Chiang Mai: The Experience
Emily finally got a week off of school!! We decided to take a trip to Chiang Mai which is a northern city in Thailand. From various websites and recommendations from people, it seemed there would be plenty to occupy our time. Thailand is not allowing anyone currently within the country to travel out of the country. With that in mind, we will be exploring as much of Thailand as we can since we are not allowed to visit neighboring nations.
In planning our trip, we were bombarded with cool activities to do like seeing elephants, temples, ziplining, waterfalls and more. We decided to do some of those things, delay others and skip a few. If you would like to hear about the restaurants and food we ate, check out our blog post, “Chiang Mai: The Food”.
We ended up spending the a large portion of our time with a new friend who is a math teacher at RIS, Nick, and his friend, Steph who worked with Nick when they were living in Athens, Greece. She had just moved two weeks prior to our visit to teach at a school in Chiang Mai. Nick rented a car for his stay in Chiang Mai which helped a lot with traveling from place to place throughout the week.
While Chiang Mai is one of the largest cities in Thailand, it pales in comparison to Bangkok with about 200,000 residents. (That is barely the population of a neighborhood in Bangkok.) This makes Chiang Mai a smaller, more manageable city to navigate and visit. We loved the laid back feeling the city gave us and enjoyed being so close to nature and greenery. It was a stark reminder of how big of a city we live in currently.
One observation we quickly made was how prominent tourism is in Chiang Mai and how quiet the local businesses were because of the lack of tourists. We saw massage parlors, cafes, scooter rentals, and tour guides on nearly every street. Unfortunately, some of these businesses were closed while others had only a few customers.
Let us share our journey in Chiang Mai!
It started on a rainy Saturday evening. When we got to the airport we didn’t go through security until we got to our gate, which seemed odd but ultimately a faster process (especially because the airport was fairly empty). The flight was just over an hour and we landed safely. Then it was about a twenty minute drive to our Airbnb.
We woke up on Sunday morning ready to venture out. Seeing mountains so close from our bedroom window was a nice change of pace. We knew that we were not in a concrete jungle anymore. So much greenery all around us!
View from Bua Tong
Our first stop was the check out waterfalls an hour north of Chiang Mai. They are famously known as Sticky Waterfalls (officially named Bua Tong Waterfalls). It sounds strange and it is. Check out this link here to learn more. The limestone deposits allow your feet to grip to the rocks with ease due to how porous it is. We found ourselves headed towards the bottom of the waterfalls so that we could walk on them the whole way up. Then we explored around on a few hiking/walking trails and enjoyed the dense jungle scenery. In the end, we walked up the falls twice.
Later that afternoon we returned to Chiang Mai. Emily and I decided to take a walk around the Old Town a bit before heading to Tha Pae Sunday Walking Street Market. If you look at a map of Chiang Mai, you will notice Old Town is a large square. This square is surrounded by a moat and used to have walls of brick protecting the outer perimeter. Only small portions of that wall and the gates remain
We began to notice just how many temples there are in Chiang Mai. It seemed as if there was one for every few blocks. So we decided to visit a few throughout our stay. At this time we visited Wat Phra Singh (or Gold Temple).
Most of the time there are various parts to a temple, not just the temple itself. It’s common to see monks doing various activities on the temple “campus” from cleaning, offering blessings, and caring for the temples. With that in mind we entered one of the temples and saw a row of monks seated in front. After trying our best to follow what we saw others doing and showing our respect, we started to wonder why the monks were staring at us and weren’t moving. We thought they were the elders and were well disciplined in their peaceful demeanor; however, we soon noticed a sign that said to not touch the wax figures. This explained their unbelievable stillness. (Later we approached the figures to take photos.)
After visiting the temple, we met up with Steph and Nick to walk around Tha Pae Sunday Walking Street Market. This market was huge. It spanned almost the entire length of the Old Town square and was filled with vendors, stalls, and food. It was clearly where everyone in Chiang Mai goes on Sundays. There was so much to do! We ate lots of street food, checked out local art and music, crafts, saw people from RIS also vacationing and much more. The whole vibe was very cool and it only got busier as the night went on. It reminded us a bit of a farmer’s market back in Seattle, but to the next level. It was definitely a highlight and a reason to return to Chiang Mai in the future.
