Day 1 – Elephants of Lampang and Temples of Lamphun
Lampang is a town famous for ceramics and beautiful Lanna-style Wats, while Lamphun is famous only for its Wats. There is also a government-owned elephant camp not far from Lampang. These two towns are within 100 km from Chiang Mai and there are daily trips to these towns organised by travel agencies from Chiang Mai. But I wanted to know the places well, so I visited these two towns with more time on hand.
Highlights of the Day
- Bus from Phitsanulok to Lampang
- Check-in at Hotel
- Thailand Elephant Conservation Center
- Wat Phra That Hariphunchai
- Wat Chama Thewi
- Lampang Weekend Night Market
- Dinner at Aroy One Baht
Bus Journey
I got the late night bus from Phitsanulok to Lampang. Lampang is around 250 km far from Phitsanulok.
The bus stopped at Uttaradit bus station and it also stopped for food and on-the-go shopping somewhere at Uttaradit. We arrived Lampang bus station at around 8 AM. One of my friends, Kanchi, from Sukhothai also joined me.
C2 Residence
The hotel we had booked in advance was C2 Residence (Chic&Charm), which is a lovely boutique hotel situated exactly 150 m off bus station. We got a decent boutique twin bedroom with all basic amenities. Reasons why I booked this hotel are as follows:
- It is located in walking distance from bus station and I have to make few trips to the bus station for going to different places in and outside Lampang and also for going to Lamphun, so I wanted to avoid the extra vehicle fare to reach the bus station if I stay somewhere far.
- I wanted some peace, so avoided staying near the night markets. There are plenty of hotels/hostels near the night market which you may choose if you want the vibe to be on.
- Breakfast served in the hotel was free.
- And of course, the stay was economical.
We checked in at the hotel and got fresh at the soonest.
Thailand Elephant Conservation Center (TECC)
TECC was founded in 1993 under Royal Patronage and it houses 6 of HM King Bhumibol’s 10 white elephants in the Royal Elephant Stables.
TECC is around 30 km from Lampang and is located on the way to Chiang Mai. Though Northern Thailand has many elephant camps, being an animal lover, I am never so sure how they are treated there. I was skeptical visiting TECC as well, but after an ample amount of research, it seems to be better than other elephant camps.
We filled our stomach with some quick breakfast from 7/11 convenient store present right there close to the bus station, and got into a van heading to Chiang Mai. Make sure you let the driver know that you want to get dropped at TECC. It took 30 min to reach there from Lampang bus station.
TECC have both day trips and overnight activities. If you are visiting during the day, you can watch elephant bathing, the elephant show, and also visit baby elephants. You can take an elephant-back ride, though I strongly oppose to that being an animal lover. TECC also has a hospital for elephants, which you can visit.
Overnight activities include different homestay programs that include visit to the hospital, dung factory, riding the elephants, watching the shows, taking the elephants to the forest, etc. There are also mahout courses offered by TECC. For more details, you can visit their website and do the reservation at least 2 weeks before you decide to opt for any of the programs.
The tram first took us to the place where elephants of different ages were bathed by their mahouts and were fed by visitors.
There are three shows daily, at 10:00 am, 11 am, and 1:30 pm.
After spending some memorable time with the elephants, we traced our way back to the exit of the TECC. We crossed the road, and waited for bus. We wanted to head to Lamphun that is 40 km away from TECC on the way to Chiang Mai. A random bus heading to Chiang Mai picked us up and dropped us at Doi Ti in 30 min, which was on the highway and 7 km away from the center of Lamphun.
Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, Lamphun
There were not many songthaews waiting at the Doi Ti bus stop. There was one songthaew who dropped us directly to Wat Phra That Hariphunchai of Lamphun.
The temple opens daily from 6 am until 6 pm with no entrance fee needed.
It was a sunny day. We stepped inside the temple complex, which looked so beautiful and bright.
The name of the Wat translates to “Temple of the Sacred Hariphunchai Relic”. It looked very similar to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep of Chiang Mai.
The only thing I disliked here was the selling of caged birds in front of the gate. Please avoid buying the caged birds to free them for some hope as mostly they die or are caught again.
