Trip to Chiang Dao
It is official, Thailand is opening back up! Friends and family, come hither! They are doing away with quarantine for those who are fully vaccinated. The Phuket Sandbox was ultimately a success and not only have they lifted many parts of Thailand from being in the “dark red zone,” but a sense of normalcy is beginning to take form, which Thailand desperately needs. Hopefully it will last.
So with this news, we decided it wouldn’t be too much of a risk to plan a fun getaway farther away from Bangkok for Emily’s mid-term break.
In researching for this trip we were looking for good options, considering it is the rainy season in much of the country. One source we asked was a friend of mine who I have gotten to know online (via Instagram) named Pete. I hope we can meet up one day in person because he has been a great help for recommendations of travel and food to try out in Thailand.
When discussing this upcoming trip and that we really wanted to immerse ourselves in nature and were interested in travelling up north, he mentioned to us that he owns a coffee/tea plantation in Chiang Dao. On this plantation he has built two cabins for his family when they go up to visit. He also rents them out on Airbnb. Pete told me he could help us with the booking and that if our goal was to be in nature, there is no better place than Chiang Dao. Check out his website here.
We took him up on his offer and decided to spend the majority of the week off up there. Then we would finish the trip with a few days in Chiang Mai before heading back to Bangkok. To make matters even better, our friend Stephanie who lives in Chiang Mai offered us to stay at her place while we were in town and we used her moto to get to Chiang Dao and back, which is about an hour north of Chiang Mai. With the help of both Stephanie and Pete, we were set with a minimal budget and maximized relaxation.
And now for the trip...
Our flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai was relatively smooth. Unfortunately it was delayed which made us a bit pressed for time to get to Chiang Dao and up the mountain before sundown. We were told that the drive up the mountain could be challenging depending on the mode of transportation and the need to follow the directions exactly.
We raced to Stephanie’s house to pick up the moto and found the nearest food stall to have a quick lunch and to get food for dinner. Our plan was to bring all the food we needed with us from Chiang Mai to the cabin so we wouldn’t have to leave but unfortunately there was zero room on the moto since we were carrying our baggage as well.
Pete had warned us that we should not use Google Maps to navigate to the cabin, but instead follow his explicit handwritten instructions. We followed his directions to a tee. The only issue we ran into was that the road leading up the mountain was very steep and the moto was only a 110cc. This meant it was not strong enough to move all of that weight up a steep mountain. The good news was that we were able to get nearly to the top. The bad news was there were moments where it became too steep, and Emily had to get off the bike and carry most of our bags up the rest of the way.
The almost 30 minute drive up the mountain, to the cabin was amazing. The sights, sounds, and winding roads were all breathtaking. I already love riding a moto but this particular adventure was so beautiful.
Once we arrived at the cabin, me on moto, Emily sweating her ass off while trudging up the incline, we were met with a view that could hardly be compared to anything we’ve experienced before. We were right on the edge of a cliff with a clear view of the valley that makes up Chiang Dao and the mountains surrounding the valley. Photos do not do it justice. Not only that, but as we explored the area around our cabin, we were encompassed by rows of coffee plants every which way!
Since we had enough food to last us the rest of our first day there, we unpacked and enjoyed the tranquility. Because we were so far from most things, we knew that we would be spending the majority of our time relaxing at the cabin and de-stressing. (Exactly what Emily requested after a challenging start to the school year.)
Our first night at the cabin was certainly the most eventful. Not only was there a major storm that lasted the entire night, we were having issues getting comfortable in our bed since the bug zapper wasn’t working and there were definitely all sorts of critters around us. Emily even got stung by a scorpion! We were both out of it when it happened so there is no photo proof but the creature was about two inches in length. Thankfully, the pain and swelling around the sting subsided by morning. Fortunately, that night did not set the tone for the rest of the trip; it was more of an adjustment period for us and the critters.
Because we didn’t have enough space to bring much food up, I knew I would need to travel back down the mountain and get some meals for at least the next two days. The following morning I rode down the mountain and picked up some khao soi with buffalo at ก๋วยเตี๋ยวต้มยำ ป้าจุรีย์ and nam dtok (or boat noodles) at ก๋วยเตี๋ยวน้ำตกบ้านดอน เชียงดาว. Finally, I saw a local market called, Sunrisa Market, that looked promising in finding some veggies, seasonings, and perhaps meat. Surprisingly, I found most of the basic stuff I was looking for and headed back up the mountain with a good amount of food.
