Chiang Rai
December 10 to 13, 2020
Population: 70,000
800 km north of Bangkok
After our 2 day slow boat travel and one night in Chiang Khong, we took a local bus (2 hours) to Chiang Rai on December 10.
Once again we did not have any booking so as soon as we got off the bus we visited a few guesthouses to find our temporary home.
While we were walking in the streets trying to find a hostel, we met somebody who was on our Luang Prabang to Pak Beng boat who had arrived 2 days before and he recommended a nice hostel nearby. We decided to follow his recommendation and booked a few nights in the Bed & Friends hostel. This was a very nice guesthouse, brand new as it recently opened. We took the family room with shared bathroom. This was our first time (as a family) and the girls really loved it!
Chiang Rai is a small town and was perfect to chill. We spent time relaxing in our hostel (we also caught up on homework) and hanging out in the city.
Bubble of History: Chiang Rai was founded in 1262 by the king Mangrai and became the capital of the kingdom of Lan Na. In Thai, Chiang means city, so Chiang Rai means the city of (Mang)Rai. It was conquered by Burma and remained under Burmese control for several centuries. In 1786, it got under control of Chiang Mai and the region became a province of Thailand in 1933. (Source Wikipedia).
Wat Rong Khun – The white temple
The original temple was in bad shape at the end of the 20th century and no public funds were available to renovate it. Chalermchai Kositpipat, a local artist decided to completely rebuild the temple and fund the project.
The temple is beautiful with its pure white color. Inside the temple, pictures were forbidden but there were murals with pop icons such as Neo in The Matrix, Superman, Batman, Pikachu, Harry Potter but also Michael Jackson... There was also the Twin Towers burning. Not sure why but it surely looks peculiar in a Buddhist temple!
Blue Temple
We went there on a recommendation and to be honest we were disappointed. Compared to all temples we saw before in China, Vietnam and Laos (and the ones we would see later in Bangkok), this temple looks fake, made only for tourists.
Needless to say that we didn’t stay long there and decided to go to a nice outdoor café nearby instead.
Night Market
The market was very close to our hostel and we went there every evening. There were a lot of street vendors with hand made clothes, leather goods and of course a food area. Nearby, we also found a vegetarian restaurant and discovered the Khao Soi, a curry and coconut milk based soup. So delicious ! It became one of our favorites!
We spent 3 good days in Chiang Rai before moving on to Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai
December 13 to 18, 2019
Population: 130,000
700 km north of Bangkok
190 km south of Chiang Rai (4 hour-drive)
We took a bus to get to Chiang Mai. Once again we had no booking but headed to a hostel found on Booking.com that turned out to be quite good and we stayed there for 5 nights. We find that it's generally cheaper to book with the hostel directly).
We had heard mixed reviews of Chiang Mai, some people saying it is a very nice little town with great atmosphere and beautiful temples, some telling us it became very touristy and lost its vibe. After a few weeks of travel, we learned that one’s appreciation of a city depends on one's state of mind, itineraries, previous experiences, etc. We actually really liked the city, temples and atmosphere albeit less authentic than Luang Prabang's to our taste. The city is bigger, more modern and attracts a lot of tourists but it is still very likeable.
Movie night
On our first evening, we took the girls to a nearby movie theatre and watched "Frozen 2" and ate at a McDonalds. It was a surprise for them and they were thrilled. We had a great time that evening. Going to the movies felt like we were back home.
Fun story: to get there, the cheapest way (and probably fastest) was to take a songthaew, a local shared taxi (20Bath/adult, 60 US cents). It is basically a pick-up truck and people just sit on benches installed in the back. As it was full, Naema was standing inside, Lana was on somebody's laps while Coralie and I were standing on the steps.
The old city of Chiang Mai is a walled city surrounded by a moat. The most famous and beautiful temples as well as most museums are located in the old city. However, there are many attractions outside the city walls.
Bubble of History: Chiang Mai, which means "New Walled City", was founded in 1296 and replaced Chiang Rai as the capital of the kingdom of Lan Na. Its location on the Ping river and proximity to major trading routes contributed to its historical importance.
After the decline of the kingdom, the city lost its importance and was attacked in 1556 and occupied by the Burmese for 200 years. In 1767, the Thai army, regrouped in present-day Bangkok, began a campaign to push out the Burmese forces. Chao Kavila, a chieftain from nearby Lampang principality, helped liberate northern Thailand from Burmese control, and was appointed king of the northern states, placing Chiang Mai under the authority of the kingdom of Siam. The city then slowly grew back in cultural, trading and economic importance to become the unofficial capital of the Northern Thailand, second in importance to Bangkok. (Source Lonely Planet and Wikipedia)
The remains of the city walls are still visible and separate the old city from the modern part.
Chiang Mai is home of 300 Buddhist temples (wat). Our walks took us to some of the famous and beautiful ones.
Wat Phra Singh, dates from 1345
Wat Phuak Hong that we found it on our way to a playground in Buak Hard Public Park.
Buak Hard Public Park
We went several times to the park for the playground (it was huge and the girls were having a lot of fun) but also to learn juggling. We met a French Canadian and a Californian who spend 3 months in Chiang Mai every year so they have known each other for a while. And they come to juggle in this park every day and teach whoever wants to learn. It was super nice to meet a fellow Canadian there and converse about places we both know and yet that is really far from here.
Naema and I made good progress juggling and learned some tricks. Now we need to practice!
In the evening, there was acroyoga in the park, quite amazing seen from the outside because this is a lot more physical that dynamic flow yoga that we love so much.
We also met a French family who was just start
Wat Chet Lin, where we played in an impromptu maze with the girls.
Wat Fon Soi
Wat Duang Dee, made with teck wood (very dark)
Visit of the Lanna folklife museum
First, the name is hilarious and we said to the employees that we had a Lana too 😃
It was a good overview of the traditions and culture in Northern Thailand with the garments worn by women, the food, the dances, and also an explanation on temples architecture in the area.
Buddhas, Marquetry Buddha footprint and the best part of the museum for the girls
Our neighborhood: the silver temple and Saturday Night market
Our guesthouse was very well-located, just outside the city walls, close to a street food area (where we would go almost every night, good food, good price 😉). The neighborhood is famous for its silver shops. As a tribute, there is nearby an incredible temple: Wat Sri Suphan and its unique silver-metal Buddhist shrine, all made by local silversmiths.
Our street was also home of Saturday night market. Obviously, we went to find some nice souvenirs and gifts and ate some delicious street food (no we didn't try the scorpion skewers 😱).
The market was ending around midnight when we were actually able to go to bed because there was a lot of entertainment with music and speakers from the market... (but it didn't really bother the girls).
Our room was overlooking the market
Overall, we had a really great time in both cities. Coming from Laos, it was a nice transition to the more crowded and intense Bangkok that would follow.
Salah
Comments