Trekking in Chaing Mai/Pai

Hello,
I am in Bangkok right now and have a couple of days before I head up to Chaing Mai. I have been pricing trekking from here and the cheapest has been around 1800 bahts for 3 days two nights including bus up there and 3 nights accomodation. I have heard that it is cheaper if you book the trek from Chaing Mai. Is this true? Also, I have heard that you can 'wash' with the elephants in Kanchaburi meaning that you can sit on them bare back in the water and get soaked while they get washed! I would love to do this but is their anywhere up in the chaing mai/pai area that I can do this instead?

Thanks.

If you want to be "smarter" about your trekking/elephant options, don't book it in Bangkok where the agents are mostly trying to rope you into something they probably don't know much about. Local knowledge is better so go to Chiang Mai first. Most 3-day/2-night treks cost 1200-1800 and you'll have a better set of choices once you are there. You can get a public bus to Chiang Mai from the busy Mo Chit station which is at the northern end of the Sky Train, or take a sleeper train from the central Hualamphong train station. There are several good elephant camps within a couple hours of Chiang Mai. If you want a particularly realistic and sensitive elephant encounter, the best place is with the Elephant Nature Foundation (aka "Elephant Nature Park"). They have a new Chiang Mai office at the corner of Moon Muang Road and Ratchamankha Road which is very central and easily found via local tuk tuks (or on foot if you're staying somewhere central). It's not the cheapest way to interact with elephants, but definitely the most "real" and humane. Almost every trek in northern Thailand will include riding an elephant for an hour or so, and you can make what you want of it. They're magnificent animals but not everyone treats them as such.

Hi,

Thanks for your advice. I will definately wait until I get there. Was going to get the VIP bus at 350 bahts which is comfier and I want to meet more people too as I am travelling alone. I went to Pinnewala elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka and was horrified by what I saw so am keen not to repeat the experience.

Happy travelling!