For centuries, timber elephants played a crucial role in northern Thailand's economy. The Thai government banned commercial logging in 1989, but the skills of these huge yet graceful animals are still displayed at tourist-oriented elephant camps scattered around the province. Pang Mae Sa, about 15 miles northwest of town, is the closest—and most commercial—operation (66-53-297-060). At Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre, 35 miles north of Chiang Mai on Highway 107, the mahouts and their charges demonstrate more traditional forest talents (66-53-298-553). You can also clamber atop a howdah, or elephant saddle, for a rumble through the jungle. Tour companies usually include hotel pick-up and round-trip transport in their packages.

A bit of Vermont in the shadow of the Grand Palace? Nantiya Tuliyanont, the friendly, globe-trotting owner of Bangkok's first true B&B, welcomes arriving guests with homemade sweets, and the eight rooms each have their own thoughtful details—a private garden with hand-sculpted tub in the Rose suite, intricate wrought-iron fixtures in the Rice room. But this is no throwback: There are flat-screen TVs, powerful showers with solar-heated water, and free Wi-Fi and computers in each room (something the inn's more luxurious competitors don't provide). But the key here is the personal touch: Breakfast—rice-flour hotcakes doused in sweet coconut—is made on an old-fashioned charcoal stove, and Jirayu "Joey" Tuliyanont will personally escort you on a nightlife tour of nearby hippie-chic Khao San Road. One of the few green hotels in Bangkok, the inn has sensors that shut down lights and appliances when guests leave their rooms, and all water is heated with solar energy. The owners share this sense of social responsibility with guests, offering them the opportunity on their bill to make contributions (matched by the hotel) to one of four charities focused on animals and children at risk.

D2, the precocious new brand of the Dusit hotel chain, is more Soho than Southeast Asia. The staff—make that "agents''—are younger than you, thinner than you, and even dance better than you, if the chorus line in the lobby (standard D2 procedure for the 2 p.m. personnel shift) is any indication. They're also better-looking, too, unless you happen to be Catherine Deneuve, one of the hotel's illustrious guests. Global urban minimalism is the prevailing taste, and the only hints of Asia in the 131 rooms are the raw silk pillows and "Siam Soul'' lounge music especially produced by David Coker of Futon, one of Thailand's top bands. If you want local color, however, just step outside the ten-story hotel: The Night Bazaar is right out front. When retail overload sets in, retreat to the kidney-shaped swimming pool or the on-site Devarana Spa for a ginger compress and back massage. Club Deluxe–level guests get the run of the seventh-floor lounge, which has private check-in, free Internet, and a complimentary happy hour. There's also a trendy fusion restaurant, Moxie.