Transport
So our plane from Kathmandu to Thailand was pretty long.....to save some money we had booked a flight via Mumbai which had a 7 hr layover time. In the end due to the fuel crisis we first had to do a quick stop in Varanasi just over the boarder in India to refuel before then flying onto Mumbai which added a few hours. On top of that our flight on to thailand was delayed by an hour and then our consequent flight onto Chiang Rai was also delayed by another hour. So in total, door to door it took us 29 hours! Needless to say we were pretty pooped by the time we reached our guesthouse.
So our plane from Kathmandu to Thailand was pretty long.....to save some money we had booked a flight via Mumbai which had a 7 hr layover time. In the end due to the fuel crisis we first had to do a quick stop in Varanasi just over the boarder in India to refuel before then flying onto Mumbai which added a few hours. On top of that our flight on to thailand was delayed by an hour and then our consequent flight onto Chiang Rai was also delayed by another hour. So in total, door to door it took us 29 hours! Needless to say we were pretty pooped by the time we reached our guesthouse.
Accommodation
For our first 2 nights in Chiang Rai we stayed in a nicer guesthouse at (650 bhat per night) it was called Baan Rub Aroon. Its a 5 minute walk to the centre and very peaceful. The building is an old colonial house which is beautiful and the gardens are lovely. It felt like a real home there, nong and her staff took good care of us showing us good rhings to do and cooking us a yummy breakfast each morning.
We then left the city for 2 nights and stayed in the Jungle (see below) which was in basic bamboo hut accomodation before returning to the city for one night and staying in boon bun dan guesthouse which is a steal at 200bhat a night with good clean twin rooms including hot water and fresh towels.
For our first 2 nights in Chiang Rai we stayed in a nicer guesthouse at (650 bhat per night) it was called Baan Rub Aroon. Its a 5 minute walk to the centre and very peaceful. The building is an old colonial house which is beautiful and the gardens are lovely. It felt like a real home there, nong and her staff took good care of us showing us good rhings to do and cooking us a yummy breakfast each morning.
We then left the city for 2 nights and stayed in the Jungle (see below) which was in basic bamboo hut accomodation before returning to the city for one night and staying in boon bun dan guesthouse which is a steal at 200bhat a night with good clean twin rooms including hot water and fresh towels.
What we did
The city
On the first day, pretty exhausted we wandered the streets trying to get our bearings- it was quite simple as the central roads are grid like. We stumbled upon a cat cafe cat n cup where we obviously had to stop for a drink and a cuddle! We then walked around the town, taking in everything before stumbling upon the night bazaar. Here we had our first taste of thai street food. It was a great place with a fab atmosphere. We then dragged ourselves backto our comfy bed for a well deserved nights rest!
On the first day, pretty exhausted we wandered the streets trying to get our bearings- it was quite simple as the central roads are grid like. We stumbled upon a cat cafe cat n cup where we obviously had to stop for a drink and a cuddle! We then walked around the town, taking in everything before stumbling upon the night bazaar. Here we had our first taste of thai street food. It was a great place with a fab atmosphere. We then dragged ourselves backto our comfy bed for a well deserved nights rest!
Day 2
We had a leisurely morning, waking up late, doing yoga in the garden before then having breakfast and heading out. We decided to go and see the White temple which is a big tourist attraction to the south of the city. We took a blue rickshaw type van that picks up lots of people and drives south (unlike the green which go north) it took us about 20mins and on the way there we paid 40 for both of us(on the way back it was 75!). On arrival we were in shock!!! Having seen lots of beautiful ancient temples in Sri lanka India and Nepal we had an image in our head of what it may look like which was very wrong! Its important to note that the temple had become extremely run down and was sold to an artist who has been working hard to 'restore it'. He has been using his own interpretation to share what he feels about the world and Buddhism. Needless to say the temple is a bit 'out there' Gary and I thought we had stumbled upon a disney castle! It was very white and shiny.....heaven hell....
We had a leisurely morning, waking up late, doing yoga in the garden before then having breakfast and heading out. We decided to go and see the White temple which is a big tourist attraction to the south of the city. We took a blue rickshaw type van that picks up lots of people and drives south (unlike the green which go north) it took us about 20mins and on the way there we paid 40 for both of us(on the way back it was 75!). On arrival we were in shock!!! Having seen lots of beautiful ancient temples in Sri lanka India and Nepal we had an image in our head of what it may look like which was very wrong! Its important to note that the temple had become extremely run down and was sold to an artist who has been working hard to 'restore it'. He has been using his own interpretation to share what he feels about the world and Buddhism. Needless to say the temple is a bit 'out there' Gary and I thought we had stumbled upon a disney castle! It was very white and shiny.....heaven hell....
Then inside is a vast array of colour, with buddha and the dalai lama on one side and then on the other wall a wierd mix of modern day characters/images. Sorry to say there was a no photo policy inside so we cant share this! But it included elvis, jigsaw, hello kitty, ben10 and the twin towers for example! It was incredibly confusing, but apprently it means.....
Day 3
We had another gentle morning, chatting with the other hotel residents before checking out at 12. We went to have a yummy lunch at a local restaurant which was a steal at 40bhat each, before heading onto the Hilltribe museum - here we saw a video about each of the different tribes, uses of bamboo, traditional costumes, opium through the ages, do's and donts in hilltribe villages, agriculture, fishing and hunting, overview of each tribe type.
We had another gentle morning, chatting with the other hotel residents before checking out at 12. We went to have a yummy lunch at a local restaurant which was a steal at 40bhat each, before heading onto the Hilltribe museum - here we saw a video about each of the different tribes, uses of bamboo, traditional costumes, opium through the ages, do's and donts in hilltribe villages, agriculture, fishing and hunting, overview of each tribe type.
