenic ATV ride. The three-hour guided tours take you past the 'Semi Golden Triangle' where you can see the districts of Mae Rim, and Samoeng. Tours include a short instruction, accident insurance coverage, protective gear and refreshments. You can also go unguided for the same price. Open: daily, 08:00-18:00. Tour times: 08:00-11:00, 12:00-15:00 and 15:00-18:00. Cost: 2500 baht driver, 2000 baht passenger. Tel: 053-939-113, 01-881-4065.

Mae Rim Orchid: Orchid & Butterfly Farm

Hundreds of wild orchids and various hybrids make up this lovely attraction. Additionally, the farm acts as a sanctuary for live butterflies that fly freely throughout the complex. Butterflies dying of natural causes are framed and for sale. You can also purchase 24k gold orchids. Open: 08:00-18:00. Entry: 20 baht. Tel: 053-298-801/298-802. Suan Bua Mae Sa Orchid offers more of the same.

Thais love their waterfalls

Mae Sa Waterfall

This stunning waterfall is set in the verdant Soi Suithep-Pui national park. A path winds up for almost two kilometres to the plummeting 10-tiered cascades. The many secluded areas off the trail are great for picnicking; however, the park is crowded on weekends and public holidays. Open: 08:00-18:00. Entry: 400 baht per foreigner, 200 baht foreign children, 30 baht per car.

I Love The Beatles restaurant

Owner Kitiwat Leelayut, aka Jiab, was a professional rock guitarist for 30 years and has built his restaurant as a tribute to The Beatles. He's on site and very friendly. The food is good, a selection of Northern Thai dishes as well as noodle dishes, averaging around 40 to 60 baht a dish. There are three bungalows for those who wish to stay in the area. They include television, en-suite toilet and hot water for prices ranging from 600 to 1000 baht per night. Tel: 01-983-4073.

Well signposted from the main road, the Paradise Spa Resort and Restaurant provides luxurious accommodation (at the most expensive rates in Chiang Mai)

Directions Follow Chan Phuek road, opposite Chang Phuek Gate on the Northern side of the Moat, for approx. 10kms until you enter the built up area of Mae Rim town. The turn off to Samoeng, to the left just beyond the built up area, is well signposted and takes you straight into the Mae Sa valley within a few kilometres.

National Park rip-off?

Thailand has some wonderful national parks, but some are better than others. After increasing the entrance fee for foreigners ten-fold to 200 baht in 2003, the National Parks Board again elected to hike the prices 100% to 400 baht in January 2007! Frankly, most of them aren’t worth that and we’ve tried to indicate here which justify this steep fee. In light of many complaints; 1stopthailand made a formal complaint to the Minister of Sport in October 2007, and he responded that a review was underway because so many tour operators have suffered loss of business. Unfortunately sensible decisions including all stakeholders don’t always occur in Thailand. We happily support a boycott of some of these poorly managed facilities. Alternatively many are still accessible after 5pm when the gate-keeper has knocked off ;-)