Everybody loves Chiang Mai

When someone is planning to go to Thailand I always tell them not to overlook the north, and Chiang Mai in particular. Of course if they have only two weeks in the country it's difficult to see both the north and the beaches in the south, but I still insist because I think Chiang Mai is really worth it. What people usually ask next is: "What is there to see in the north of Thailand"? 

One of the temples in Chiang Mai

Atmosphere

Chiang Mai is the second biggest city in Thailand, but it doesn't feel like that. The streets are quiet, the old town is dotted with marvelous temples and it's not as intimidating and difficult to navigate as Bangkok. In Chiang Mai you can walk almost anywhere, which is a relief after Bangkok (if you haven't been, that is definitely not a city for walking tours). It is practically impossible to get lost in Chiang Mai,  because a moat surrounds it, giving you an idea of where you are at any given time. 

A night market in Chiang Mai

What I immediately noticed about Chiang Mai is that the atmosphere is chilled out. It is the right place to slow down. The mixture between tradition and innovation is really exciting: thanks to its student population it has many trendy cafés with wi-fi, but also friendly monks dressed in orange tunics waving and smiling at you. This is why many expats choose it as their base in South East Asia. It is also super cheap, both in terms of accommodation and for shopping.

Children monks in Chiang Mai

On the plus side, people in Chiang Mai are down to earth, and generally they don't insist too much with tourists, so I could just walk around and observe things without feeling pressed to buy anything or get on a tuk-tuk.

Temples

In Chiang Mai there is a temple for everybody. There is even one - Wat Bupharam - with statues of animals like giraffes and elephants, and even Disney characters, like Donald Duck eating noodles. Some temples are really old and have ruins, while some others are more modern. Most of them don't have an entrance fee and you are completely free to roam around.

An original temple in Chiang Mai

What I like about them is that there are so many things to observe, like offerings in many forms (candy bars, flowers and even money!) and statues from different traditions and religions, with the most unexpected facial expressions - they can be crying or laughing, fierce or serene. Temples in the north of Thailand tend to have a three-tiered roofline and carved gables. All around the main structures there are the so called stupas, shaped like bells.

A stupa in Chiang Mai

I even started asking around or doing a little bit of research whenever I had wi-fi so that I could understand what some details meant. The colourful ribbons tied around some pillars, for instance, mark the place of a spirit house. The ribbons supposedly keep the spirits in a good mood. It's the same reason why they are tied around the keel of longtail boats in the islands of the south. 



Ribbons tied around a sacred pole in Chiang Mai 

Overall in Chiang Mai you really perceive how rich Thai culture is. It is easy to see the beauty of the Buddhist religion, and the importance of traditions in people's daily life. Besides, I was lucky enough to be there during the Loi Krathong festival in November, which I highly suggest to take into consideration.

A temple in Chiang Mai during Loi Krathong

Food

Another reason why I am particularly fond of Chiang Mai is food. There are many options, from fancy restaurants to street food stalls, or casual eateries, but the most exciting things - food-wise - were happening right on the street. 

In my experience it was easy to understand which places are popular because they were crowded with both tourists and locals, and there was a good smell of fresh vegetables and spices. The cuisine of northern Thailand is known as Lanna, from the name of an ancient kingdom, and it has influences from many countries, such as Burma and India. Typical dishes from the north of Thailand are sticky rice or som tam (papaya salad), but of course, I also ate dishes from other parts of Thailand, such as Massaman curry. What is amazing about this is that I don't remember spending more than 2-3€ for a meal. 




Thai fried rice with vegetables and tofu

The food is not only delicious, but also colourul and well-presented almost everywhere. On the down side, the names are sometimes difficult to remember. I also started to develop an addiction to Pad  thai, which is dangerous because there are so many other delicious things to try. 
 

Doi Suthep

Even if you feel tired of visiting temples, you should give Doi Suthep a chance. It is secluded and scenic, because to reach it you have to venture outside of the city (15 km), crossing countryside and forest, then go uphill until the top of Doi Suthep, a local mountain. If I remember well I went by songthaew, which is a pickup truck used as a shared taxi or bus. This means of transport is super easy to use, because it usually has fixed prices and stops.

When you arrive you will have to climb a staircase that appears to be in the middle of the tropical jungle. It is shaped like a naga, the mythical snake of Hinduism and Buddhism. It's 309 steps, but don't worry: if I made it, you can make it too without problems. Nothing like the Tiger Cave temple staircase in Krabi! If you're really lazy there is a cable car that for just 20 baht (0,50€) takes you to the top. 

Doi Suthep

 

The temple has an entrance fee of another 20 bhat (0,50€). It is quite big and, as most temples in Thailand, it includes several pagodas and areas of worship. It's a good chance to see how local people pray and pay their respects to Buddha. As any other shrines, Doi Suthep has some relics - in this case that of a white elephant bearing a magical Gautama Buddha's shoulder bone relic on the back. You also have a pretty nice view of the city and of its surroundings from a terrace.

