Chiang Mai Adventures: + Is Chiang Rai Worth Visiting?
One of my biggest travel regrets on my 3 month Southeast Asia Backpacking trip is not allotting more time for Northern Thailand. Chiang Mai, Pai, Chiang Rai - there’s simply so much to do.
Because of some unfortunate time constraints due to a sponsored slow boat trip heading from Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang, I really only had two days to explore everything that Chiang Mai had to offer AND to get to Chiang Khong, which was about 6 hours away. I was absolutely kicking myself and mildly panicking on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, but I knew that since I had only 24 hours to explore Chiang Mai and another 24 hours to see if Chiang Rai was worth visiting, I had to kick it into high gear and do my very best.
My overnight train got in at around 7 in the morning, and I split a tuk-tuk with some other solo travelers into town where I checked into my hostel, stuffed myself on their free banana pancakes, took a 45 minute power nap, and jumped into action.
I knew that since I was heading to an elephant sanctuary later in the afternoon that I probably had time for one activity in the morning, so I decided to go explore Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in Chiang Mai.
No, I don’t know how to pronounce that.
Now, you’d be so much better off if you’re able to rally a group of people, as the drive is actually quite long: about 20 minutes up the mountain. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to sit around and wait for people to jump onboard with my early-morning plan, so the solo tuk tuk ride cost me a pretty penny (probably like $12 USD, I’m being dramatic. But when your daily allowance is $35, that does take quite a chunk out of the budget).
One thing to keep in mind in Thailand is how strict they are with their temple dress codes! I learned my lesson in Bangkok, So I showed up with flowy pants that touched the ground, my tube top, and while I normally would bring a scarf for my shoulders, I brought a whole button up shirt so that I didn’t have a repeat of what happened at the Royal Palace just the day prior.
I’m not entirely sure if they’re as strict as some of the temples and palaces in Bangkok, but I was not about to spend 12 whole USD to drive somewhere and not be let in.
My tuktuk driver dropped me off at the base of the temple, where there’s loads of shopping and souvenirs to buy. I love to look, but because I typically travel with nothing but my backpack, I rarely buy anything. Once you’ve had your fill of shopping (or just looking), simply look for the staircase with the dragons on either side and start the ascent.
After climbing one MILLION 309 stairs in the sweltering heat, I finally made it to the entrance.
To make a long story short, this temple was stunning. I’ve seen lots of temples in my day, and I would still say that Doi Suthep is worth the trip up the mountain.
Also, I found myself to be actually pretty happy that I came by myself! Temples like these are always awe-inspiring, as since they are still active holy sites and sacred to many Thai people, sometimes its just best to walk around and observe in silence, which is just what I did!
There is an absolutely HUGE golden stupa, countless Buddha statues, shrines of all sorts, and stunning views over Chiang Mai that had me so disappointed that I didn’t have time to explore the actual city.
Ah, well, just another excuse to go back I suppose.
After soaking in all the beauty of Doi Suthep, I pulled up the picture of my tuk tuk’s license plate I took to ensure that I would be able to find my driver (pro tip lol), tracked him down, and headed back into Chiang Mai for lunch.
And WHAT a lunch it was.
I had heard that while I was in the north of Thailand, that I absolutely HAD to try Khao Soi. I did some research and walked over to The House by Ginger, which was the cutest little restaurant and fairly close to my hostel. I ordered some freshly squeezed orange juice and the Khao Soi, and my life was forever changed.
I’ve since had Khao Soi at a few restaurants in America and they just don’t compare, so I don’t know what to tell you. I’d say that you need to try this dish at your earliest convenience, but it just won’t cut it - You need to go to CHIANG MAI at your earliest convenience. Like, elephants are incentive enough but this dish was honestly the highlight (Yeah - I said it).
After getting my socks knocked off by northern Thai food, I headed back to my hostel to change into a bathing suit. I had met a couple my age at my hostel during my whirlwind 24 hours in Bangkok, and while most people I met there were heading South to the islands, Chloe and Josh were heading to Chiang Mai at the same time as me! We booked our elephant sanctuary experience together the day before, and they headed to the airport while I hopped on the overnight train.
