Sitting under a golden shower tree, I was in awe of the great Wat Chedi Luang in the middle of the walled city in Chiang Mai. The noon summer breeze kept me lull but my eyes were still glued on the huge structure. I was about to take a quick catnap when I was interrupted by my buddy who returned with a smile on his face, exclaiming that there are more wats around this wat.
Aptly named as the Rose of the North, Chiang Mai is the main tourist hub in the northern part of Thailand. Historically speaking, it was once the capital of the ancient Lanna kingdom and was founded in 1296. It is accessible through the city’s airport, train and bus lines (check here for discounted tours, transportation and activities in Chiang Mai).
Our home, Yaang Come Village, was conveniently located
in the center of the city. We usually explored around town by foot which saved
us a lot of bucks. On our very first day, or rather night, we were collected from
the airport by a friend, Ice, who’s now settled in Chiang Mai with her husband.
They gladly showed us around and pointed out some
important spots to be explored on the next few days (it was my first time in Chiang Mai and my buddy’s second). First stop was a cheap dinner place somewhere to
satisfy our cravings for legit Thai food (I will dedicate a separate post on
our yummy food trippin').
Beer sesh was next, and as we checked out the beer
selections from the grocery we noticed that they had a local version of the
famed Red Horse Beer from the Philippines. We grabbed a few bottles and tried
it. Theirs seemed to have that extra kick than the ones we have.
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| A good friend based in Chiang Mai. Meet Ice. |
Our next day was all about leaving Chiang Mai and
heading to the hip and laidback district of Pai. We hopped on a van going to
Pai at the Arcade Bus Station and shelled out 150 Baht each (US$ 4.22) for the trip. We endured
the 762 road curves on the way, by the way. We did a little exploring by motorbike around Pai and checked out the local Thai food scene in the area. After three days of
butt-numbing motorbike ride, we headed back to Chiang Mai.
Templed Out: Chiang Mai Edition
Temple runs had been a common thing for me and my
buddy as we conquer Southeast Asia on a two-month backpacking trip. Our feet
were burnt at Myanmar, our souls were cleansed in Bali and we’re amazed by the
marvel of Prambanan and Borobudur temples in Yogyakarta.
We never really planned on checking out more temples in Chiang Mai, but as we entered the gates to the old city, temples or wats greeted us every five minutes as we walked along the cobbled paths. This made us explore some of the interesting ones inside and around the premises of the walled city.
Wat Chedi Luang
103 Road King Prajadhipok Phra Singh, Muang District, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 6:00 am to 6:00 pm (temple grounds remain open at night)
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Wat Chedi Luang |
103 Road King Prajadhipok Phra Singh, Muang District, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Wat Phat Tao |
Wat Lok Molee
Manee Nopparat Road, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 6:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Wat Lok Molee |
Wat Pra Singh Voramahavihara
Sam Lan Road, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 6:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Wat Phra Singh Voramahavihara |
Wat Tung Yu
Ratchadamnoen 7, Muang District, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Real life wax figures of famed monks |
Wat Jetlin
Prapokkloa Road, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 4:00 am to 6:00 pm
Entrance Fee: Free
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| Wat Jetlin |
Inside the Old City
We wandered around the walled city and were captivated
by its unexplainable charm. There’s this chill vibe everywhere that made us
wanna chill more, or maybe it was because of the punishing summer heat. Either
way, we had more chill time here than the rest of our Thailand adventures.
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| Lesgow to the ancient city! |
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| Chill vibe |
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| The walled city surrounded by moat |
We checked out some museums but were taken aback on
the entrance fees (we're cheapskates, just so you know. haha) so we decided to just do a walking trip around.
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| Three Kings Monument Square | Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Center Prapokkalo Road and T.Sriphum, Muang, Chiang Mai 8:30 am to 5:00 pm | Tuesdays to Sundays | 90 Baht (US$ 2.54) |
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| Lanna Folklife Museum Prapokkalo Road, Muang, Chiang Mai 8:30 am to 7:00 pm | Tuesdays to Sundays | 90 Baht (US$ 2.54) |
On our walking tour, we chanced upon some museums that
required no entrance fees, of course, we took the chance to explore it. Specialty
shops were also common in Chiang Mai. Cheap hawker stalls were also plentiful
so no need worry about getting dehydrated or famished. Motorbikes and bicycles
for hire were also noticeable.
