We’ve been in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a wonderful, whirlwind 26 hours — and it is easily among our favorite places (so far) on our adventure. The food is fantastic, the accommodations luxurious (well, compared to the others along the way), everything is incredibly affordable, and the sightseeing — an elephant sanctuary and hiking the Doi Inthanon Nat’l Park – have been unbelievable.
First, the accommodations and food. Jackie booked us at De Chai the Deco Hotel. A small-ish, well-appointed and extremely comfortable hotel with a fantastic (included) breakfast buffet. Below are some photos.
We found a great local Thai cuisine restaurant about 10 min. walk from the hotel, and our meals a the hotel have been great too.
Incredibly Entrepreneurial. There were two things we heard are great about Chiang Mai: The Elephant Sanctuaries and the hiking. Unlike with our other stops so far, I had not done much (read: any) research or preparation to be able to do either of these activities. Fortunately, Thailand is incredibly entrepreneurial — after finding a seemingly reputable travel agency online at 9:45 at night, by 10:15 PM we had booked a full day tour of (1) an “ethical” Elephant Sanctuary (ie., where they care for the elephants and visitors assist with feeding, walking and washing (but not riding) the elephants, and (2) hiking the Doi Inthanon Nat’l Park trails. Both activities were incredibly enjoyable and wonderfully fulfilling.
The drive to the countryside: The elephant preserve and national park are over 2 hours away from Chiang Mai. The tour operator picked us up at our hotel and, along the way to the elephant sanctuary, took us to roadside fruit stands. Seeing Thailand’s natural/lush/mountainous beauty is almost enough to make one forget the global apocalypse we are wreaking on the planet (some pics below):
The Elephants. The elephant sanctuary — billed as an “ethical” sanctuary that allows guests to assist in the care/feeding/washing of the animals, but not to ride them — was a real treat for us. We “city folk” have not been this close to, let alone assisted with the care of, any large-herd animals before. The elephants were majestic, playful, and just a treat to be around. (below are just a few of the many photos we took)
The hiking. The second half of the day was spent visiting a shrine, and then hiking the Doi Inthanon National Park forrest/jungle trials. The scenery was breathtaking and the photos truly do NOT do it justice.
Finally, as is frequently the case with excursions like this, we met a number of “fellow travelers” — all of whom seemed genuinely nice. As I was wearing my “Canada” hat to avoid being tagged as one of the “those” Americans (the thought of anyone “assuming” we support Trump b/c we are from the U.S. makes me want to puke), a couple from Canada approached to ask what part of Canada we were from. We explained the Canada camouflage, and after some time together, they paid us the compliment of “wow, you really have the ‘Canada nice’ thing down!.” Our group included British, Germans and others from around the globe. One thing I have always enjoyed about travel is meeting, sharing a meal, and having conversations with other travelers we encounter” Often, we find people are like-minded (or similarly-adventurous) in many respects,, and sharing just a few hours of time together reveals just how similar we all are, irrespective of our countries of origin or background. It is also helpful for Max and Zoe to see how people from all over the world view travel as an essential part of a full life… something I think is really dawning on them.
Tomorrow afternoon we fly to Phuket to stay at a resort for some much-needed R&R… will be back again soon!
I assume you have become very aware of the perils of water and food in India. Try to be careful without spoiling the experience. India is experiencing a bad Heat Wave.
Yes, we are well aware of food restrictions in India. We also are aware of the extreme heat and will be careful to avoid being outside during the hottest times of the day.
Just want to say that I would hire Jackie—not David—as my travel agent. That hotel looks amazing!! Vs. the coffin—I mean capsule hotel in Tokyo… ?
Angela: sure, if running water, flushing toilets and sleeping while laying down are your “thing,” I get it. ??
Seriously, I like comfort as much as the next person, but a significant part of this trip is experiencing different things, even if it is occasionally less opulent or comfortable!
Love the Thai food! A friend and I did a cooking class and learned how to make 10 traditional courses! It was amazing…
Aside from the food, and the glorious beaches, the ladyboys (they’re beautiful) were terrific too!
So happy to see you guys having a jolly time! ❤️
Thanks, Silvi! Hope all is well with you guys and that the transition to Australia is going smoothly! Gotta get thenplace set up for us to visit, right?!
Best to you, Tony and the kids!
“Uncle” David
I loved Thailand and definitely want to go back someday. Everything about the country is wonderful-people, food, scenery.
Love following your journey! Thanks for taking us along! Love and miss you guys!
Thanks, Kelly! Watch for Zoe’s upcoming post about Thailand. She has been mesmerized by the place (as we all have been). I’m sure, like all places, there are downsides, but the people, the food, the scenery and the rest are all wonderful (so far)!
Love you, Robert, and the rest of the family back home!
David
I look forward to reading Zoe’s upcoming blog!
Thailand is the Land of Smiles!
Great Entry!! Looks like everyone is really enjoying Thailand. What as the temp and humidity? Was it comfortable? You guys have to buy some souveniers and have them delivered. That is such a unique area of the world. Is that close to the river Kwai?
It was humid in Chiang Mai, but much cooler and less humid in the mountains/forests where we spent the bulk of our day. Everyone had a truly outstanding time. It was really quite something to feed/bathe/socialize with the elephants and then hike the rest of the day in that amazing part of Thailand. Just breathtakingly beautiful.
I don’t believe we were anywhere near the River Kwai. Not sure how long that River is, but it is south of us and I don’t think it extends this far north.
We may look for souvenirs tomorrow before we fly. If we find anything noteworthy, we may ship it home. As you know, we have no room to carry anything else.