We arrived in Chiang Mai late and went straight to our hostel. We were expecting the city to be similar to Bangkok, however it was a lot quieter and less touristy which was really nice. Our hostel was based right in the center of Chiang Mai making it really easy for us to get around.
On our first day we woke up early and headed straight to Jungle Elephant Sanctuary which was around 2 hours outside of Chiang Mai. I was always quite apprehensive about going to an elephant sanctuary in Thailand as I wanted to make sure it was an ethical one. Elephant Jungle Sanctuary was extremely ethical. The elephants at the sanctuary are taken in to be cared for by the local people. They have come from places like entertainment, companies that ride on them and logging, therefore keeping the elephants needs and well-being at their aim. The sanctuary was right in the jungle and there was a small group (around 10) of us caring for the elephants that day. Now, neither George or I had seen an elephant up close and this personal before (apart from at Colchester zoo but I don’t think that really counts..). When we first saw the elephants we were amazed; such huge creatures but so so gentle. We got to feed them, play with them in a mud bath and then clean them in a river. It was an absolutely amazing experience (the highlight of my trip so far) and something I will never forget.
On day 2 of Chiang Mai we went on a trip to the Long Neck Karen Village. This was around 45 minutes out of Chiang Mai and wow what an interesting experience it was. It was a small village with all woman and some children originally from Burma. The woman all had traditional heavy brass rings (what they called jewellery) around their necks and the purpose of this was to stretch out their necks to make them longer. The woman have these put on at 5 years old, they are the added and adjusted to until they are 25 and then kept on until they die. We both tried one on and they were so heavy! I kept thinking how uncomfortable it must be to have this on forever. I asked one of the woman why she wears this and she explained ‘because it is beautiful and I am proud’. We also got to look into some of the families homes which shocked us both. Their beds (no mattresses – just a couple of blankets) were on the wooden floors, their pots and pans (which was the kitchen area) on the floor and clothes drying everywhere. But actually the woman and children seemed so happy, no need for iPads or phones, the children were happy playing games with each other. It was really interesting to see such a contrasting life to ours at home.
On day 2 we also visited Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Temple which is located at the top of a mountain in Chiang Mai. The temple was beautiful and it overlooked the whole of Chiang Mai. After getting back from the temple we walked around Chiang Mai and got a feel for the city. It wasn’t as touristy as our other destinations which was really nice and also a lot more quieter. The city had a really nice feel to it.
Chiang Mai to Pai
On day 3 and 4 of our trip in the north of Thailand we decided to take a trip to Pai which is around 3 hours north of Chiang Mai. We packed an over night bag, booked a bus and hotel and off we went. We weren’t really sure what to expect but we had heard from friends that it is a must if you are in Chiang Mai. The journey consisted of lots of windy roads travelling through the mountains but the views were incredible!
We arrived in Pai and it was absolutely stunning. It was a very small town with lots of greenery, beautiful trees and rice fields. On our first day we decided to rent a moped (which George drove and I sat on the back); this way we knew we would get to see loads of sights but for a cheap price. We travelled up to a waterfall which was lovely but the weather wasn’t amazing so unfortunately we didn’t get to swim in it. On our way to the waterfall we stopped off for lunch in a cute little shack restaurant where a little girl actually took our order and delivered our food (really cute). This overlooked rice fields and beautiful mountains. We also got to see the Pai Canyon which was really beautiful, the pictures definitely do it justice!
On our second day we saw another waterfall and went to the hot springs. The hot springs were really cool, it was nice to relax in the warm water after a long drive up to there. The highlight of my trip to Pai was definitely driving the moped around and getting to see all the beautiful views on the way. The roads were so quiet which made it really nice as we got to drive nice and slowly and see so much!
We travelled back to Chiang Mai late in the evening and when we got back we had to pack up our bags to move on again. Our next stop was Laos, so that meant our time in Thailand was coming to an end! We both absolutely loved Thailand, and even though we found it very touristy at times, the beaches, cities and views were amazing. Travelling to Laos meant a 3 day journey which we were not looking forward to however we knew it had to be done!!
Next stop… Laos!
Adventure Awaits... 