We also checked out Wat Phantao which was holding a service for monks. We ended the night eating dinner with several other RIS teachers we ran into at the market.
We started Monday off with some Khao Soi. A dish very famous in Chiang Mai and a must-try if visiting. (More info on our blog post, “Chiang Mai: The Food”) Afterwards, Nick, Emily and I decided to visit more temples while Steph was at work.
We chose to visit the most famous temple in Chiang Mai is one called Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. When looking at a map, we noticed there was another Doi Suthep farther up the road. We decided to check it out first by driving past the temple. The road leading up the mountain was winding and relentless. After we passed the temple, we embarked on a much more narrow road to Doi Suthep. It was heart-racing to be on a windy one lane road with two-way traffic. We were constantly honking our horn to alert oncoming traffic of our presence. When we got to the “destination” on Google Maps, we were sorely disappointed. It led us to ruins that weren’t actually visible because they were under a plastic tarp. Apparently Doi Suthep is the name of the mountain and if we had driven even farther, we would have reached the peak. Nonetheless, we turned around and headed back down to the main attraction.
Before entering the Wat area at Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, there were a few things to check out like a large gong and some Buddha statues. We took a cable car up to the Wat. There, we were met with lots of people taking photos and paying their respects. This is one of the most holy Buddist sites in Thailand, and a major pilgrimage destination. At this temple there were several soi dogs and lots to see. The view of the city from up there was dope.
Wat Umong (or Tunnel Temple), the Buddharma Garden, was our next stop. Here, there was somewhat of a garden towards the beginning and tunnels that led to Buddha statues. Past all the tunnels was the temple. There was also a garden of cairns with scattered pieces and parts of Buddha statues like the broken toys found in Sid’s backyard on Toy Story.
After seeing these temples, we headed to Steph’s apartment. It was time to venture onto the next leg of our journey. We decided we were going to make our way to the town of Pai, which is nearly a three hour drive northwest of Chiang Mai and involves 762 switchbacks. By the time we were able to leave we only had about an hour left of daylight, so Nick drove most of the way there in the dark. We stopped by a little stand on our way to grab dinner. We all (minus Nick) took Dramamine which helped prevent any car sickness. The drive was terrifying for all of us, and especially stressful for Nick. Low visibility, unexpected sharp turns, and blinding headlights from oncoming traffic were some of our issues. We were able to get to our hotel in one piece, thankfully.
We headed out to see what the night life was like in this extremely small town. It’s population is about 2,000-3,000 and also relies heavily on tourism. We weren’t able to stay very long because Steph only had one day off of work. We made it to several small, fairly empty bars that seemed to house all the locals, when normally they would be filled with travelers. We found a place to play pool and then found a bar celebrating someone’s birthday. Soi dogs kept us company and protected us from other soi dogs throughout the night. We all got quite intoxicated and headed to bed.
The next day we found a lunch spot that served more western style food. We drove to Chedi Phra That Mae Yen and saw a great view of the surrounding area.
Afterward we drove back towards Chiang Mai in search of some hot springs. On the drive we came upon a road with several houses randomly housing caged elephants for a few blocks. It took us by surprise so we slowed down but it quickly became clear that these elephants were caged and not treated humanely. It was very sad to see such beautiful creatures caged in such a small space. We drove away in silence.
We stopped by Tha Pai Hot Springs! We walked up to the top of the hot spring pools where the naturally occurring hot springs were the hottest. At first we were confused by all the signs that said “Do not boil eggs” but then we soon realized that the water in the pools was literally boiling. We walked farther down to find pockets of water that were below boiling temperatures to take a dip in. It was quite relaxing and very hot. We very much enjoyed ourselves at the hot springs.
The drive back to Chiang Mai from Pai was just as intense as the night before. It was great to see the view during our drive and it helped to see farther down the road. There were more cars out and we got stopped at a checkpoint and had to show our documents.
We finally made it back to Chiang Mai and stopped by a famous food stall for dinner. After parting ways with Nick and Steph for the night, we found an ice cream shop near our Airbnb and ended our night with our bellies full.
Woke up. Khao soi. It’s a no brainer. This time we chose a place that was packed with people. Nick joined us. Then we decided we all needed a break from activities and chose to get massages. We went to Nimman House Massage. Em and I got a package and got an hour on our feet and another hour on our back, shoulders, and neck.