Once changed and ready to go, I was picked up by the shuttle at my hostel. We picked up a few people along the way (Chloe and Josh included) and we started a 40 minute drive into the mountains where the majority of the elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai reside.
Unfortunately, I don’t have an amazing company recommendation for you, but there are so many options in Chiang Mai! The one that I went to (because I booked so last minute) only had 3 rescue elephants, but since we had a small group, I really didn’t mind. We all basically had an elephant to ourselves, and I was just genuinely so happy to be spending the day with elephants that I didn’t care how many there were.
They had us change into traditional clothing of the Karen Hill Tribe, which the owner of the sanctuary said helps the elephants come right up to you, as they are familiar with the look and smell. I felt a little silly at first, but I actually look back on pictures and think my little red pants and woven shirt are so cute!
After we changed, we got a brief introduction to the elephants and their rescue stories before heading over to fill our woven bags full of bananas.
The weather had been grim all day, pouring rain through lunch time (thankfully it started while I was sheltered in my restaurant devouring Khao Soi and not while I was on top of a mountain exploring a temple), but we got a glimmer of sun as we started by feeding the elephants the bananas we gathered as well as sugar cane. Our luck held out for 30 minutes, but when it came time to go on our jungle trek and take them for a bath in the river, the heavens opened UP.
At first, I was pretty bummed, as I wanted to get some good pictures with the elephants, but I quickly realized that because this is a once in a lifetime opportunity (hopefully not ONCE in a lifetime, but you just never know), that I needed to fully embrace it.
Once I had a little mindset change, I was able to marvel in the fact that I was walking through the jungles of Thailand in the pouring rain, holding hands (trunks?) with an adorable rescue elephant on our way to take a bath in the river. Like ??? Sure I was looking like a drowned rat and kept getting water in my eyes, but I simply could not believe that that was my life.
Once at the river, we all got in to wash the elephants off and play with them, so it honestly didn’t end up mattering that we got rained on, as we were bound to get soaked anyways.
I was paranoid the whole time that the elephants were going to step on my feet as we were in the river, but the guide assured me that they’re very spacially aware animals and that they’ve never stepped on anyone! They were honestly the sweetest animals, and I was absolutely obsessed.
After getting back to the sanctuary’s main house (where the power was out thanks to the rain), we had a fabulous meal of all you can eat pad Thai, fried rice, and fruit that the guide’s mother had home-cooked for us.
Exhausted, we all piled in the car and slept until we got dropped off back at our respective hostels and hotels.
At this point, I’m literally feeling like I’ve lived a lifetime in the last 24 hours. An overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai where I felt like I was on the Orient Express (the crusty dusty backpacker version, at least), checking into a new hostel and walking around Chiang Mai city center, driving into the mountains to explore a temple, bathing elephants in the river… I was exhausted, but determined to fit one more thing into my whirlwind Chiang Mai adventure: the famous night market!
Now, I love a night market, and I was pretty well versed in them at this point. I was pretty excited to go in, buy some snacks, and escape back to the peace and quiet of the hostel as soon as possible, and that’s just what I did!
While the Chiang Mai night market was huge and amazing, I grabbed some easy noodle soup and mango sticky rice, and high tailed it out of there straight into my bed.
I sucked at taking pictures at this point in the day - I apologize.
The next morning, I packed my bags and headed to the bus station, where I was going to go and see for myself whether Chiang Rai was worth visiting or not. I was slightly nervous for the day (and I had reason to be, this day made it into my top 5 travel disasters of my southeast Asia backpacking trip, obviously I didn’t know that at this point), as the day was pretty logistics heavy and I had my huge backpack with me.
Regardless, I booked this transportation through my hostel, and the bus I ended up getting on was so nice. It was air conditioned, had a bathroom on board, reclining chairs, free water and snacks, and I managed to get a solid 2 hours of sleep on the way to Chiang Rai.
Once we arrived, I had a very mediocre lunch and headed to the blue temple.
