Exploring Chiang Mai

I had no idea what to expect before I got to Chiang Mai, but I was excited for its rich history, beautiful temples and friendly people. When we arrived, the first thing I noticed was that the weather was cooler and waaay less humid than Bangkok, which was such a nice change! Along with quieter streets, different food and pretty much everything else... I decided to stop comparing the two cities altogether. I had a list of things to see and places to go, and my only problem was fitting it all in to a few days!

Part of the moat that surrounds the centre of Chiang Mai

The taxi driver that took us from the airport to our hotel was very informative, acting as a free tour guide as we drove through the Old City. I couldn't believe how there was literally a moat surrounding the centre of Chiang Mai in a rectangular shape like something out of medieval times. What I also found fascinating was that you could see parts of the ancient walls that protected the people (who were then known as the Lanna people) from the threat of the Burmese and Mongol armies. It is most certainly one of the most culturally significant cities in Thailand.

Part of the ancient wall

 By the time we had settled into our hotel and unpacked our bags, it was already dinner time and starvation had hit. I first and foremost had to try the traditional Chiang Mai 'khao soi', which is a delicious curry dish with flavors of coconut, mild curry powder and crunchy fried egg noodles placed on top.We then walked around the bustling main street of the Old City to find a cool place to have drinks.

I was pleasantly surprised at how many bars and pubs there were, and the lively atmosphere (and might I add everything was far cheaper than other parts of Thailand). Hopping from places such the Chiang Mai Saloon to Zoe in Yellow and Babylon Bar made for a fantastic evening! This also led to excessive drinking (I blame the unusually cheap prices), tequila shots and a horrible hangover the next day. I even got the shakes walking to 7/11 to get a coke and some pringles-clearly not 18 anymore!

Buckets on buckets

Once I had pulled myself together, I got that panicky feeling of not knowing where to begin our day! The difficulty with staying somewhere new for a limited period of time is that there is a lot more pressure placed on what is worthwhile and what to leave out. We decided to spend the whole day exploring the city and just going with the flow, and since we had hired a scooter it wasn't too exhausting. I was so impressed by some of the many temples in Chiang Mai, especially Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh. The smaller temples in the surrounding areas were just as amazing, with intricate details and designs that made me want to stop and stare.

Smaller temple alongside Wat Phra Singh

Soon enough we were starving again, and the choices of where to eat were endless. The food and coffee houses in this part of Thailand are in a league of their own. As much as I love Thai food, taking a break to enjoy good old western food was an absolute delight. Whether it was classic bacon and eggs at UN Irish Pub, a creamy cappuccino at Blue Diamond or a toasted sandwich (with avocado-finally) at Overstand, I reveled in the comfort food that you pay a hefty sum for in Bangkok. There were also tons of fresh smoothie stands everywhere, organic shops with cheap fresh produce and humble clothing stores. It is a sleepy town during the day, and its so easy to relax.

Later that night we walked to the night bazaar which had a huge market along the way with tons of cabaret shows and massages along the way. Everywhere I looked there was something strange or interesting happening. My best part was listening to live music in a haystack type common area where everyone was sipping on cocktails and snacking on pad thai and pizza. The cocktails where made from this nifty little car with a fold out table- how cool?

Love the cocktail car!

The next day Trav and I did something very thrilling and also kind of stupid- we cliff jumped off the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon and into the water below. It was incredible! Chiang Mai was a totally different holiday to the others that we have had in Thailand so far, and for that reason I really took a lot from the fantastic experience. x