Chiang Mai - Lanna, elephants, and paradise found

Today is our last full day in Chiang Mai. Tomorrow evening, we pack our bags once again and head into the hustle and bustle of Bangkok. It's been an absolutely amazing last few days. Not only is Chiang Mai lush and green, but I've also learned a lot about the people and culture of Northern Thailand. Some highlights:

The Lanna vs. Thai
Everywhere we go, there is the talk of Lanna people and the Lanna culture. After taking the cultural tour at the resort on the first day, we learned all about these people of Northern Thailand. The Lanna originally ran their own kingdom which was centred around Chiang Mai. They were subsequently threatened by various conquerors and also fell into Burmese rule for a period, which led to the Thai king proposing marriage to the Lanna princess so that the conquerors would be kept at bay and the Burmese pushed out. As a result, Lanna became a part of Thailand, and its people forced to adopt Thai culture and language, as well as the educational system. A big part of this resort's goal is to preserve the Lanna heritage, and educate guests on their culture so that it will not disappear in Thailand.

Elephants
They used to work in the forest for hours on end and were treated poorly. Now various elephant "training" camps have been set up in the area to domesticate elephants to serve as a tourist attraction. Yes, it's still exploitation, but at least it guarantees that the elephants get fed well, and receive all the medical attention that they may need. The elephants at the Chiang Dao training camp that we visited today only work half day -- they start by going into the Ping River for a bath, then do a short demo [will post video shortly] of the work elephants used to do, and then take visitors like us for a 30-minute trek through the forest to a Lisu tribe village. A short rest later, the elephants bring us back to the original camp. Truckloads of food are then brought in for their food at noon (when they stop working), and the elephants are allowed to roam free in the forest after that.

Lush lush lush
And no, I don't mean drinking. Chiang Mai is such a lush place. I've decided that this is definitely one good mock-up for heaven or at least paradise. The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi is top notch, and I think the best part is that it's a resort that's also steeped with local culture and a desire to preserve the way things were (hence the rice fields on the property, as well as local architecture). It's definitely a great place to visit, and I'll definitely come back (mosquito bites notwithstanding). :-)

There's a lot more I've missed but I'm exhausted so that's all for today! Links to photos here.