So, for any of you travellers or adventurers out there that are heading to Chiang Mai, here is my Top 12 (yep, you lucky dog...I added 2 extra!) of Chiang Mai, in no real particular order...
12. Wat Pan Tao
Wat Pan Tao is one of the only teak wood temples in Chiang Mai, and although it's small, it's stunning! The first time I stumbled on this temple, the sun was setting and there was this beautiful golden Buddha nestled in a patch of colourful tulips, surrounded by a koi-filled stream. Many of the travel sites suggest visiting Wat Phra Singh just down the road, but Phra Singh is full of tourists and in my opinion, isn't nearly as beautiful as Wat Pan Tao. Wat Pan Tao is easy to find in the Old City and it's right next to Wat Chedi Luang, another really lovely - and popular - temple (make sure to walk around the back of Chedi Luang!).
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| The beautiful garden of Wat Pan Tao |
11. Warorot Market
Warorot Market is open 24/7 and if you need it, they have it. Seriously. If you need clothes, food, fruit/vegetables, teas, nicknack's, toiletries, furniture, ceramics...really, they have everything. And the best part is? It's the cheapest place in town! You'll find the same clothing and nicknack's at the Night Bazaar and Sunday Walking Street for 3-5 times the price because those markets are chock FULL of tourists asking to get ripped off. Warorot is always crowded with the locals, it's not touristy so you might be stared at, but the place is a bargain hunter's gem!
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| The chaotic and wonderful Warorot Market - this doesn't even convey the size of this market |
10. Food Market at Chiang Mai Gate (or North Gate)
The food in Thailand is just oh-so-amazing and I will take street food over restaurant food any day. Street food tastes better and is a lot cheaper than the latter. There are many street food markets around Chiang Mai, but this one in particular has the Cowboy Hat Lady. I couldn't tell you the name of her stall if I wanted to, but everyone in town knows the Cowboy Hat Lady. Every night she's there making the BEST roasted pork with rice I've ever had. Throw that down with a soft-boiled duck egg and this chili vinaigrette sauce...oh damn, my mouth is watering with memories of that delicious plate of food. What makes it even better? It's less than $1.
Make sure you save room for dessert, though. Just two stalls down from the Cowboy Hat Lady is the stall for beatoey...mouth watering rice pudding balls in warm coconut soup. Hot damn, it's time for a wee vacation to Chiang Mai, methinks!
9. Scootin' the Samoeng Loop
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| Map of the Mae Sa Valley - Samoeng Loop |
Sometimes, you just need to get out of town! It's easy enough to do, just rent yourself a motorbike and hit the road. Once you're out of the city, the Samoeng Loop takes you around Doi Suthep mountain on a peaceful, quiet road. If you drive without any stops, the route will take around 2-3 hours (if I'm remembering correctly...). I, however, made lots of stops and spent a good 5-6 hours enjoying the ride. Stop off at one of the many waterfalls (I enjoyed the Mae Sa waterfall), or the elephant camps, Tiger Kingdom, the monkey show, snake show - all of which I passed up...I'm not a fan of animal exploitation, but if it tickles your fancy, they're all there along the route! It's a beautiful ride, even when going in the height of the pollution season of Chiang Mai, which I don't really recommend because there is a LOT of smoke - try going between April-January. Read more about the Samoeng Loop here.
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| Overlooking the (smokey) Samoeng forest |
8. Lady Boy Cabaret Show - Night Bazaar
Lady Boy's are such an iconic part of Thailand. Thailand is one of those countries that is very open and accepting of anyone's sexuality - take note, Russia! The absolute first Thai that I met was a lady boy...she picked me up from the airport. I had absolutely NO idea that "she" was really a "he". She was absolutely gorgeous and I still find it hard to believe she was a dude. Anyways, I digress. There is a free (when you purchase a tasty beverage) Cabaret Show, every night (save for Sunday) at 9:30pm in the Night Bazaar. Combine glitz, glam, glitter, feather boas, stilettos, with lady boys lip-syncing pop music - like Whitney Houston, songs from Grease, Britney Spears, and you've got yourself a rollin' good time! I guarantee you will laugh your ass off. The lip-syncing is terrible, but that just makes it even better. Also, if you're a dude in the audience, prepare to get some Lady Boy lovin' during the hour long show! You're welcome.
P.S. If you don't want to purchase a tasty beverage, entrance is 200 baht - roughly $6. It's cheaper to buy a drink.
