I have never been to Thailand so when I got the opportunity
to explore Northern Thailand I jumped at it. Contiki is usually for travellers
between the ages of 18 – 35 year olds but because this was a FAM (Familiarisation)
trip the age limit was taken away. We were 15 Americans and 5 South African
that met up in Bangkok.I arrived the evening before our trip started so that I
wasn’t rushing in and being swept away again.
Day 1 :
Bangkok to Chiang Mai via Overnight Train
After meeting up with our Contiki Tour leader we were taken
by bus to the local train station. This was our first encounter with the monks,
they are usually dressed in orange robes and at the train station they are
given wooden benches to sit on and everyone else can sit on rows of plastic
cover seats or you stand around waiting till departure time, you are not
allowed to sit on the ground.
The train is very basic, you have a few carriages and the
compartments are first, second and third class. We were travelling in second
class. One of the carriages contains the kitchen / restaurant where you can
order food or purchase drinks and snacks. Cooked meals can be ordered and are
delivered to your compartment. The bathroom is an even more basic affair..And
brushing your teeth is quite an experience with the train rocking down the
tracks! In the evening seats are converted into bunk beds and you can close the
curtains to try get some shut eye. Not always possible with the noise of the
train or other passengers but all part of such a different experience none the
less.
Day 2 :
Chiang Mai
When we arrived at Chiang Mai station we were met by our
local guide, Wee Lai whom took us to our bus. What a lady, she had amazing
stories to tell and explained on her map where we were and the history of
Thailand. We also learnt a lot about the King and Queen of Thailand. We were
taken to our hotel and had the morning to ourselves. A few of us with our
guide, Wee Lai, decided to explore, so we rented a driver and we went to the
Doi Inthanon National Park. Here you can experience beautiful waterfalls and a
village that is within the park. Our guide bought some locally grown mushrooms
from the locals to take home to cook. We
saw our first rice paddy but it was the wrong time of year as the rice fields
are planted for the rainy season.
We visited the two Chedi’s (A memorial to display their respect and gratefulness to their
ancestors) dedicated to the King and Queen for their 60th
birthday anniversaries.
Doi Inthanon is
named in honour of the King Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang
Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north of Thailand and wanted to
preserve them. After his death his remains were placed in the park as he had ordered
and the forest was renamed to Doi Inthanon. We took a leisurely walk through
the rain forest.
In the evening we
had dinner at a local restaurant, some amazing meals were eaten. After dinner
we went to the night market. I would recommend this as you can get things a lot
cheaper at the Chiang Mai night market than in Bangkok and Chiang Rai.We attended a Lady
Boy show at the Chiang Mai local market.
What an experience, dancing and singing by the lady boys, you sing along
with the songs, clapping and cheering and have a good laugh.
Day 3: Chiang Mai
We were ready early
in the morning as we took part in the ritual of offering alms (food) to the
Buddhist monks who make their morning pilgrimage down the Hill of Doi Suthep.
These monks usually only eat once a day and can only eat what is given to them
on their pilgrimage, luckily over time people pack food and water in separate
little packets so that everything isn’t mixed together. Once you offer the food
to the monks then they bless you and carry on down the street.
After the offering
alms we travelled up the mountain by bus as it would be quiet a walk to see the
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (The golden temple) which is a very holy place for
Buddhists. To get to the temple you can either climb the 309 steps or take a
tram, most of us decided to climb the stairs, huffing and puffing but the view
was worth it. Here our guide showed us
the Buddhists prayer to the temple. In the one photo there is a replica of the
Jade Buddha. You also have stunning views of Chiang Mai.
In the afternoon we
had some free time to explore the city. Chiang Mai has an old city with a lot
of older temples and then the newer side of the city. We had our first ride in
a tuk tuk, you first have to negotiate a rate to where you want to go. The Tuk Tuk
drivers are slightly, they zoom at fast speeds down the roads and between traffic
and you hang on as tightly as possible. Definitely something you should try at
least once while in Thailand. We decided to visit Wat Chedi Luang Wora – Viharn
which has many different temples, some made of wood and other made of stone,
absolutely beautiful. On our way back we also stopped at the Wat Phrasingh
temple. Stunning!
For our late
afternoon / evening entertainment we were taking to an open air cooking school,
set at the foothills of the mountains, among the rice paddies of rural Chiang
Mai. We learnt to cook some Thai dishes with Chef Permpoon. We cooked sweet and
sour soup, add as much or as little chilly as you like. Then we tried our hand
at Pad Thai, nearly singing eye brows as we added the water to the oil which
creates big flames. After cooking you get to eat your food you made and it is
surprising how filling it was. Excellent evening and highly recommended. Chef
Permpoon has a great sense of humour.
Day 4: Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai
We travelled by bus
from Chiang Mai top Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai is most northern part of Thailand
and usually you travel to Chiang Rai to cross over into Laos.We visited Wat Rong
Khun – “ The White Temple” of Chiang Rai. The Wat Rong Khun was
designed by Chalermchai Kositpipat, a famous Thai visual artist. To date the
temple is not finished. Eventually there will be nine buildings including an
ubosot, a hall to enshrine Buddhist relics, a meditation hall, the monks living
quarters and an art gallery. The White Temple is very interesting to see as the
designer seems to have a fascination with super heroes of modern times. You
unfortunately cannot take photos inside the temple but worth a visit and make
sure you have time to walk around as a lot to see.
In the afternoon we visited the Northern Thailand Hill Tribes in Chiang
Rai, we saw the Long Neck Karen Village, the Akha village and the Hmong
Village. Each village has their own unique culture, religion, language, art and
dress. You get to pick up the copper that goes around the long necks of the
Karen Village and at each village you can buy touristy merchandise.
That night we went to the Chiang Rai night market which is smaller than the
Chiang Mai market but still interesting to walk through. We had supper at the
market and if you felt adventurous you could sample some fried worms and
crickets. I chickened out.On our way back to the hotel we stopped off at a massage parlour where the
girls has a head, neck, shoulder, leg and foot massage.
Day 5:
We checked out from our hotel and drove to the Chiang Rai airport to catch
a flight to Bangkok.
Once we had check in at our hotel we had the day to ourselves. Some people
went to the Palace and some of us went shopping for the last gifts to bring
home. We hired a tuk tuk and went to the BMK Shopping Centre, also known as Mahboonkrong in Bangkok. I
thought we had big shopping centres but BMK Shopping Center has 8 floors and
you can get just about any thing and everything you can imagine.
In the evening we experience a thunder storm and a down pour in Bangkok on
our way to Kinlom Chomsapan restaurant on the water front. We saw the floating
restaurants go up and down the river. Excellent food and great company, good
evening had by all.
Day 6:
Our trip ended and everyone flew home but I will be back Thailand, next
Thailand adventure is to go experience the islands. (Phuket, Phi Phi, Koh
Samui, etc).
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