Travel: Thailand

And their first sight of the Indian elephant could have done little to dissuade naive adventurers to the Orient that their fears were unfounded.

These animals must have seemed bizarre and frightening to the occidental adventurer, as they emerged over the horizon. But on getting to know these creatures, as we did, it's easy to understand the reverence with which the elephant is held in Thailand.

Although the odd horse can be spotted in the Thai countryside, it is the pachyderm which is rendered in wooden carvings, art, and dcor and venerated in statutes across this nation.

In the far north of the country, a two-hour drive from Chiang Rai city, is the Anantara Resort. Surrounded by lush vegetation, the gardens are dotted with elephant carvings amongst the flower beds, and at the infinity pool – from where you can gaze over misty, tree-covered hills –even the open-air shower takes the form of a large elephant head.

Dark wood, subtle touches of colour and a minimalist yet rich dcor at Anantara gives a nod to the nation's Buddhism and there is an easy-going peacefulness and almost monastic reverence for relaxation. Unlike many spas where you are cosseted in a tiny, dark cubby-hole, the treatment rooms have floor to ceiling windows which look out over the lush green landscape.

Anantara has fostered its crucial links to the environment. Key to its ethos is the elephant. In the grounds, a rescue centre for elephants provides opportunities for a close encounter. A mahout (elephant trainer) course teaches different mounting techniques (none involve a ladder), steering and, crucially, how to make your elephant stop. In reality these gentle animals obey their trainer, who guides you, but it is a pleasant pretence to imagine you are in control of one of nature's most powerful animals. A trio of Middle Eastern men with us, balked at the thought of being alone at the mercy of such strength. As one put it: "You get up there? On your own? But how do you make it stop?"

They opted to stay behind and watched as the remaining two elephants swayed down through the trees with us riding solo, towards the river where we bathed them in the muddy water. This experience gave us a useful insight into the challenges of playing elephant polo. The King's Cup tournament was being held at Anantara while we were there. The sight of these magnificent beasts thundering around a makeshift polo pitch on a dry-season rice paddy, chasing after a tiny ball, will stay with me for ever. The game is much slower than traditional polo and there's only room for six elephants.

The idea for elephant polo was first conceived in Haddington when the co-founder of the sport, James Manclark, gave friend Jim Edwards a passion for the original sport by putting him on a particular feisty pony in the 1980s. Edwards who had pioneered eco-tourism in Nepal, and Manclark, soon fostered the idea of using elephants in Asia for the game and history, as they say, was made.

This year's King's Cup, in Thailand, saw 15 teams from all over the world compete in a sport in which Scotland has excelled.

Originally, footballs were used but a smaller ball had to be introduced because the elephants enjoyed stamping on them too much; a sentiment with which frustrated football fans might sympathise.

Sadly Edwards died last year but Manclark, a former Winter Olympian, who still lives in Scotland, enthusiastically mounted his elephant to take part this year despite recently celebrating his 70th birthday.

It is certainly a pleasant way to spend a day, sipping Thai beer by the side of a polo pitch languidly following the action. A charming lunchtime treat was to watch the mischievous baby elephants from the rescue centre being bathed in the nearby river.

However, this sporting spectacle is not what this region is best known for.

Here in the heart of the area dubbed the Golden Triangle, close to the watery border with Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, opium was once a major industry. A concerted effort and royal investment resulted in the poppy fields being razed and in their place tourism is tentatively flourishing.

Visitors to Thailand are plentiful but the vast majority split their holiday between the bustling city sites and glistening temples of the capital Bangkok, and the white beaches and turquoise seas of the southern islands.

Only the dedicated explorer or backpacker used to head north off the tourism trail, but the route is more travelled these days.

Chiang Rai is a substantial low-rise town and its wide avenues and lack of skyscrapers lend it a rural laid-back feel despite its ample traffic after a few nights in towering, frantic Bangkok.

An imposing white temple dominates the skyline above a small shopping arcade which sells a local delicacy – processed pork and tubs of bamboo worms – to snack on. The temple's white Disney-like bridge arches up to its entrance, which features a lake containing only albino fish.

However once inside, the peaceful illusion is shattered by a mural of the Twin Towers of New York on fire, watched over by impotent super-heroes. This "temple" is in fact the creation of an artist, Chaloemchai Khositphiphat, whose full-colour cardboard cut-out in the grounds allows you to depart with your photograph next to his grinning, pointing figure.

Out in the countryside another dark artistic creation is known as the Black Temple, which celebrates death. Thai artist, Thawan Duchanee, has indulged his architectural bent to create a campus of "rooms" among sunlit trees, with stretched crocodile hides and bear skins decorating furniture constructed of bones amid statues of Indonesian gods and the Buddha.

Back at Anantara, the atmosphere was mercifully lighter. On our last evening we wended our way to a field below the resort, past trees festooned with fairy lights to a buffet dinner which would have made Bacchus blush at the indulgence. Our unexpected dining companions were the baby elephants who played in the adjacent paddock, delicately stepping over their crossed-legged keepers who didn't flinch with an absolute trust in these surprisingly sure-footed creatures. Like children allowed to stay up late, they fizzed with playfulness and excitement and almost seemed to jig to the sound of the music.

All too soon it seemed past their bedtime, and ours, as we meanderedoff to bed through the softly-lit trees which swayed in the cool night breeze. Sated on delicately spiced dishes, succulent mango and fragrant jasmine rice, we drifted off to sleep to the sound of the occasional growling of the elephants conversing in the dark.

The Facts For more go to the Tourist Authority of Thailand's UK website www.tourismthailand.co.uk

EVA Air flies daily from London Heathrow (terminal 3) to Taipei via Bangkok and offers three classes of cabin service: Premium Laurel (business class), Elite Class (premium economy) and Economy.

Flights to Bangkok start from 489pp return including taxes in Economy, 789 in Elite Class and 1,469 in Premium Laurel. Visit www.evaair.com, tel: 020 7380 8300.

A deluxe room at the Anantara Golden Triangle starts at 255 per night, and three days' mahout training is 300pp plus tax and service charge.

www.anantara.com

Visit www.holidays.scotsman.com for more great holidays

• This article was first published in The Scotsman on 26/07/2010