Now, I feel like the White Temple in Chiang Rai gets all the hype, but the blue one is very cool as well! Once my Grab motorbike taxi dropped me off, I was taken a little bit aback at first. Most temples in Thailand are surrounded by nature of some sort, and seem a little more sacred. The blue temple was sat right smack dab in the middle of a parking lot, surrounded by souvenir shops and food stalls.
Regardless of the setting, the temple is gorgeous, and definitely worth a visit if you’re in Chiang Rai.
I asked (mimed to) a monk in the gift shop to watch my bags, and once I dumped my backpack behind the counter, I explored, took a few photos, and marveled at all the detail that has gone into the carvings and the artwork all throughout the blue temple.
It’s not very big, I’d plan a half an hour or 45 minutes to see the whole thing. I grabbed another mango sticky rice to eat in the shade, and then called another Grab taxi to take me to the White Temple.
Plz don’t look at my thumb, I got my backpack zipper lodged under it while trying to pack my bags in the dark and not wake up my hostel roommates. That’s what I get for trying to be considerate.
The White Temple is, without a doubt, much more impressive than the blue temple, and, as a result, much busier. I definitely couldn’t just drop my bag with a monk and hope for the best. Thankfully, after I bought my ticket, they directed me to a bag drop shed, where they took my bags and gave me back a number - kind of like a coat drop! This saved my life.
Chiang Rai is a little bit of a pit stop between the Thailand/Laos border and Chiang Mai, so I guess they get people like me who are just passing through pretty frequently.
One thing to note is that the sun can be very harsh in pictures, as the building is stark white and covered in mirrors. If you’re not on a weird schedule like I was, It’s best to come early in the morning! All my pictures were backlit as I was there late in the afternoon, but sometimes it can’t be helped! Oh well. Learn from my mistakes if you want some epic photos.
The White Temple isn’t completed yet, it is still a work in progress. Unlike other temples in Thailand, it is in the process of being renovated by a local artist, and you can find crazy references to pop culture all around.
Just inside the entrance, you will find severed heads hanging from trees, depicting pirates and superheroes, as well as skulls with bottle of whiskey set atop them. This essentially shows what isn’t acceptable to Buddha, and that the west has got it wrong in their pursuits of pleasure and entertainment.
You’ll notice little easter eggs all throughout the temple. The structures themselves are pure white symbolizing the purity of Buddha, and most parts are covered in mirrors, symbolizing how his wisdom reflects onto those who believe in him.
As you cross the bridge into the temple, you’ll notice that you’re not walking across water, but a sea of hands belonging to tortured souls. This is meant to represent that while desires and temptations will reach for you, that you need to keep your eyes on Buddha to make it into the temple.
I have never seen a temple like this in Thailand, let alone anywhere else in the world! Every single detail was absolutely incredible and I could not stop snagging photos.
Once inside, the metaphors and symbols get ever more bizarre. While the outside of the temple is white, the inside is covered in murals that have references to pop culture and the west. Freddy Krueger, Avatar, Angry Birds, the burning twin towers, and characters like Harry Potter and Spiderman are all painted in the midst of a blood red mural that covers three walls of the interior, opposite the Buddha Statues.
I didn’t have a tour guide, so I’m not quite sure the original intended meaning, but just from observation it appeared to be warning viewers that the culture and society of the west will only land them in a fiery pit in the end.
I was so bummed to find out that photography is not allowed inside, as the murals are truly works of art and absolutely incredible, but you can find plenty of pictures HERE. (The photo above is from that website!)
I walked through all the sections twice before heading back to the bus station, where I realized I had missed the last bus headed for the border - but that’s a story for another day.
So: is Chiang Rai worth Visiting?
Absolutely! I didn’t get to experience much of the city outside of the temples, but I’ve heard their night market is one of the best in Thailand, and I definitely would’ve stayed a night so that I could hit the white temple in the morning light.
While my time in northern Thailand was an absolute whirlwind and not nearly enough for me to feel like I did it justice at all, it definitely gave me a taste of what it has to offer, and I definitely need to return - I have unfinished business!
I know this wasn’t the most helpful blog post, but I hope that it showed you that Thailand is more than just the islands, inspired you to take a trip up north, helps you take advantage of what little time you have in any given destination.
I’ll be back!
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