You Can Sleep Under the Stars With Elephants at This Thai Resort

In Chiang Rai, in northern Thailand, guests at Anantara’s Jungle Bubble Lodge can spend the night in the company of elephants.

As the stars slowly reveal themselves, we hear the elephants chewing some 20 feet away. Even in the dark, I can make out their shapes: 53-year-old Kummoon is the smaller one despite being two decades older than Ja Thong. The two females stand huddled together — or as close as they can get to it — under a tree. When we arrived a few hours ago, the pair dexterously used their trunks to grasp long grasses and crunch sugar cane stalks. That dinner buffet is long gone, so they are likely munching on some low branches now, we deduce. Consuming 300 pounds of vegetation daily requires around-the-clock eating.

My family of four is listening to these night sounds from Anantara Golden Triangle’s year-old Jungle Bubble Lodge, which, as the name suggests, was designed to put guests in the middle of the jungle to allow for intimate observation of and interaction with the rescued elephants who call this place their forever home.

Atop an elevated platform, the lodge comprises five heavy-duty canvas “bubbles,” not unlike safari tents, where we will spend the night. At the center is a clear canvas sitting room, from which two bedrooms can be entered, one to the left and the other to the right. Connected to these bedrooms are opaque bathroom orbs housing sleek vanities and walk-in showers. With a well-stocked mini-bar, four poster beds with reading lights, and temperature controls, the bubbles are quite luxurious. There’s also a sitting area and plunge pool outside, and the staff has already thoughtfully lit citronella candles to keep the bugs away. Needless to say, we are hardly roughing it. (Though surrounded by wilderness, the bubbles are just a short jeep ride from the main hotel. There are also a few one-bedroom “bubbles” for couples.)

Our evening at the Jungle Bubble Lodge included a multi-course Italian dinner on the terrace, all expertly executed to accommodate my family’s vegan diet. Each dish — pumpkin ravioli, porcini risotto with black truffle, and chocolate cake with berry compote — exceeded the previous. My husband and I are bowled over by our Italian feast in the middle of the jungle in northern Thailand. To have semi-prepared these ingredients in the main kitchen and then finished and plated them on-site at our “bubble” was probably no easy feat. The results are absolutely delicious.

As we prepare for bed, we remind our kids of the night's pachyderm soundtrack — chomping, scratching, and trumpeting. It feels like we’re in one of those animal documentaries our family loves to watch, with a front-row seat to nature’s splendor. I half expect Sir David Attenborough’s voice to narrate the nighttime scene, explaining that elephants sleep while standing since their body mass can make it difficult to get up after lying down.

We sleep well — in comfortable, supine positions — and wake early to catch glimpses of the elephants in the morning mist. The females are no longer together but rather exploring opposite ends of the grounds. I make a cup of coffee from the minibar and sit on the deck as the sun rises. Meanwhile, our nine-year-old son looks through binoculars, his attention soon drawn to the trails of dung across the dirt.  Naturally, all that eating means a lot of … waste.

When the mahout arrives, he suggests we spend a few final minutes with Kummoon and Ja Thong. They will soon be off on their morning walk around the grounds and for a dip in the shallow Ruak River, which runs east of the property and eventually empties into the Mekong. The daily exercise helps to keep the elephants active and fit.

I hold my hand for Kummoon to sniff before moving it up and down her sunken cheek and freckled trunk. Had she been able to live in the wild, she could have quite possibly been the matriarch of a herd, I think, with her calm and wise demeanor. I look her in the eye and wrap my arms around her trunk. Curious and nervous, my kiddos say goodbye to the elephants in their own way.

Spending time with these two females in such an intimate, hands-on manner is a gift that will stay with my family forever, I’m certain. We’ve learned so much about their personalities and behaviors. They sweat through their toenails. They avoid puddles when they walk. They rapidly flap their ears not only to shoo insects away but also to express their emotions. They are playful, loyal, and moody. Really, they are not so different than us. If there’s anything these magical moments have taught me, though, it’s that we have a profound responsibility to protect these creatures. We can start by following Anantara’s lead.

Jungle Bubble Lodge

• The one-of-a-kind elephant interactions — joining them for a morning walk to the river, for instance — offer experiences that will stay with you for a lifetime.

• The multi-course al fresco dinner, served on the deck, accommodated dietary restrictions easily and was delicious.

• Suites don't feel at all like roughing it. They're spacious and have little luxuries like wood floors and walk-in showers.

The Rooms

While the Jungle Bubble Lodge is designed as a one-night safari-style experience (in a secluded area of the 160-acre property), Anantara Golden Triangle’s main building comprises 61 sprawling rooms and suites, overlooking grasslands and the Ruak and Mekong Rivers in the distance. From the balcony of our 1,000-square-foot family suite, which features wood floors, soaking tubs, and Thai textiles, my kids spot a trio of elephants out for walks with their mahouts near the water. The hotel staff replenishes fruits, nuts, and snacks in the room daily. It’s more than we can eat!

Food and Drink

The dinner meal at the Jungle Bubble Lodge, served on the outdoor deck, is an exquisite multi-course affair customized to guests’ diets. It is semi-prepared at the resort kitchen but transported and finished in a kitchen adjacent to the lodge. At the central hotel, however, expect a daily, generous breakfast buffet of made-to-order smoothies from a fruit cart, pastries and bread, eggs, Thai dishes, and more. From poolside to smaller bar spaces to a central restaurant, lunch and dinner can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors, allowing for a variety of ambiences and food. (Along with the five-course Italian dinner under the stars, the food at the Chiang Rai property, in general, was quite possibly the best we had throughout our Thailand adventure.)

Activities and Experiences

While spending an evening and night at the Jungle Bubble Lodge is an activity for an exceptional, up-close experience with the elephants, my crew and I loved our morning ‘Walking with the Giants’ excursion. Along with an English-speaking guide, we join a few elephants and their mahouts for a two-hour morning walk through the grasslands and to the river, where they splash, play, and cool off a bit. Within mere feet of these giants, my children are mesmerized as the elephants chew on grasses and use their trunks to spray water. Our guide, Ma-Prang, shares details about elephant biology and behavior, how these elephants arrived here, who they immediately bonded with, and what daily life is like for them now.

Another highlight is our cooking class through the on-site Spice Spoons cooking school. From a morning visit to a local market to buy the freshest vegetables and herbs to pounding green curry paste in a mortar and pestle to making mango sticky rice, my foodie family couldn’t be happier. Chef Parinda, who spends much of the day with us, is an absolute joy and a great teacher.

The Spa

Given the resort setting and the legacy of traditional Thai massage, Anantara Chiang Rai boasts a fantastic spa with an extensive menu of therapies. All treatments begin with an herbal foot bath ritual, which is an incredibly thoughtful and relaxing touch.

Family-friendly Offerings

This is absolutely a family-friendly property. Perhaps there isn’t a designated kids’ club, but from the elephant experiences to the cooking classes and pool, there is plenty for kids of all ages.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Common areas are wheelchair accessible; however, rooms are not.

Location

The property is quite secluded and will require airport pick up from the regional airport, though many guests also arrive by car transfer from Chiang Mai (a four-hour drive). Once here, most activities and excursions will be coordinated by the hotel.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Anantara offers a loyalty program, Discovery, which allows guests to earn points from stays at all Anantara properties and sister brands (some 800 participating hotels worldwide). Secondly, consider traveling at off-peak times of year for better room rates, or even over Thanksgiving rather than the December holidays, as rates across Thailand are typically at their highest during the Christmas time period.

For more Travel & Leisure news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on Travel & Leisure.