2017 Dec. Chiang Rai. Thailand (Part I)
How this trip came about in end 2017 was a story in itself. My well-planned year end vacation to Bali fully arranged waiting to go was suddenly disrupted when Mt Agung erupted in Nov and the airport closed down. Just days before the planned departure, I decided better to be safe and switched destination to Chiang Rai, making last minute bookings on Agoda. Not expecting much, I was pleasantly attracted to the laid back vibes of Chiang Rai, and revisited again in 2019 (see Part II).
The Legend Hotel Chiang Rai is located by the river and accessed from a small rustic village, which set a very relaxing tone for the trip. It was nice sitting by the river on a lazy afternoon, watching the river flow and time goes by…
This being a last minute trip, a quick internet search came up with White Temple and Blue Temple as the must-see attractions, and both did not disappoint. These two temples, designed by the master and his student respectively, were indeed unique and beautiful with amazing craftsmanship and paintwork, distinctly different from many traditional temples you would see in Thailand.
The famous White Temple, Wat Rung Khun, is a privately owned art exhibit in the style of a Buddhist temple owned by local artist Chalermchai Kositpipat who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997. The temple is open all year round and admission is 100 baht for foreigners. Always crowded, but definitely must visit when in Chiang Rai.
The lesser known Blue Temple, Wat Rong Suea Ten, completed by his student in 2016, has beautiful paintwork and is also worth checking out. Admission is free.
I missed out another attraction Black House, Baan Dam for this trip, but had it covered amongst other attractions in my subsequent visit in 2019 (see Part II). Instead, I booked a day tour with driver to go up north to Mae Sai, which is the northernmost district and major border crossing between Thailand and Myanmar. Along the way, we visited Karen Long Neck Tribal Village, Choui Fong Tea Plantation, and Golden Triangle.
The tribal village entrance required a 300 baht fee, felt touristy and seemed staged. It was essentially a marketplace to sell souvenirs and crafts. The village people however were friendly and obliging with photo requests. I only wished that tourist visits and fees would go towards helping the villagers improve their livelihood.
Choui Fong Tea Plantation turned out to be a pleasant lunch stop along the long drive. The undulating terrain with neat rows of tea plants were picturesque under the clear blue sky.
The entire menu at the cafe, including main courses, drinks and desserts were tea-inspired. I bought some nicely packaged tea leaves from the gift shop, and was pleasantly surprised by the fine quality brew when I got home. I later found out that the plantation’s processing and blending of tea leaves were by professional tea specialists from Taiwan. Should have bought more, for myself and as gifts.
Our journey continued towards Golden Triangle, the infamous largest opium producing region in the world. To be honest, it is a rather boring attraction today, but I guess I just have to visit once to see for myself, after the built up curiosity reading from news and reports in my younger days.
A quick drive-by to Mae Sai, up close to the border crossing, and up the hillslope for a panoramic view of the region. Traffic was heavy and the entire place was buzzing with activities, evident of the local people working hard making a livelihood in harsh circumstances.
Back to Chiang Rai town, it is possible to explore on foot if you don’t mind some exercise, otherwise Grab is a convenient option nowadays. Local food wise, I would highly recommend Lab Sanam keela, a popular casual restaurant away from town centre frequented and recommended by locals, at very reasonable prices. The deep fried fish with garlic is a MUST.
There is a night market in city centre, with shops and stalls selling tourist souvenirs, street food, and live entertainment. Not particularly attractive to me, but an option for after dinner stroll.
I am not a cat person. But cat lovers would probably go gaga over this cafe along the main street in town centre. The cats here were very well groomed and beautiful. But, I’m just not a cat person, pretty and nice to look at, but please, watch where you are going and don’t cha brush or touch me! 🙂
Another highly recommended cafe to hangout is Chivit Thamma Da Coffee House, located near the Highway 1 bridge along Kok River, near the Blue Temple. The setting was beautiful and relaxing by the river. Food, dessert, and drinks were decent too.
Chiang Rai is my newfound Thai destination to laze around. I like its laid back and less developed rustic feel, compared to its more developed neighbour Chiang Mai, which I am starting to find too crowded. I booked my bus ticket online and took a one-way coach ride to Chiang Mai.
See Part II for more Chiang Rai attractions and experience, continued in 2019. PSA: because of my trip postponement due to Mt Agung eruption, I learnt how unreliable Maybank Etiqa travel insurance was. They gave blatant excuses not to honour the trip cancellation compensation even though I bought mine before any travel advisory. So, never any business from me ever again. For everyone’s info when shopping for travel insurance.
