Chiang Mai beautiful Chiang Mai. Walking within its street is a pure pleasure for your senses: beautiful temples, the sound of happy children singing in school along with the birds' singing, the smell of tasty and various street food which will awake your taste buds, and the relaxing feeling of cheap massages.
Being very different from the south, Chiang Mai has a lot to offer: numerous temples, classes (cooking, meditation, Muay Thai etc), night markets, festivals and so on. One of the festivals I was lucky to be a part of is the annual Loi Kratong festival. This festival is famous and hence packed; but when I say packed it means fully booked special shows (the famous lantern release with the monks - 100€ per ticket) and tremendously packed street where cars, scooters and pedestrians each try to make their way through surrounded by street food stalls everywhere. The festival is definitely worth it, bringing a feeling of spirituality and authenticity (where people from all over the world gather to share this unique moment and spread peace & love around them) to the city with all these air lanterns flying out to the sky and beyond. Walking around the Chiang Mai's streets during this festival is quite magical as the sky fills up of lanterns. Ever since I entered the city I had a positive feeling - which is more typical(proper) to the north of Thailand I guess being way less impacted by mass tourism and remaining more authentic and representative of what one should expect Thailand to be: green landscape, cultural authenticity, with a wide presence of religion and respect. Staying four days in Chiang Mai I had the time to wonder around the vast Sunday night market, visit the old city's temples, chat with a monk, visit a temple outside of the city which has a beautiful view over it (the Wat Doi Suthep), try diverse street food and typical food from the region (I tried the Kow soy a typical dish from Chiang Mai: chicken curry with egg noodles), walk for hours, party, enjoy the Loi Kratong festival, get a feet massage by convicted women being in a social reinsertion program, retry a scooter experience, see the grand canyon, meet with old and recent friends, trek for an entire day, and visit the Doi Inthanon national park. Chiang Mai is a definitely a place I could be coming back to one day, and I believe it to be a nice city to live in. |
Transportation: last minute flight from Surat Thani airport (Samui-Chiang Mai direct flights are pretty expensive for a backpacker's budget) 100€ (B3559) + B600 transfer from Koh Samui to Surat Thani airport - boat + bus, B30 red bus from the airport to the hotel, B200 tuk tuk and red truck buses around town. It's pretty easy and nice to walk around town, hence avoiding taxi money.
Accommodation: mr jack hostel, a really young and friendly place located right next to the north door of the ancient town. Clean accommodation, laundry service. B200 per night
Activities: B1500 for a 1 day trek including transfer, food and guide. B1000 for the Doi Inthanon National park including driver, snacks and entrance fees.
Food: very cheap and delicious street food
Accommodation: mr jack hostel, a really young and friendly place located right next to the north door of the ancient town. Clean accommodation, laundry service. B200 per night
Activities: B1500 for a 1 day trek including transfer, food and guide. B1000 for the Doi Inthanon National park including driver, snacks and entrance fees.
Food: very cheap and delicious street food