Arriving at the airport Friday night we were like giggly school girls, over-excited at the thought of going on an actual holiday, on a plane! I have been in Phuket nearly 4 months & not gone anywhere. Back home I usually fly at least once a month, so it was strange to be in the same place for so long.
Chiang Mai – a 2 hour flight but a whole other world. Still part of Thailand but so different! Right near the golden triangle (the adjoining borders of Thailand, Laos & Myanmar) Chiang Mai is a mix of hippies, backpackers, students, travelers, artists, and is a haven for vegetarian food. The temperature is hot, but the city is amazing. We stayed in the old city, originally cut off from the rest of the world by a moat, much of which still remains.
There are 5 main gates that surround the old city, that are still in tact that give entrance to the city. Inside the old city it is a combination of busy wide main streets and tiny little roads with coffee shops beside houses with washing hanging out the window. You could wander the streets for hours just to take it all in. Mixed in amongst all this are the temples. There are so many temples that after awhile they seem to blend with the rest of the surroundings.
The best (and funest!) way to see this place is by tuk tuk. Tuk tuk’s here are different to Phuket. Here they are the 3 wheeled variety, many of which have been pimped up beyond belief – flashing lights and pumping speakers. There are also the largest red old ‘covered in ute’ style tuk tuk which can take you further if you want to go beyond the city.
My first 2 days involved limited exploration as I wasn’t feeling well, but after that we explored. Chiang Mai is famous for its Night Market, which was quite good, but sold much of the tourist stuff you would expect. The Sunday Walking however was another experience. Stretching for blocks & blocks, we just couldn’t walk the entire market. It was so big! It had clothing, handicrafts, food, musicians, pretty much everything you can think of. One of the most interesting parts of our market adventure was when the entire market (1000’s of people) turned into a game of statues when the King’s anthem played. Amazing. shouldn’t be surprised, last time I heard it in public the entire traffic just stopped. The traffic just ignored the lights and no one moved. Guess it will grow on me.
The other thing that is plentiful in Chiang Mai are massage places. Honestly, it seems like there is one on every corner! I believe it is because the massage schools are here. I took advantage of this fact 🙂 And cheap. Like everything in Chiang Mai, the prices are so low. Many things are half the price or less than Phuket. Crazy!
There is also quite a nightlife here, and with all the people travelling through, it makes for quite a scene. On our last night, when I was finally feeling up to it, we hit the bars with the locals & tourists and sweated the night away. Fun!
Highly recommend a trip to this place, and being amongst the company of so many travelers in one place re-ignited my love of traveling. Chiang Mai is the town to be in if you are the artist type who wants to hole up in any number of gorgeous coffee shops / bars / book stores and just watch the world go by….exactly what I did writing this blog!
‘Not all those who wander are lost’.
