Elefin Farm & Cafe + Cypress Lanes & BaanKang Wat

This is a gentle late-morning outing for people who want a break from temples and vans full of sights. It links three of the calmer places on the west side of Chiang Mai: Elefin Farm and Cafe, where a small number of elephants live beside a countryside cafe, the tree-lined Cypress Lanes, and Baan Kang Wat, a village of small studios, cafes and craft shops near Wat Umong. It suits couples, friends and families with younger children who prefer a relaxed pace.

Pickup is later than most tours. At Elefin you have about an hour to order a drink or something to eat and watch the elephants from the cafe, and to feed them if you want to. A cafe voucher is included for a drink, a snack or elephant food, and anything above it is paid on the spot. Cypress Lanes is a short stop for photos under the trees, then Baan Kang Wat gives you close to an hour to wander between the wooden houses, browse ceramics and handmade goods, and have a coffee. You are back at your hotel by early afternoon.

Cypress Lanes is closed on Thursdays, so on that day the stop is for outside photos only. Baan Kang Wat sometimes charges a small entry fee during special events.