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In the arboretum outside the southern gate of the wát, there are now three museums. One displays mostly festival paraphernalia and some Buddha figures. Another, called ‘House of the Emerald Buddha’, contains a miscellany of coins, banknotes, Buddha figures, silver betel-nut cases, lacquerware and other ethnographic artefacts, along with three small, heavily gold-leafed Buddhas placed on an altar behind an enormous repoussé silver bowl. The third, a fine, small museum, features shelves of Buddha figures, lacquered boxes, manuscripts and ceramics, all well labelled in Thai and English.

Wat Phra That Lampang Luang is 18km southwest of Lampang in Ko Kha. To get there by public transport from Lampang, flag an eastbound srng·ta·ou (20B) on Th Rawp Wiang. From the Ko Kha srng·ta·ou stop, it’s a 3km chartered motorcycle taxi ride to the temple (40B). Minibuses outside the temple go back to the city for 30B.

If you’re driving or cycling from Lampang, head south on the Asia 1 Hwy and take the Ko Kha exit, then follow the road over a bridge and bear right. Follow the signs and continue for 3km over another bridge until you see the temple on the left.

If you’ve got your own transport, you might also consider a visit to beautiful Wat Lai Hin, also in Ko Kha. If coming from Ko Kha, the temple is located about 6km down a road that turns off 1km before reaching Wat Phra That Lampang Luang. Built by artists from Chiang Tung, Myanmar, the tiny temple is one of the most characteristically Lanna temples around, and was an influence on the design of the Mandarin-Oriental Dhara Dhevi Hotel in Chiang Mai, not to mention a set for the 2001 Thai blockbuster, Suriyothai.

Thai Elephant Conservation Center & Around

Located in Amphoe Hang Chat, 33km from Lampang, this unique facility (TECC; 0 5424 7875; www.changthai.com; child/adult incl shuttle bus 30/70B; elephant bathing 9.45am & 1.15pm, public shows 10am, 11am & 1.30pm) promotes the role of the Asian elephant in ecotourism, and also provides medical treatment and care for sick elephants from all over Thailand. For more information on the plight of Thailand’s elephants, Click here.

The elephant show at this 122-hectare centre is less touristy and more educational than most, focusing on how elephants work with logs, as well as the usual painting of pictures and playing oversized xylophones. There is an exhibit on the history and culture of elephants, an elephant art gallery, an elephant graveyard, and oh yes, elephant rides (15/30/60 min 100/400/800B, 8am-3.30pm) through the surrounding forest.

Accommodation at the centre is available in the form of activity-packed homestays (see boxed text, opposite) with mahouts in basic huts, or in bungalows at the Chang Thai Resort (08 618 1545; bungalows 1/2 bedroom 1000/1500B). There are three restaurants on the centre grounds.

All proceeds from the entrance fee and souvenir shops go to the elephant hospital on site, which cares for old, abandoned and sick elephants from all over Thailand, as well as working for the preservation of elephants by various research and breeding programs.

Nearby, but not affiliated with the TECC is the FAE’s Elephant Hospital (Friends of the Asian Elephant; 08 1914 6113; www.elephant-soraida.com; suggested visiting hr 8am-1pm), which claims to be the first of its kind in the world. Although visitors are appreciated and provided for, keep in mind that this is a functioning medical facility, and there are no guided tours and certainly no elephant art. Donations are greatly appreciated. In June 2008 the centre reached another first when it successfully provided an elephant with a prosthetic leg.

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MAHOUT TRAINING

For those keen on delving deeper into pachyderm culture, the TECC’s Mahout Training School (0 5424 7875; www.thaielephant.org; 1/2/3/6/10 days 3500/8000/12,000/20,000/35,000B) offers an array of scholarships ranging in duration from one day to one month, all with the aim of making you a bona-fide