Unfortunately, on my way back up, the path was still damp in some places due to the rains the night before. I hit a wet patch of leaves and had a small accident where both me and the moto veered off the road. Thankfully there were only scratches on the moto and small cuts on my hands and feet. I was thankful that no serious damage was done.
Both the khao soi and nam dtok ended up being superb. The balance and depth of flavor both stalls had with their foods was unreal. Definitely worth checking out if you are ever in Chiang Dao.
For the meal I planned to cook, I wanted to take advantage of the clay pot grill we had at our cabin. Pete provided charcoal and I got to work stoking. I bought a nice, very tender piece of beef that I marinated in oil, fish sauce, soy sauce, chili powder, laap seasoning mix, salt, lime juice, sugar, and white pepper. Once the coals were nice and hot, I cooked the beef as one big piece. Once it felt medium rare, I put on some bell peppers, onion, and long beans to char. I wasn’t exactly sure what I was doing but once everything was cooked, I cut the beef and tossed it all in more laap and other seasonings. We toasted some tortillas and made burritos with the mix. It turned out quite delicious; we were both impressed and satisfied.
Emily spent most of her days reading, embroidering, drawing and journaling. Because we did not have very good service and no wifi, we ended up playing card games to end each night as we watched the clouds overtake the valley.
We would walk around the area of the cabin on small trails that were more for workers to harvest the coffee beans than to actually hike. At one point we saw a plant with thorny leaves, not the stems, but the leaves. We decided it was time to turn back.
One night our entertainment was watching the lightning and clouds move about while a dry thunderstorm rolled into the valley.
The day before we left, Emily wanted to check out the town of Chiang Dao. We drove around the valley and were met with some amazing landscape views of the surrounding mountains.
We ate at Jern’s Burgers for lunch which was quite tasty! They ended up having nothing we initially wanted but we were still pleased with what we ordered.
On our way back towards the mountain, we stopped at ร้านเดอะเชฟ คิทเช่นเชียงดาว to get some takeaway for dinner.
Our stay in Chiang Dao was blissful, slightly nerve-wracking at times, and above all, filled with nature, away from work and the internet, which is ultimately where we wanted to be. We felt refreshed and that it was time to head back to Chiang Mai.
We enjoyed our treks up and down the mountain because of the beautiful scenery, despite the riskiness that it also involved.
Unfortunately, our meal a Jern’s Burgers left us with a food bug that impeded our ability to do much once we arrived in Chiang Mai. (This seems to be the pattern when we travel up north.) That said, we still tried new restaurants, but were not able to be out for more than that.
Our first meal was at Kiti Panit. The history about the location alone was enough for anyone to be interested in paying a visit. A bit of history according to their website:
“Kiti Panit General Store is housed in a stunning teak tree mansion dating back to 1888. The house was Chiang Mai’s first general store and is still owned by the 5th generation of descendants from the Chinese immigrants who founded the store.
Having been uninhabited for the past 50 years, the building has undergone extensive renovations using local artists and craftsmen to restore and bring to life the original woodwork including ceilings, flooring, staircase and panels. All the original furniture make up the décor.”
We ordered way too much food, and enjoyed the unique flavors and delicious dishes. We definitely couldn’t finish it, but took the leftovers to go. Their khao soi was by far the richest tasting we have ever eaten. The star for me was their sour soup with pork and for Emily it was the sai uaa.
Dinner was at Adirak Pizza, which probably was the best pizza we have had in Thailand up to this point. Dessert was at Rotee Pa Day. We had to have this again since it blew us away last time. And the three ladies are always a pleasure.
To end this vacation, Emily wanted to visit her favorite yoga studio for a session while I visited some local bakeries like Baan Bakery and Nana Cafe and Bakery for some treats.
Our midday was spent hanging out with one of Stephanie’s neighbor’s dogs.
Our final meal in Chiang Mai had to be at Sanmai Ramen, our favorite ramen spot. One of the chefs recognized us from our last visit (in January mind you!) and said hello. Both the ramen and gyozas were on point and left us feeling complete.
Thanks to both Pete and Stephanie for their hospitality and recommendations. It felt great to be able to travel again and we hope that the opening up of Thailand to international travelers is a success. We love Thailand, and there are a lifetime of sites to see, but we also want to check out more of Southeast Asia, and countries on this side of the world while we are here. Cheers to (hopefully) more travels soon!
