Here it is. The last stop on our Thailand adventure. Char and I were very sad to be leaving Koh Phi Phi but very excited to be heading towards Chiang Mai! We had a lot of adventures and activities planned here so couldn’t wait to get started. But first, we had to actually get there.
Pit Stop in Krabi!
After taking the boat across to Krabi we bunked in at Hogwarts Hostel for the night. And yes, this was purely chosen because we are both Harry Potter fanatics.
The next dilemma; how to kill 12 hours in Krabi? Unfortunately, most of the best sights are out of town and require a lot more time than we had to offer. We did however, manage to hire a longtail boat to take us to the Khao Khanab Nom Caves, through eerie, out of this world mangrove forests and to a local fishing village. The trip only takes an hour so is perfect if you’re only using Krabi is a quick stop over like we were.
Having said this, I would recommend staying more than one night in Krabi so you can venture out of town to the other sights, such as the emerald pools and the stunning local beaches. I for one will definitely be returning in the future to do this.
Getting to Chiang Mai
The next morning, we left Krabi bright and early on a flight to Chiang Mai. Arriving at around midday, we quickly realised that there was no public transport into town from the airport. Another time where Grab Taxi came is handy for us! In case you haven’t read my previous Thailand blog posts (Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Koh Phi Phi), Grab Taxi is basically a cheaper version of Uber and will save you A LOT of money!
Where to Stay…
We knew when scouring Hostelworld for somewhere to stay that it had to be the riverside district. The hostel we chose was right on the river bank and the perfect place to chill out. And there were so many hostel cats to snuggle!!! Once our backpacks were safely deposited at Mapping Hostel, we headed back out for the afternoon.
Huay Tueng Thao Lake
Another Grab took us to Huay Tueng Thao Lake for some much-needed relaxation. The lake offers spectacular views of the mountains, including Doi Suthep. It is also a safe place to swim in and cool down from the heat.
The lake is surrounded by little huts, each connected to their own café. To get a hut, all you must do is order something from the corresponding café. You can either have a full-on meal or just a few drinks whilst you take in the spectacular views.
Note that the park closes at 6pm and WiFi is scarce here so pre-arrange your Grab home either with the driver who takes you there or with the pre-booking function in the app.
Wat Doi Suthep
The next day was an early start. I had found us a proper hike to do! In light of the fact the Thailand is bloody warm I wanted to get up early and beat the heat. We headed off on our Monks Trail hike up Doi Suthep, which took us past Wat Phalat and eventually ended up at Wat Doi Suthep.
Both temples were amazing, however Wat Doi Suthep was far too touristy for my liking. Wat Phalat was much more peaceful, probably because it can only be reached on foot and not a lot of tourists like to hike through the jungle to get there. The second half of this hike (past Wat Phalat) is not for the faint hearted. Attempt it only if you are reasonably fit and healthy.
If you want to know more about the hike, then please refer to my separate post; Hiking the Monks Trail to Wat Doi Suthep.
Elephant Nature Park
Following another early night came another early wake up call. At the crack of dawn Char and I began to get ready for the most inspiring part of our 2-month trip. Today was the day we were going to Elephant Nature Park.
Owned and run by Lek Chailert, this haven for rescued elephants allows tourists to interact with these beautiful creatures in a more natural habitat. No riding and no chains! Education is at the very heart of this project and it is so important to convey this message. It’s already begun to make a difference in Chiang Mai, with fewer elephant experiences offering riding or using chains. This was good news after our not so fantastic brush with the elephant tourist industry in Ayutthaya.
I could ramble on for hours about our day visiting this park and all the good things it promotes, so if you want to read more about it then please have a look at the separate post I’ve written here.
Zip-lining
The third and final early morning in Chiang Mai was for our Jungle Flight ziplining adventure. We were picked up at our hostel and taken on a very windy, bumpy bus journey to the ziplines.
After being fitted with safety harnesses and helmets, we headed off into the jungle with three charismatic and enthusiastic guides. They always did a fantastic job of making us feel safe and comfortable and gave clear instructions whilst still making sure that we were having fun. They got the balance just right. Char and I are the sort of people who love a bit of light-hearted banter and we ended up having a fair few good laughs with our guides as a result.
Being in a small group of only 8 people meant we weren’t waiting around for ages and I felt we had ample amounts of time on the ziplines without feeling rushed.
Jungle Flight Adventure
Jungle Flight boasts the longest zipline in Thailand, which is 1000m long and offers insane views of the jungle as far as the eye can see. It’s a worth while experience just for that!
We opted for the Ultimate Package, which meant we also got to ride their “Jungle Coaster”. It turned out to be less of rollercoaster, more similar to a set of handlebars on a guide wire. Continuing in our theme of being adventurous, both myself and Char opted to go fast. Good lord! I have never felt so exhilarated hurtling through the trees and being flung around every corner so I was nearly horizontal. 1200m later and I was impressed I’d actually managed to hang on. This is perfect for any adrenaline junkies out there.
Our day at Jungle Flight was brilliant from start to finish. I would definitely recommend it over its hugely more expensive counterpart Flight of the Gibbon. We had the same, if not better, experience for less than half the price!
A Trip to the Night Market
Once we returned to our hostel that evening we set about trying to spend the remainder of our Thai Baht as we were off to Kuala Lumpur the next day. We successfully found the night Bazaar (best visited on a Saturday night) and got to work purchasing an array of Thailand pants in different colours. The market had a wonderful atmosphere and a wide variety of stalls to explore. Perfect for us!
Old Town
Our very last day in Chiang Mai before heading off to the airport was spent strolling through the Old Town and exploring some more temples. Having limited time we opted for the best two (according to Pinterest). Wat Chedi Luang had the prefect blend of both modern and ancient buildings. The newer Vihara was breath-taking on the inside, whilst the ruined pagoda behind it had more of an ancient beauty.
Wat Phra Singh was also spectacular, although not quite as impressive in my opinion as Wat Chedi Luang. Both temples are well worth taking to the time to visit whilst you are in Chiang Mai.
Where to eat?
Throughout our stay in Chiang Mai we ate in a variety of restaurants, our favourites being The Riverside and Bamboo. Both overlook the river and have a fantastic atmosphere (as I’m sure you can gather, most places in Thailand do!). The milkshakes at The Riverside are particularly notable. Make sure you try one!
#TopTip – I would recommend that this city is the place to get a Thai massage. After three full on days we definitely needed one. There are so many places around with brilliant TripAdvisor reviews that you really can’t go wrong!
Chiang Mai was an absolute blast. There is so much to do here it’s impossible to do it all in one trip but the bits we did manage to see were fantastic. At least having more to see and do here gives me the perfect excuse to return at some point.
