Chiang Mai is one of the biggest cities in the North of Thailand and I’m lucky enough to have recently returned from there. I visited Thailand for a fortnight as a break from a trip to Singapore visiting relatives, and although I’ve been to Thailand before, this was my first trip to the North and to Chiang Mai.
I had spent 2 days in Pattaya before we set off on the journey up to Chiang Mai, that took a 2 hour trip to Bangkok and then a 16 hour coach ride to take us to Chiang Mai itself. To be perfectly honest, I was dreading this and would have then preferred to spend some more time in Pattaya but it proved worthwhile! Part of me was also quite looking forward to this leg of the trip too as I’d been told that Chiang Mai was a nice quiet retreat after spending time in the bustling atmosphere of Bangkok and Pattaya.
My first impression of Chiang Mai – Woooah this place is different! I’ve visited Thailand a few times and never known somewhere quite so peaceful or beautiful. The first thing to strike me was the mountains, everywhere you looked there was mountains. Ok, so that may strike some people as boring but honestly, it was absolutely beautiful. Then I noticed how clean the city was, and the lack of street sellers, incredibly different from the Thailand I knew!
Doi Suthep
Mount Doi Suthep is actually a temple set right above the city of Chiang Mai, and as you walk round you can see the whole of the city down below. The temple is incredibly old and sacred and every year on Buddha’s birthday, hundreds of people gather together and make the walk up the mountain together in memory of Buddha. You can walk round the temple although you can’t enter the Monk’s quarters, especially if you’re female as we’re considered not clean as such because of menstruation. If you enter the temple you must remove your socks and shoes and make sure that you’re suitably clothed, you must wear a skirt or trousers that fall below the knee or otherwise rent a Thai skirt to wear.
Inside the temple, there are joss sticks and flowers readily available for free for anyone to pray to Buddha. Very few westerners appeared to be trying it when I visited which I think is a real shame because it can give you an incredible insight into the world of others, regardless of your usual religion. Another way of praying is a ritual by which you pray and then shake a tin full of sticks, and the first stick to fall is yours, and you take the number from the stick and collect a piece of paper on which there is a Buddhist prophecy.
I’d recommend having a go at praying to anyone, I never believed in inner calm as much as I did after that, it takes away everything you’re worried about and lets you focus on being yourself for a while. It really helped me deal with the problems back in Leeds and helped me to stop worrying that bad things would happen to the people I love, most of all, it brought me closer to myself.
Life
Life in Chiang Mai is very different to life in Bangkok and Pattaya, everything is slower and much more laid back. There are still a vast number of the original Hill Tribes that inhabit Chiang Mai and the tourists are their source of income. In the evening, they frequent the night bazaars selling handmade belts and such like. It’s a really nice sight to see as it’s rare that people stay in such not advanced circumstances anymore but these people do.
Chiang Mai is an altogether quiet place, like the countryside is to us in England I suppose, like a retreat away from the everyday rush of life. Everybody is incredibly friendly and will do whatever they can to make you feel at home.
Nightlife
Being on holiday with my mum and my 2 year old sister, unsuprisingly this wasnt at the top of our priorities! I did notice that the nightlife wasn't as rife as that in Bangkok or Pattaya and was frequented by less old men looking for young ladies.
Accommodation
Personally, I stayed in this HUGE hotel, it had like three wings and was absolutely huge. Nice as it was, I got lost every time I tried to get anywhere! Accommodation is readily available though and the prices are fair, for our stay at a luxury hotel we paid only £20 per night for 2 adults and an infant.
Eating
Thailand, undeniably, isn't the best place for Vegetarians to eat! I had difficulty finding food I really liked but the sea food was in full flow (much to my dismay!). Apparently the meat was good though!!
Shopping
Ok, this is the smallest part of the opinion as it’s nothing terribly amazing! The food is much much cheaper, like lychees, longans and mangostines, they’re all considerably cheaper than they are in other parts of the country as a lot of the harvesting is done in this part of the country.
On the souvenir front, they’re readily available! There are jewellery stalls everywhere and you can even buy hand made vases and jewellery from the Tribes people. Clothes are also in high stock with all the usual rip off labels!
I wrote this opinion for two reasons, firstly because I think it’s an incredible place and secondly because of the request from Jill Murphy, who I would like to wish many more years of healthy living and to congratulate her on the last four years of her life. Someone close to me died from cancer and it’s the most heart-breaking thing to go through and I’m amazed at the strength some people have to carry on. My love for Chiang Mai was also a reason for writing this opinion, at a time when all I wanted to do was be at home with my boyfriend, I was there, and however much I didn’t want to be there before I arrived, being there more than made up for it. The place helped me through one of the most difficult months in my life and I can’t wait to go back there. The whole atmosphere encased me and I believe that my praying did help a little ;-)
"Jill Murphy asked me to write about one of my favourite things to help her celebrate her fourth anniversary of cancer-free living and to remind ourselves of all the nice things in the world. It takes more muscles to make a frown than a smile you know. If you'd like to join in, whether you've only just joined ciao, or you've been here ages, you're more than welcome. Just write about one of YOUR favourite things, make your title "A Favourite Thing: [your choice]" and include this paragraph at the foot of your opinion. And post before Friday, 9th August."
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