Wat Chama Thewi, Lamphun
Next destination was Wat Chama Thewi, also pronounced as Jam Thewi, and also called Wat Ku Kut. It is located within 2 km of Wat Phra That Hariphunchai, and is easily reached by motorbike taxi from the city center.
Back to Lampang
We boarded a local bus from Lamphun bus station heading to Lampang. We reached Lampang bus station at around 4 PM. As it is a weekend, we did not want to take risk for our return bus to Phitsanulok the next day, so we got the ticket in advance. We got back to the hotel and took rest for few hours.
Lampang Weekend Night Market
The lively market starts at 5 PM and continues until 9 PM.
Lampang is flooded with yellow-and-green songthaews that start their journey from the bus station. Ride to anywhere in the city would cost you 20 ฿. It easily takes you to the night market if you mention to the songthaew driver that you want to go to Talaat Gao.
We walked from one end to the other end of the market and already started feeling hungry. There were many cafes in the market but I was very keen to enjoy my dinner at one of the famous restaurants in Lampang, named Aroy One Baht, which is located just near the entrance of the market.
Dinner at Aroy One Baht
The place opens at 4 PM and stays up until 11 PM.
This is a place you must not miss eating at when you are at Lampang. I have read many great reviews about the restaurant, and I was overwhelmed to taste the food there by myself. There are a lot of vegan-friendly options in the restaurant. The tofu yellow curry was just mind-blowing. Also the roasted cauliflower was finger-licking.
The surprising part was that the price was really economical – main dish ranges from 30 to around 100 ฿. I had a happy dinner within 150 ฿.
Back to Hotel
After dinner, we were walking down the street just to explore the city on our own at night.
Finally, at around 10 PM or so, we flagged down a songthaew heading to the bus station. After such a long day and evening, all we needed was a good sleep. Goodnight!
Day 2 – Lampang Sight-Seeing
Lampang possesses a long history of human settlements on the Wang River basin. Archaeological evidence of ancient civilisations of Hariphunchai, Lanna, and Burma dated back more than 1,000 years are found in Lampang. You must dedicate a day to explore this beautiful ancient city located at the northern valley of Thailand.
Highlights of the Day
- Wat Phra That Lampang Luang
- Baan Sao Nak
- Wat Chiang Rai
Wat Phra That Lampang Luang
Breakfast was included with our stay. It was served at the first floor. It was light – there were breads, butter, different kinds of jam, and coffee – I stuck to bread and jam. Later, I and Kanchi walked to the bus station and hired a private songthaew who would take us to the most famous temple of Lampang, situated around 20 km away from the city, and finally drop us at an ancient house in the city.
The temple grounds are open from 7.30 AM to 5 PM and the admission is free.
Wat Phra That Lampang Luang is one of the most important Buddhist temples in Thailand, and of course, one of the very oldest. The temple was founded in the 13th century, and the meaning of the name is “Temple of Great Buddha Relic”. The architecture is a mix of Lanna, Thai Lu, and Burmese styles.
Inside the main temple complex, you will find the main prayer hall – a large building with a three tiered roof and open sides – and next to it, you will see the chedi, which is intentionally built at the center of the compound representing Meru – the central-world mountain in Buddhist cosmology – and the Holy land.
Many people recommend to charter a horse-drawn carriage to get a good overview of the fortified temple and see the local area, but I strongly oppose to any kind of animal torture, so we certainly did not opt for that and spent a good one hour exploring the temple complex on our own.
Baan Sao Nak
Baan Sao Nak is open from 10 AM to 5 PM and the entry ticket costs 50 ฿ per person including beverage.
The songthaew driver finally dropped us at Baan Sao Nak – an impressive traditional teakhouse set on 116 pillars in downtown. This traditional teakhouse was built in 1895 by Mong Chan-ong, the founder of the Chantharawirot family. There is a beautiful 133-year-old tree called Saraphi right in front of the house.
After spending some time at Baan Sao Nak, we walked down the bridge across the Wang river and took a songthaew to the most commercial streets of Lampang – Boonyawat Road.
Wat Chiang Rai
At Boonyawat Road, we got down in front of a very beautiful Wat called Wat Chiang Rai – the reason of the name is because the temple complex looked like a small version of the White Temple of Chiang Rai – Wat Rong Khun – which I visited few months ago.
