The fun city of Chiang Mai

The third destination I had the pleasure of discovering was Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand’s most populous city.  It’s quite different from Bangkok, with lots of open space and fresh air. Plus, prices are cheaper.

I arrived in the morning anxious to start a full day of travelling after a night bus.

One of the views in Chiang Mai city.

Some of the beautiful restaurants.

I met a very nice girl Eunjin whom we shared the same interests.The first thing on our agenda was to tour the famous temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The tour takes about an hour and the views are lovely. Buddha statues and lotus flowers are everywhere.

My partner in crime.

On the way to Doi Suthep.

Inside Doi Suthep temple.

The view from the temple.

Next we checked out the night food market. There is variety to eat and prices are reasonable. We loved the honey chicken skewers right before our meals. I recommend ordering a variety and share. They have delicious fruit juices, shakes, and Thai tea, the most delicious and refreshing beverage I had on this trip.

The night life in Chiang Mai is not disappointing. There some bars you can go dancing or just sit and enjoy a drink. Going from one bar to another was easy as they were all close by.

Coconut shakes on a warm night.

Variety of dishes ordered.

Sea food.

The delicious Chicken skewers.

One of the things that I recommend you experience is an elephant sanctuary. Spend time with these magnificent animals! Some reserves have rescued elephants that have been mistreated and they are given a more compassionate life. In doing so, you are helping the cause by putting an end to their mistreatment. However, please do not visit the ones that offer riding services.

It was quite an immersive experience with the elephants; we had the chance to play with them in the mud (we changed our clothes) and then bathe them under a waterfall while their trunks sprinkled water and gave us kisses. It was such a fun day!

Elephant hug.

Bath and play time.

Be sure to rent a bicycle and ride around the new and old part of town. I’m not the best cyclist but it was a great work out and the traffic wasn’t crazy. We cycled to Wat Chedi Luang, a beautiful historic Buddhist temple in the center of Chiang Mai built in 1441. If you love old architecture and some quiet time, you need to take a look!

Cycling around town.

Bicycle adventures.

Some remains of Wat Cheda temple.

We also experienced a Tok Sen massage, a treatment meant to clear blocked energy, remove negative energy and deeply get into body's muscles. I felt lighter and better after this. The masseuses were very pleasant and  all four of them out of curiosity came to touch and feel my skin praising how smooth it was.

Just before the Tok sen massage.

Our lovely and curious messaues

Last but not least, they say if you haven't tried the Khao Soi dish (very delicious) or seen the view from Doi Suthep, you haven't really been to Chiang Mai. I had such an amazing time here and I see myself going back discover more that I left untouched. Such is life!

Krabi

I love the beach. I don’t get much chance to soak in the sun and waves since Kampala is a land-locked city so I was really excited to check out the shores of the Andaman sea. Krabi was my only option since I was traveling on a budget. I took a night bus to get there and upon arriving smelled the sea and so much green. My lodging was in Ao Nang which is pretty popular among the tourists and has a wide beach. It was refreshing to see the rocks and the big trees on every corner of the road.

Beautiful scenery.

Ao Nang was everything I wanted after the big city life of Bangkok. The scenery is so gorgeous it’s hard not to find a moment of Zen.  If you’re looking to get to Railway beach like I was (and recommend), don’t worry as there’s so many people eager to help you along your way to other places like Phi Phi island.

Railay Beach not only has gorgeous surf but also rock climbing for enthusiasts. I regret not having the chance but like every great trip I hope to return one day and try it. Climbing is safe (you wear a harness) and it’s a great full body workout. I hear rock climbing is a 2020 Tokyo Olympics sport so start training.

Beautiful boats ashore.

Railay beach

Buried in at Railay

Back from Railay I went on a pub crawl that was organized by my hostel. It was quite fun moving from one bar to another and observing the night life in this part of the country. Ao Nang is such a party area you won’t be disappointed. However, watch out for lady boys who ask for a tip if you want a photo.

Sunset at Ao Nang

Lady boy performers.

The following day I was in total bliss as I relaxed at a Krabi hot spring, nature’s own Jacuzzi. The water came from thermal springs which originated deep underground in a volcanic chamber. We then moved on to the Emerald pool, with waters that are crystal clear. It was nice to swim after walking through a beautiful trail to reach it. It’s all a feast for the eyes with so much green I felt like I was emerald city, the fictional fantasy land in the Wizard of Oz. Don’t miss taking a look at the Blue Pool, an amazing body of water. You can’t swim in it but it’s a breathtaking sight.

Chilling in the Hot spring

Trail View

All natural Emerald pool. please

Trail to the Pools.

Beneath the Blue Pool.

The last thing on the trip was visiting the Tiger Cave temple. This is not for the faint hearted as it takes 1, 237 steps to reach a Buddhist holy site. But don’t give up, the view is amazing at the peak. The struggle makes it worth the effort. There’s a lot of ‘monkey business’ up there though—many monkeys in the area love it when tourists feed them. Don’t do it though, feeding wild animals does more harm than good. Monkeys will literally grab your snacks from you.

The steps to the Tiger Temple

The view from above the temple.

Golden Buddha.

Of course, no trip to Thailand would be complete without a famous Thai massage. It was such a treat, my body needed it. Whether basking in the sun or finding peace at a temple, Thailand has so much to offer.