Quickly discovered that my first hotel choice was not as picture perfect as it seemed. The beach was small with no where to walk / run and with the abundant coral in the water and low tide conditions, swimming or snorkeling was impossible. Fortunately the hotel had kayaks for their guests’ use so off I went…
Apologies for my shaky video skills.
What I didn’t realize is that among the rocks over there are “Hin Ta” /Grandfather & “Hin Yai” / Grandfather so named for their interesting shapes…See if you can identify Hin Ta in the next video freeze frame and end shot. I was so focused on kayaking and videoing, I was oblivious.
The Chiang Mai Sunday Night Market is located in the center of the old walled city area of Chiang Mai and is open from 4pm until midnight. It’s a fest and a feast down Ratchadamnoen Road, which is closed to traffic for the Market – hence the i other name “Walking Street”. In the vicinity, there are many temples and historical sights to see along the way as well, including Wat Phan Tao, Wat Chedi Luang and the statues of the 3 kings.
Tip: If you’re not big on crowds go early and have a full run of it before they arrive.
The place really comes alive and has a great vibe later into the night…And there are some lovely restaurants, bars and coffee shops around every corner if you’d prefer people watching (tourists & Thai locals) from a distance or just need a break from the crowds.
There are musicians, handicrafts, souvenirs, massage chairs, and perhaps best of all, world renown street food enjoyed by Anthony Bourdain and myself. (My trekking tour guide from Green Trails gave Anthony his street food tour when he was filming in Chiang Mai. ) There’s so much to see, do, buy & eat, you can easily spend hours here.
Tip: If you see something you like as a gift or a souvenir get it and consider getting more than one. The crafts are Northern Thailand specific and you may not see them again. I bought a couple beautiful bowls and wish I’d grabbed more because in my 30 days in Thailand I never saw anything like them again.
If you’re thinking about going to the Chaing Mai Sunday Night Market, don’t think twice – go. As you can see and hear, it’s a memorable experience.
It was late afternoon by the time we rolled into Ban Thaton, a charming Thai village near the Burmese border on the bank of the Maekok river. After a quick cleanup transition, I headed out to do a little exploring on foot.
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Despite weary legs from my full day of mt. biking, I took a quick hike up a road to the White Buddha that I’d seen in the distance as we were coming into town. It was worth it.
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On the way back, I stopped in for a sorely needed hour Thai massage before dinner. (Awesome and only $6!) Had a feast at a lovely riverside restaurant that evening and enjoyed a refreshing ‘cold” one. (Not a beer drinker, but it sure hit the spot.)
Riverside restaurant
Wall Fresco
Local snake…
Just part of the feast
Cheers to another amazing day
Next day we hit the road early, biking through parts of a national park on our way to Chiang Rai. What an incredible 3 day Mt. Bike adventure.
Our last lunch stop was superb!
We had the place to ourselves
Young coconut & veggies
Savory chicken dish
Sad that it had to end. Many thanks to my guide Pan & support driver Som at Active Thailand!
Tour company:ActiveThailandGuide: Pan My rating: Excellent, highly recommend
Had an incredible day of delightful single track through the forest and miles of dirt roads through remote countryside. It was topped off with the Chiang Dao Cave and ruins exploration and by my best meal yet here in Thailand at a local open air restaurant near the cave. The tumeric chicken dish on the right was an outstanding flavor feast!
After our afternoon ride, we closed the day in comfort and beautiful surroundings at the rustic mt. biker’s haven, Padeng Lodge.
Back on the bikes at 8 am the next morning with more wonderful single track and back roads to explore. I had to make a pit stop along the way and that’s when we discovered this delightful coffee shop/ vineyard/farm – something you might expect to see in New Zealand.
Midday, we stopped for lunch in bustling Fang at a Muslim noodle shop.
A main street in Fang
Traditional Northern Thai Noodle Dish
Inside the mound of rice a “chicken surprise”
While I have a thing for the name Fang, I wasn’t crazy about it. Of course, this dose of civilization was a bit of a shock to my system after all the remote countryside we’d traversed by bike and following my Karen Hill Tribe trek earlier in the week. Thankfully, it was only a matter of minutes before we were on back roads again, passing scenic mango, garlic, eggplant and rice plantations along the way.
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After roasting on the bike for the better part of the day, I was quite happy to roll into Thaton, a small riverside village with lots of charm where’d I’d staying the night on a hotel with AC. To be continued…
The Chiang Dao Cave adventure is not to be missed, but its spectacular setting is worth a thorough exploration as well…
Doi Chiang Dao, the mountain that you see rising out of the mist in a couple of the pictures below is Thailand’s 2nd highest at 7,135 feet. (No, I didn’t get to climb it on this trip, perhaps next…)
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The story of dragons and temples: Myth has it that a dragon approached a monk and about his desire to worship with him in the temple. The monk told him that dragons weren’t allowed inside the temple, but they are welcome to guard the temples. Throughout Thailand you’ll see dragons guarding temples.
On the Loose Live 