Emily and I ate at a vegan restaurant for dinner. The carrot cake was the star of the meal.
We met up with Nick and Steph for an evening at the North Gate Jazz Club Co-Op. Our friends John and Christine who were also in Chiang Mai vacationing joined us as well. This place has live music every day of the week! I am glad we got there early because it quickly filled up with locals. We sat up on the balcony where less people were watching at the time. The first band had a white drummer with a MAGA hat on. WTF?! The dude can play… but seriously, WTF?!
The bands got progressively better as the night went on. There was even what we believed to be a local somewhat-famous rapper who jumped in during a song or two with one of the bands. The night ended with a band which was led by a female singer who did various covers of modern American and British hits. From Adele and Beyoncé to Bruno Mars and more. At this point the entire venue was either full on dancing or at least swaying to the beat. It was past midnight and we all headed back home.
The next day Emily and I decided to have lunch in two parts. Once at a very famous stall, SP Chicken, and the other at another khao soi place. We met up with the same people from the previous night (minus Steph) at the khao soi place. We then walked to a local bakery for desserts before checking out a rather unique temple.
This unique temple was called Wat Sri Suphan, (or Silver Temple). I believe it was made in 2004 and was much more modern than all previous temples.
To our shock, men were only allowed in the temple. Christine and Emily could view the inside virtually through a QR code or with VR headset outside of the temple. It was interesting to see the collaboration of new and old in this temple. It featured unique images of aliens, modern cities, the MARVEL universe, and much more unique pieces showcased within the temple. This might be because it was built in collaboration with several international artists so it features icons from various cities and countries around the world. It was by far the most unique temple we experienced.
Later that afternoon, we all decided to take a short drive to Baan Tawai Wood Carving Village. This is usually packed with tourists interested in all the artistic wood carvings, but that wasn’t the case when we visited. Once we arrived, it was obvious the pandemic hit this village hard. It was huge with so many stalls and storefronts up and down several streets. It was unlike anything we have ever seen and we were the only visitors. We were told at one shop not to take pictures so we ended up not taking many pictures on this venture.
That said, the wood carvings we saw were incredibly beautiful and detailed. Emily ended up getting a picture frame and we bought a little something for our coffee table. It is made out of teak wood.
The owner of this particular shop had by far the best artwork and most detailed craftsmanship I’ve ever seen done with wood. This village would be great for getting wood furniture if we plan to stay in Thailand long term.
We parted ways with the group for dinner. Emily and I enjoyed an amazing meal at a local “farm shop” eatery. Afterwards, we caught back up with the others and found a craft beer place to get a drink. The place was called the Beer Lab and it was packed with locals. Pages and pages of beers from all over the world.
Speaking of beer, here is a Thailand lesson for you: In Thailand, legally speaking, it is very difficult to to brew and sell your own beer. There are very few breweries that make their own beer, but they do exist! Thailand’s three big corporate brands that brew beer are Singha, Leo, and Chang. Leo and Singha are even produced by the same company! A new law has made it illegal to advertise beer in Thailand. So these companies have other products they sell like water which is allowed to be advertised. So if you ever see what looks like a Thai beer advertisement, I guarantee you it is for their mineral water company or for another product they sell.
Emily and I ended the night by walking back to our Airbnb. Before we made it there, we saw a tiny clay shop that we had passed by a few times by this point. It was called Just Clay Somehow. We decided to give it a shot despite not being sure if it was open. Thankfully the artist, Pro, was there and happy to have some visitors. It was a very small shop containing many different ceramics from this one artist. All very cute animals in the shape of mugs and cups and bowls. Emily bought a koala mug and we ended our day.
We arrived at our last day in Chiang Mai, and it was a short one. We got up and went back to the first khao soi place we visited because it was so close to our Airbnb. There was a temple called Wat Lok Moli across the street from it. We made a quick pit stop there before hailing a taxi to come take us to the airport. The plane ride was smooth.
When we got back to Bangkok we were informed that the entire week was filled with cloudy skies and rain. We felt so lucky that we had great weather the entire time we were in Chiang Mai. Later that day as we were stepping out to find some dinner, it began raining hard and did not let up for the rest of the night. We ordered in and had a peaceful remainder of Emily’s October break.
We hope to visit Chiang Mai again in the future and check out the surrounding areas. We had a wonderful time and hope for more adventures soon.