We then got a lift to the jungle! It was about an hours ride out of the city.
The Jungle
So walking around Chiang Rai you soon realise that the area is surrounded by forest and that your stay would not be complete without visiting a local tribe. There are a few tribes in the area and plenty of day tours visit the long necked Karon tribe. Whilst we were interested in the day tour we also wanted to do our own thing and the day tour only offered a small amount of time with the tribe. a bit of googling later and we came across the Akha Hill House tribe residence which allowed us to stay in the same village as the tribe without having to do the other activities.
So we went to their other hotel in Chiang Rai city and got the shuttle they offer to the village.....it was up a steep steep hill, that we realised would make getting around a problem. On the way the hotel manager was saying he was going to be very busy as a large party of 15 were coming that evening. So we arrived and the party behaved itself. Despite the fact this is about as remote as you could ask for, the price of food and drinks was good, we had the procedure explained to us and set about having dinner as it was now around 7pm, and in the jungle it was very very dark. The rooms were basic bamboo shacks on stilts, each had their own balcony to look over the mountains, but there was no entertainment (besides the giant spider in the bathroom, that was about the size of my hand)
After dinner we were told there would be some tribal dancing, so we were watching a group of the tribes women dancing in a circle hitting a pipe on the floor this repeated for a while, we stayed long enough to be respectful but strolled back to the fire pit to make sure it had stayed lit the whole performance. We stayed around the campfire chatting to a few people as a stay in a bamboo hut in a hilltribe apparently appeals to a wide variety of people. so around 11 we went to bed. And the next morning saw the view the balcont had to offer in all its glory. Abi woke up and was doing yoga on the balcony whilst I drank a coffee with some stunning views of the jungle on the other side of the valley. After a breakfast of a banana pancake (It was more like an upside down cake, but who's complaining) we took the hand drawn map and tried to walk a big loop through to another hill tribe, through the jungle down the steep hill one side, to a hot spring, and up the steep hill the other side via a waterfall. We guessed it would take around 4 hours. The walk through the jungle was very peaceful with only the odd local tribesman crossing our path. We got to the next village and it was still very peaceful. We continued through the jungle and had been on our feet for a while, when we were looking forward to our hot spring to rest in. We got to the spring, and it was closed for cleaning!!! The spring was made into a tiled bath filled by the spring and they had closed it to clean the tiles! We had a little laugh at our misfortune, as this is very infrequent before stopping for some lunch at the restaurants surrounding the attraction. Then it was a long walk back up the other side of the steep hill with a quick stop of for a photo at the waterfall.
That evening we were treated, we arrived back at camp quite tired, but the hotel manager showed us how to make cups and chiopsticks from bamboo, and let us have a go, as well as how to cook using bamboo as the pan, so we managed an omelette, lucky the kitchen was on hand to do the side dish of banana flower salad, and banana tree soup. Another fun evening by the campfire before heading to bed in our charming little bamboo hut!!!
So we went to their other hotel in Chiang Rai city and got the shuttle they offer to the village.....it was up a steep steep hill, that we realised would make getting around a problem. On the way the hotel manager was saying he was going to be very busy as a large party of 15 were coming that evening. So we arrived and the party behaved itself. Despite the fact this is about as remote as you could ask for, the price of food and drinks was good, we had the procedure explained to us and set about having dinner as it was now around 7pm, and in the jungle it was very very dark. The rooms were basic bamboo shacks on stilts, each had their own balcony to look over the mountains, but there was no entertainment (besides the giant spider in the bathroom, that was about the size of my hand)
After dinner we were told there would be some tribal dancing, so we were watching a group of the tribes women dancing in a circle hitting a pipe on the floor this repeated for a while, we stayed long enough to be respectful but strolled back to the fire pit to make sure it had stayed lit the whole performance. We stayed around the campfire chatting to a few people as a stay in a bamboo hut in a hilltribe apparently appeals to a wide variety of people. so around 11 we went to bed. And the next morning saw the view the balcont had to offer in all its glory. Abi woke up and was doing yoga on the balcony whilst I drank a coffee with some stunning views of the jungle on the other side of the valley. After a breakfast of a banana pancake (It was more like an upside down cake, but who's complaining) we took the hand drawn map and tried to walk a big loop through to another hill tribe, through the jungle down the steep hill one side, to a hot spring, and up the steep hill the other side via a waterfall. We guessed it would take around 4 hours. The walk through the jungle was very peaceful with only the odd local tribesman crossing our path. We got to the next village and it was still very peaceful. We continued through the jungle and had been on our feet for a while, when we were looking forward to our hot spring to rest in. We got to the spring, and it was closed for cleaning!!! The spring was made into a tiled bath filled by the spring and they had closed it to clean the tiles! We had a little laugh at our misfortune, as this is very infrequent before stopping for some lunch at the restaurants surrounding the attraction. Then it was a long walk back up the other side of the steep hill with a quick stop of for a photo at the waterfall.
That evening we were treated, we arrived back at camp quite tired, but the hotel manager showed us how to make cups and chiopsticks from bamboo, and let us have a go, as well as how to cook using bamboo as the pan, so we managed an omelette, lucky the kitchen was on hand to do the side dish of banana flower salad, and banana tree soup. Another fun evening by the campfire before heading to bed in our charming little bamboo hut!!!
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| The White Temple |
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| The gold toilets at the White Temple |
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| A big golden Stupa at Wat Phra Singh |
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| The Cat Cafe |
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| The Chinag Rai Clock Tower |
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| Bamboo omelette, and Banana tree soup! |
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| Our new friends at Akha Hill village jungle Tribe! |
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