Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
OFF THE BEATEN TRACK
WAT LAI HIN
If you're visiting Wat Phra That Lampang Luang and you've got your own transport, you might also consider a
visit to beautiful
Wat Lai Hin
( daylight hours) , also near Ko Kha. Built by artists from Kengtung
(also known as Chiang Tung), Myanmar, the tiny temple is one of the most characteristically Lanna temples
around, and was a significant influence on the design of the Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi hotel in Chiang Mai,
not to mention a set for the 2001 Thai blockbuster,
Suriyothai
. There's an interesting
folk museum
on the
grounds that the monks can unlock for you.
If coming from Ko Kha, the temple is located about 6km down a road that turns off 1km before reaching Wat
Phra That Lampang Luang.
Thai Elephant Conservation Center & Around
Hang Chat, 33km southeast of Lampang via Rte 11, is home to a few attractions, the
centre-piece of which are two separate centres dedicated to elephants.
About 5km southeast of the TECC, the
Thung Kwiang Market
(Rte 11; 7am-6pm)
is a crash
course in northern Thai food and handicrafts, with everything from rót dòo·an (deep-fried
worms, a northern speciality) to the distinctive rooster bowls made in Lampang.
Thai Elephant
Conservation Center
(TECC; 0 5482 9333;
www.thailandelephant.org
;
Rte 11; admission adult/child 170/110B; elephant bathing
9.45am & 1.15pm, public shows 10am, 11am & 1.30pm)
This popular centre promotes the role of the
Asian elephant in ecotourism.
In addition to elephant shows, there is an exhibit on the history and culture of elephants,
an elephant art gallery, an elephant graveyard, and
elephant rides
(10/30/60min 200/500/1000B;
8am-3.30pm)
through the surrounding forest.
For those keen on delving deeper into pachyderm culture, the TECC's
Mahout Training
School
( 0 5424 7875;
www.thailandelephant.org
;
programs 3500-100,000B)
offers an array of programs
ranging in duration from one day to one month.
The popular one-day course involves learning a few simple commands for leading an
elephant, experimenting with dung paper, riding an elephant in the jungle and a tour of the
elephant hospital. A more involved three-day, two-night homestay program includes all
ELEPHANT ENCOUNTER
