When people think of going on a vacation to Thailand, the first thing that comes to their minds is white sandy beaches, Pattaya, Partying in Phuket, Street Side Shopping, Night Souks and whole lots of fun. But other than these, it would also be fun to know more about a country's culture and heritage background, it would help us gain an insight into the lives of the people residing in that country.
Whenever I travel, I always ensure that other than just sightseeing, or trying out the local delicacies or just visiting specific tourist attractions, I remove time to venture into the country's rich cultural heritage and background. Like I said earlier, one can actually learn a lot, plus these memories lasts forever. When me and my hubby first planned our trip to Thailand, unlike any other tourist; we first thought of going to Chiang Mai. Being from the Aviation Industry and seeing Chiang Mai on a few travel magazines caught my attention to this beautiful place.
Known as the cultural centre of Thailand, Chiang Mai is the largest city in Northern Thailand and scenically located near the highest mountains in the country. There are a quite a few options to travel to Chiang Mai, one can take flights or can also travel by road (Although travelling by road is going to take a lot of time, my personal suggestion would always be the Air Route if you are on time constraints). Of all the tourist spots and areas in Thailand, Chiang Mai always tops my list.
Chiang Mai; a city rich in Buddhist Traditions and home to some of the best Thai Architectured Temples & Monastries, one can meet a lot of monks, craftsmen and artists from all over the world. This beautiful and mountainous city of Chiang Mai is a perfect example of Tranquility, Majestic Wonder and Fun in equal measure. My personal suggestion: Always explore the country on your own, to avoid getting stung like a tourist. When one arrives in Chiang Mai, one can connect with all the modern amenities available; but one also gets a wonderful small town feel.
So off we go to start our adventure. Outside our hotel, we met a few scooter rental agencies, and after negotiating, we finally rented a two wheeler Scooty to roam around and get the feel of the city. The idea was to enjoy the beautiful weather (we went during the rainy season; that's the only time I could manage to get a holiday from work) and the lush green nature. So first stop, Doi Suthep.
Doi Suthep is approximately 9 miles from the city centre, and this is a mountain with a height of approximately 5500 feet. Located in the midst of Doi Suthep, is one of Northern Thailand's most sacred temple; Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. As per historical facts, this Buddhist Monastery was established in 1383 by King Keu Naone. This temple enshrines a piece of bone which is believed to be from the shoulder of the Buddha. This temple is a beautiful example of Thai architectural magnificence, and one can also reach the temple by climbing approx 300-350 step staircase. Each step of this staircase gives you an insight into the beauty, calm and peace surrounding the temple. The interior terrace of the temple has a golden Chedi which enshrines the temple. One can also hear the monks chanting the scriptures, which also gives a feel of peace and spirituality. If you explore more, one can find a lot of shrines surrounding the temple, along with a view of the beautiful city from the height of approx 3500 feet. The view is mesmerising, and the landscape gives a feel of being one with the nature.
After spending a good 4 hours or so here, and due to time constraints, we thought of venturing further into the mountains. We were greeted by wet, gloomy and lonely roads (as we were the only ones exploring, couldn't see another tourist at that time) with only fog & mist in sight. For a moment, we just stopped to enjoy the view, when suddenly we heard a rustle of tree leaves fallen on the ground. The fog became a bit more dense, and I felt that I was probably in the middle of a horror movie wherein maybe a ghost may come out screaming or probably those scary music may just start playing any moment. Though it sent a chill down my spine, nothing chilling ever happened. So off we headed towards the Bhubing Palace, more specifically the Queens Gardens.
The location of the palace is a little more higher, so that's why it's a bit more cooler here. The moment I saw the palace, how I wished that I could reside here. A perfect blend of landscape, architecture, beautiful flower beds, pathways and a big water reservoir. One could easily get lost here for hours at least. The Bhubing Palace is the winter residency of the royal family.
After almost spending a few hours here, we took towards the mountains again. We drove for approximately 25 mins or so on the lonely road, till we reached the Baan Tong Luang Hill Tribe Village or in the tourist language known as The Long Neck Village. Located in the Mountains, this tiny village is home to maybe 40-50 "long neck women", who are known to wear coiled brass rings to elongate their necks. Since the village is remotely located, it's by far one of the biggest tourist attractions. This little village relies heavily on tourists to earn their livelihood. These villagers are not citizens of Thailand, but infact they are refugees who have escaped from Myanmar because of poverty and conflict.
After our amazing adventures in the mountains, we headed down to the city as it was time for the moonrise. Before it could get any darker, we started our descent towards the city, waiting to surprise us even more. I have to agree the little city looked more livelier in the night, with the night lanterns hanging on the footpaths, The Night Souk Of Chiang Mai greeted us with open arms. The night souk is a favourite hotspot for those looking to relax, chill and enjoy the night life.
On the culinary front, you have all the western food outlets available like McDonald's, Pizza hut and so on. But since we wanted to try the local and authentic Thai cuisine, we headed to Aum Vegetarian Restaurant. I would specially recommend this place for all the vegetarians, as they have a lot of vegan & vegetarian options in both the local Thai & International cuisines. Must try the Papaya Juice and Mango With Sticky Rice.
No matter how much you explore, it's always less. The city of Chiang Mai has so much more to offer, that one finds it difficult to narrate. During this pandemic, I thought that if I could share a bit of my travel experiences it could be a bit of a change. So dear friends, I hope you all have enjoyed reading my blog, and I hope through this I could bring a smile or probably built someone's bucket list. Thank you once again for reading my experiences, I look forward to sharing more. Till then Stay Home, Be safe, and yes start making your list of places you want to travel to in future and do comment with the same.