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| Lanna traditional architecture |
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| Lanna Architecture Center Ratchadamnoen Road and Phra Pok Klao Road, Chiang Mai 8:30 am to 5:00 pm | Tuesdays to Sundays | No entrance fee |
The residential areas inside the ancient city were
peaceful and full of character. You could easily notice how everyone is trying
to keep up with the daily grind of life while maintaining that aura of calmness.
I love people-watching and getting lost inside the walled city. It was
fascinating rather than time-consuming.
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| Chiang Mai is a walkable city |
Royal Flora Ratchaphruek
Mae Hia, Muang, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Entrance Fee: 100 Baht (US$ 2.82) | Park is free-of-charge
We did a quick road trip around 8 kilometers from
Chiang Mai to the sub-district of Mae Hia. Ice specifically noted that
different species of flowers and amazing grass arts can be found at the park.
And it wasn’t a disappointment at all. Perched atop a hill, a Ratchaphruek or golden shower tree (the national flower of Thailand) stood there with its colorful yellow blossoms showering the visitors as the wind blew. The view there was amazing. We waited as the sun beamed its last glorious rays.
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| Ratchaphruek Hill |
And it wasn’t a disappointment at all. Perched atop a hill, a Ratchaphruek or golden shower tree (the national flower of Thailand) stood there with its colorful yellow blossoms showering the visitors as the wind blew. The view there was amazing. We waited as the sun beamed its last glorious rays.
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| Royal Flora Park |
Chiang Mai Grand Canyon
Canal Road, Hang Dong, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 11:00 am to 10:00 pm
Entrance Fee: 50 Baht (US$ 1.40)
Still amazed from Pai’s Canyon, I was elated when I
heard that our friends will bring us to Chiang Mai Grand Canyon. On the way, the couple
exchanged stories of its emerald green water and high cliffs. Me and my buddy exchanged looks of excitement as we traversed the
road leading to it.
We arrived at Pai’s Canyon in Hang Dong District where
we saw a newly built shack that houses a café. A fee of 50 Baht each (US$ 1.40)
was collected to enter the premises which included one bottle of any drink.
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| Chiang Mai Grand Canyon |
Me and my buddy explored the canyon and were told that the place was a former quarry site and
what seemed to be a lake was mostly made up of stuck up rainwater. The water,
they say, could go as deep as 40 meters. Isolated incidents of some tourists
being drowned here were reported.
There was a group enjoying a boat tour around, some
half-naked men were doing all kinds of stunts as they dive, and others who were lazily
lounging on the clay soils; they seemed to be having fun on this man-made canyon.
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| Ready to jump! |
We immediately stripped off and looked for our own
little spot and started to wade over the heavy water. And then, we’re so
enthused on the amazing stunts performed by the guys on the other side and did
a little jumping and diving ourselves. It was fun, but yes, I know, it was
really dangerous.
CAMP
Creative And Meeting Place
5th floor, Maya Mall, Chiang Mai
Open Hours: 24 hours/day
Entrance Fee: Free
We had so much lull time in the city that our friends
treated us to a movie date. I usually sleep when I’m inside a cinema house and
this time, I slept almost eighty percent of the movie. They laughed at me
afterwards.
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| I wanna introduce this cafe library concept in Manila :) |
As we leave the mall at midnight, I noticed a shop
that’s still open. We checked it out and noticed that the whole
space was filled up with teeners and yuppies who seemed to be doing some school
stuff. I then learned that CAMP is a 24-hour cafe library inside the mall
wherein students or whoever wanna use the space can stay there for free. A café
was also spotted that serves all day and night. Free WiFi can be used upon
purchase of any food item. Me thinking that it would just be the perfect place
to study or for layovers (sleeping is allowed but unnecessary noise is prohibited). Such a nice concept.
Our Chiang Mai tip was more of a chill one maybe because
a friend was there to show us around. We’re gearing up for Laos so we took this
time to just relish being driven to wherever we wanna go. A big shout out to
Ice and Boogie who were just so supportive of our craziness. Till next time
Chiang Mai!
You're welcome :)
ReplyDeleteSa uulitin dapat di lang 2 days, madami pa i-offer ang Chiang Mai sa inyo ;)
Ang sarap lang kasi tumambay sa Chiang Mai talaga Ice. Hihi
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