Girl praying at Doi Suthep

Activities

There is so much more to do in Chiang Mai than just visit temples and eat delicious meals. If you love animals you can visit the Elephant Nature reserve, for instance. If you are into shopping, the Night Market and the Sunday Night Market are excellent places to goggle at the endless variety of nice purses, scarves, bags and necklaces for sale. Ethnic accessories are often manifactured around Chiang Mai, which is definitely a plus.

The night market

Trekking, rock-climbing, white-water rafting are more activities, but bear in mind that it is very hot all year round in Thailand. Another popular option is to take a cooking class, which is something that I had planned to do in Chiang Mai. They are relatively cheap, but in busy periods they need to be booked well in advance. When I visited the city was busy because of the Loi Krathong festival, and all the cooking class were already booked!


Have you been to Chiang Mai? What did you like best about it?

Loi Krathong Festival in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai during Loi Krathong festival is something unique. I got to experience it almost as a coincidence. It was only after booking my flight to Thailand that I realized that I would be there for this festival, which was mentioned everywhere as one of the most important and beautiful in Thailand. Because it follows the lunar calendar, the dates for this festival change every year, but it usually falls in the month of November.

Child monks in Chiang Mai during Loi Krathong

I was really exited, as I have always been fascinated and interested in Asian religions and their colourful celebrations. At first, I was thinking to spend it among the ruins of Sukhothai, but then I followed some other backpackers heading to Chiang Mai, the enchanting northern city everyone seemed to love.

 

Deciding at the last moment to be in Chiang Mai for this festival was however a very bad idea in terms of accommodation. Almost all hostels were full, and the only one that had rooms available was the worst I've been in. To give you an idea, I even had to buy my own toilet paper, for a filthy bathroom with that horrendous shower room so common in hostels in northern Thailand.

 

The festival itself, however, redeemed the bad accommodation experience. The most famous event taking place in Chiang Mai during the festival is the launching of rice-paper lanterns in the sky. This is connected to the Lanna festival of Yi Peng, the full moon of northern Thais, so in Chiang Mai, and all over northern Thailand, there are two festivals going on at the same time. 



Lighting a lantern

You can either follow the launching of the paper lanterns from the town centre, or head to the grounds of Mae Jo University (with a tuk-tuk or your own vehicle), where the biggest launching of paper lanterns take place. There was unclear and contradictory information on the web and from local people regarding this event, but from what we understood 100$ tickets must be purchased to enter the actual event! We stayed just outside of the grounds, but it was a very long wait, sitting on tall grass infested by mosquitoes and bugs, with nothing but a few beers we bought there. There was no entertainment, and no clue about how long we had to wait before the launch.  We only knew that people arrive many hours before the launch to have a decent place to sit and a good view. I hope the authorities will think of something better for the following years, as to go there is becoming more and more popular.

Inconveniences aside, the idea is to light all the lanterns at the same time, for an emotional and visually unforgettable experience. There are thousands of lanterns lit up by tourists from many different countries, especially Asian. The atmosphere is jolly and relaxed, and the reward for waiting so many hours is beautiful pictures and memories of a star-lit sky, only the stars looked a lot bigger.

Lighting another lantern

Back in Chiang Mai, the atmosphere during the festival is equally charming. To be honest, I don't know how the temples look like in Chiang Mai when the festival is not on, because I did my classical temple hopping when the festival was in full swing. During  the night the temples are lit with thousand of candles and colourful lanterns hanging everywhere. Thai people stop to light a candle, leave an offering for Buddha and say a prayer.

Praying during Chiang Mai Loy Krathong festival

I was touched by the spirituality and the atmosphere of contemplation that some simple candles and decorations can bring to a religious building at night.   

Another prayer at a temple

It is really worth going around town at night and stopping at different temples to see what's going on. Occasionally, a couple of friendly monks would be there too, available for a chat. Every temple is a bit different, with beautiful decorations or some music being played, making it impossible to get "templed-out".

 

A temple lit up for Loy Krathong / Yi Peng

My favourite place was this temple with hundreds of lanterns and a wooden path to walk on.

The same temple

 

Not unlike Diwali, locals during Loy Krathong light a basket with an offering and make it float on the river. During the festival you'll see many stalls preparing the baskets with flowers and when it's dark they will make them float.

 

A krathong floating on the river

Loy Krathong is a colourful, enchanting and interesting festival. In spite of the number of tourists attending it, it hasn't become overtly touristic. Yes, room prices increase and lots of Westerners are out and about with their big cameras, but the atmosphere is still authentic. There are traditional parades, fireworks, beauty contests, and hundreds of stalls selling food and flower decorations. 

A parade in Chiang Mai

The city is full of life especially at night: there is delicious local food, everything from meat skewers to sushi, in hundreds of different stalls,  but in the meantime the shops are still open for business and the streets are busy and colourful, with different smells coming from every directions.

A street of Chiang Mai by night

Lanterns and monks in Chiang Mai

In other words, if you are in Thailand around November, make sure to be in Chiang Mai for these celebrations. Of course, book your accommodation at least a few days in advance!