We found ourselves with about 2 weeks of an open itinerary, often times the cost of airline tickets have somewhat dictated where we headed (or the route we took). Our very good friends the De Leeuw's were in Chiang Mai (we first met them in Costa Rica, then again in Austrailia and we LOVE them!), so after a quick search on skyscanner, we secured some pretty cheap tickets and off we headed, back to Thailand. As a beach lover, I was not sure how I would feel about Chiang Mai, (btw I have been here before but remember nothing!) I was skeptical there would not be enough to do to keep us busy. Was I ever wrong! Chiang Mai is a huge city, (over 1,000,000 people) there is the old city where most travelers head to, as accommodations are cheap and plentiful with markets around every corner. After greetings and hugs, we fell into a comfortable groove with our friends, kids quickly shed their shyness and were BFF's by the days end.
We spent our first day at the Grand Canyon Water Park, what an amazing place, pretty cheap to get in and so much to do. Kids had a blast (and so did the parents)
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| There are two parks side by side, we went to both |
The next day we had booked a full day at the elephant sanctuary (Johnny opted to tour all the temples instead). There are plenty in Chiang Mai, but An had heard the Maerim Elephant Sanctuary was a great one so we opted to go there (while a little pricey, 100% worth it). I can't express how special this day was. We had learned that riding elephants is incredibly unethical, as a result there are many places across Northern Thailand trying to save these majestic creatures. We spent the day, feeding, bathing and playing with these gentle giants. It was truly spectacular,
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| we all had to wear blue as apparently it calms the elephants and they recognize the colour |
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| we all gave mud baths to the elephants and each other! |
Johnny had an awesome time exploring the city, Chiang Mai is FULL of temples. he barely scratched the surface and saw a ton...
The next day we did a day tour visiting "sticky waterfall" and Ma Sa waterfall. What an awesome day! Sticky waterfall was unlike anything I have ever seen, you literally could crawl up the waterfall like spiderman, the rock was pourous so you did not slip. You had to see it to believe it. We all had a blast and spent a few hours climbing up and down the rocks.
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| all the kids were scrambling up and down |
Ma Sa waterfall was also quite beautiful, it was 10 cascading waterfalls with small plunge pools at every level. It was a very scenic hike and the water was cool and refreshing.
The following day we did a full day tour, visiting Thailand's highest peak, and the nearby Pagodas- Doi Inthanon (the pagodas where built to honour the current king and queen, they are magnificent structures surrounded by spectacular gardens). We also visited a hill tribe as well as two more waterfalls, Wachiratan and Sirithan.
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| Watchiritan waterfall |
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| The whole gang |
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| Sirithan Waterfall |
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| A Karen Hill tribe woman, (not the long necks) |
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| The pagoda and gardens |
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| A very interesting lady we saw throughout the day |
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| a small hike to one of the waterfalls |
When Johnny was a little boy he read about the Karen Long Neck Tribes of Northern Thailand, ever since, he has always wanted to see them... we read mixed reviews about visiting the tribe, as some see it as exploitation. We read about a village where the people that are there choose to be, to educate tourists and earn some income. Johnny and Livy decided to go, while Anneka and I went shopping. (there is a huge modern mall in Chiang Mai that has everything any western mall would have, I was able to score some Birkenstocks as mine broke). Johnny and Liv had a good day, however they did say they felt like it was a tourist trap, but learned a ton.
On top of all the amazing sites to see and do in Chiang Mai, the markets are incredible! There is a Saturday and Sunday walking street market (both on different streets) and then a nightly food market, where you can get anything your heart desires...(so cheap too! our dinner bill was never more then $12-$15). The energy of the markets is incredible, singers and musicians entertaining, local artists selling everything you can imagine..
Well that was it for Chiang Mai, a jam packed week and we still felt like there was more to explore. I absolutely loved it and will definitely come back to explore more. We sadly said goodbye to our great friends. Hoping our paths will cross in at least 1 more country (that would make 4!)
See you soon Cambodia!