I am sure this Wat will attract more tourists in Lampang once its making is finished.
The Journey Ends
I would suggest always ask about the short route while getting your bus ticket if you do not want to spend extra hours in the bus.
We took a songthaew to Central Plaza Lampang and grabbed some lunch. Later, we took another songthaew to bus station. We checked out from hotel and headed to the bus station. The bus we took was a long journey of 4-5 hours as it reached Phitsanulok via Sukhothai, where Kanchi got down as she lives there. Overall, I had a great weekend and hope my information will help you design your tour to Lampang and Lamphun.
NET EXPENSE FOR 1 PERSON (IN THB)
Let us have a look at the expenses of Days 1-2 in Thailand – Lampang and Lamphun.
- Phitsanulok to Lampang (round): 500
- Hotel in Lampang for twin sharing (1 Night): 750
- Getting around: 620
- TECC with shuttle: 300
- Food: 400
- Miscellaneous: 100
Total expense (roughly): 2670 THB
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When we were in Thailand, we visited an elephant safari outside of Chiang Mai. Like you, I am an animal lover and I hoped that we found a place that treated the elephants well. We actually bathed the elephants and brushed them down, basically a lot of the things that you watched others do. So, now I am wondering whether we went to an unethical place. So hard to know.
It is so difficult to understand.
Sorry to say this, but activities such as shows and paintings are abusive practices as they’re not normal animal behaviour. I would never go to a place like this.
Don’t be sorry. I totally agree with you Priya. I would never go to such place again.
The TECC seems like a great place for elephants, although I really hope they are kept in best of the conditions here. Wouldn’t prefer taking a ride on them as well. The paint looks really cute I have to say.
I am not sure if they are ethical now.
Wow, Lampang looks like an amazing place. I absolutely adore the architecture. The only thing I didn’t like is the elephant shows- these animals are subjected to horrible cruelty in order to be taught to behave like this. Other than that, the city looks absolutely amazing and I would definitely love to visit some day.
Same feeling Daniel, it is difficult to understand what’s ethical and what’s not.
Lampang sounds like a beautiful serene place. I have visited an elephant show near Bangkok. It was very endearing to see the cute pachyderms painting. But then again the question of ethical standards comes into place. I loved the elephant bathing and feeding rituals more.
Yes, it is so confusing!
I want to board a plane this very minute to sample the tofu yellow curry and roasted cauliflower. The Wat Chiang Rai and Wat Phra That Lampang Luang are on my bucket list when I get a chance to visit.
I hope you can visit soon.
Lampang looks amazing with temples, elephants camp and with all nature. I have never read about Lampang before but this place is amazing. Those baby elephants really look cute and also that feeding area. Ban Sao teak house with Thai and Burmese influence looks impressive
Glad you liked it, Yukti.
I will keep this destination in mind as we head off to Chiang Mai in April. I enjoy visiting temples and there is so much to see here. We have stayed in Phitsanulok and unfortunately did not know about Lampang. Thanks for sharing.
Oh you stayed in Phitsanulok? That’s cool to know. Have you visited any place there?
Thailand is a place which has so many unknown treasures. Lampang and Lamphun are some of the lesser known places. The issue with the ethical treatment of elephants in Thailand is always an issue and it is difficult to see which ones really look after the elephants and do not traumatize them. The white temple looks beautiful and like a wonderful poem in stone.
Glad you liked it, Sandy.
I have been to Chiang Mai but could not visit either Lampang or Lamphun. Your experience tells me that these places are culturally as rich as Chiang Mai. Again, as others have echoed not very sure about the ethical ways adopted at these elephant sanctuaries. Overall loved this piece of travel of yours 🙂
Yes, they are an integral part of Thai history.
Looks like a lovely trip! I enjoyed visiting North Thailand last year and will be visiting the south next week. If I’m honest I’m not crazy about the forced elephant performances and riding though.
They actually torture those innocent animals.
This Lanna style architecture is so beautiful, and unique to the European styles we have. I don’t agree with the so-called ‘elephant sanctuary’. There’s nothing natural about elephants painting, or doing those other activities. I do remember visiting the north of Thailand, but not to Lampang. The night market always looks like a lot of fun!
Agree with you 100%