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| Lady Boy's of the Cabaret! |
7. Saturday Walking Street
The Saturday Walking Street is the lesser known sister of the Sunday Walking Street, and much more pleasant in my eyes. It has more or less of the same stuff as the Sunday Walking Street, but it also has more authentic crafty items. It's also along the silversmith's road, so there is a lot more jewelry and silver carvings available. It's not as big as the Sunday Walking Street, but I feel the Sunday market is just repetitive - you see the same things throughout the market. The Saturday Walking street is still quite big and really, it's just more authentic feeling - and cheaper.
P.S. Stop by Wat Srisuphan while there - the Silver Temple!
6. Chiang Mai Women's Prison
Tired from all of your adventures? Need a relaxing, world famous Thai massage? Well then, look no further than the ladies of the women's prison! They will give you the massage of your life! It's a great rehabilitation program for incarcerated women due to be released within 6 months. Read all about getting a prison massage here.
5. Good Morning, Chiang Mai
Craving a damn good American breakfast? Look no further than Good Morning, Chiang Mai. A gorgeous, retro and rustic cafe in the heart of the Old City, which makes you feel like you're out in the middle of the countryside! Enjoy your breakfast or lunch inside, outside, or up in their loft. I would sit there for hours and just read a book and drink coffee. They've had a live band playing a time or two while I was there. And their food? Best damn American breakfast you'll find in Chiang Mai. Might I recommend their buttermilk pancakes and sausage? Holy shit, they will change your life.
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| The pancakes that will change your life. |
4. The Lost Book Shop
Need a new book to read? I recommend the Lost Book Shop - a used book shop (most of them are used in Chiang Mai - at least I don't recall seeing any new book shops) run by this awesome Irish dude. LBS has a great selection of books, and if they don't have what you're looking for, they'll call up their sister book shop, Backstreet Books just down the road. One of the workers there, Joy, is just about as lovely of a person as you can get. I had been looking for months and months for the Game of Thrones series - in ALL of the bookshops around Chiang Mai - when Joy said she would lend me her personal copy of the books. I couldn't believe she would trust a complete, foreign stranger like that! She brought the first book for me the next day and told me to text her when I was done...she would bring the next book for me the day after I messaged her so I could trade them out. She become one of my greatest friends in Chiang Mai. Need a book? Go to the Lost Book Shop.
3. Loi Krathong at Maejo University
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| Lanterns of Loi Krathong |
I saw a beautiful picture of floating lanterns in National Geographic Traveller and decided I needed to see that place for myself. That is what took me to Chiang Mai - Loi Krathong. If you want to experience Loi Krathong, head out to the "big release" of the lanterns at Maejo University - which actually has NOTHING to do with Loi Krathong - a giving-thanks/ask-for-forgiveness-to-the-river/water-gods holiday. Read my full blog about Loi Krathong here.
2. Songkran
A festival I had NO prior knowledge of before going to Chiang Mai. Songkran celebrates the Thai New Year and Chiang Mai is the place to be in Thailand! What starts as a cleaning of the Buddha statues with a sprinkling of water turns into an all-out, city-wide, 5 day water fight! Read about Songkran here. (The photos in that blog really do not convey the madness that is Songkran!)
1. The Bird's Nest Cafe
And finally, the Bird's Nest Cafe! The reason for starting this blog, back to that cup of coffee I was thinking of! The Bird's Nest is another gem of a cafe that I unfortunately only discovered in my last few months in Chiang Mai. It's a hippie'd out organic cafe, that comes with a hammock and great food made from super fresh and organic ingredients! Their food is good (although I prefer Good Morning's buttermilk pancakes), but it was their coffee that kept me coming back for more! Order up the Bird's Nest coffee and your life will change. It's made from an Arabica coffee and blended with four different spices including cardamon, star anise, cinnamon, and (I think) nutmeg and served in a french press. Add some packed brown sugar and milk - coconut if you like - and prepare yourself to be high on coffee! No, really...it's strong! You can easily spend the day just chillin' out, reading, eating, drinking...of which I did, many times! It can be a little difficult to find, check out their website for directions!
Happy Trails!
P.S. If you need a great place to stay, call my friend Stephen and his wife King! I lived in one of their apartment buildings (Sethee Court) for the last 5 months of my time in Thailand...they rent out rooms for daily rates and long-term, and they're AWESOME! Check out their website here.
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