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We had a phenomenal time in Southeast Asia on our last trip. The variety of cultures, religion, and melting of ethnicities, transported us to a world so foreign from our own. From countries on the southern tip of the Asia continent, to the endless island nations, each country is unique from its neighbors. In some countries, it varies greatly from island to island, and even region to region just a few hours drive away.
While we did not explore the entirety of the country, and chose to leave the beaches for a separate visit, Thailand, not disappoint. While there we visited the regions of Chiang Rai as well as Chiang Mai.
See our Youtube video about the trip here:
Chiang Rai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImAsH9nhPrw&t=754s
Chiang Mai: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQsA2hDjv48&t=9s
We began our time in Thailand at Chiang Rai. The region is nestled in the northeast corner of the country along the border of Laos and Myanmar. Outside of the town of Chiang Rai you can find mountains lining the borders there are popular day trips up to the Golden Triangle where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet. It is an area known for history in the drug trade and offers visitors a unique experience to learn the history of that region. We chose to skip this activity while in the area and after instead to hike along the border of Laos on the rolling Mountain tops. The drive there is full of twisting and turning roads that are far steeper than most roads you would find in the United States. Some of them made us pucker and squeeze the steering wheel tight as we hoped we would not run out of speed to make it up the hill. The majority of the hikes are short, making them suitable for people of all fitness levels. Sitting in the top of the mountain peaks, looking to the northeast, we could see the famous Mekong river of Laos.
Also, we have other flexible spending cards that helped us book our hotels in Thailand.
While in Chiang Rai we also visited multiple temples which the area is famous for. Our favorites were the White and the Blue temples. Both are intricately carved and painted with depictions of purgatory. The mixture of beauty and terror with demonic creatures, human body, parts, and feelings of pain, melted with the high craftsmanship and beauty of the art.
In a way it reminded us of some of the the Renaissance paintings with scenes of the afterlife, purgatory, and hell. Both are the reminders that even though a world away from our own, the similarities we have to cultures all over the world in our beliefs, our art, an innate nature of mankind, it makes us one people.
From Chiang Rai, we headed west and south to Chiang Mai. Along the way we stopped at a sticky waterfall. The sediment that is gathered along the stream bed on the hill has given the waterfall a unique texture that allows you to walk right up the hill. It is absolutely worth a visit if in the area, it’s located approximately one hour outside of Chiang Mai. While in Chiang Mai we stayed more in the center of the city at the Marriott Chiang Mai with night, markets, and stores right across the street from our hotel. This made for an enjoyable night scene that we could simply walk over to and explore the vendors selling everything from food to housewares and clothing.
While in Chiang Mai, we spent our time on group tours and at a local cooking class. The class was a fantastic way to become familiar with popular Thai dishes and the preparation of their local foods.
For our other tour, we visited the Lanna Kingdom Elephant Sanctuary. Elephants in this part of the world are often subjected to inhumane living conditions and treatment whether for things such as circuses or is work animals on farms or for tourist enjoyment. Many of these animals are rescued by foundations that pay for the care and feeding of the elephants in order to provide them a better life. We were lucky to find one that lets the animals be as wild as possible, with no fences, instead employing locals to keep an eye on them and help redirect them if they wandered too far.
While there we got to feed them both some of their favorite snack of bananas, as well as cutting down young banana trees, which they will eat the stock and leaves of. We also were able to just walk around on the ground with them, watching them naturally explore and feed. The highlight of our visit was bathtime where we were able to actually get in a man-made pond with the elephant and scrub it down and rinse it off while it enjoyed the attention and playing in the water.
Unfortunately, due to the length of our trip and the number of countries we were trying to visit we did not visit the southern coastal part of Thailand. We do have many friends that have gone to Phuket and surrounding areas and have thoroughly enjoyed the coastlines and beaches Thailand has to offer. We hope to make it back to their on a future trip, but for the time being, we thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Thailand, and our exposure to their culture. Thailand offers adventures from hiking, to temples, tons of delicious food to eat and unique experiences. As you plan your trip to visit this part of the world, make sure to explore all the possibilities of what you may do that brings you joy and excitement.
Feel free to reach out to us if your looking for more information on how to use points and miles and get the most out of your travel and adventures. Wherever you decide to go and stay, make sure that you are enjoying and making the most of your trips and time exploring the world.
MC Exploring 