Onwards to Chiang Mai - 12 September 2023!

The flight to Chiang Mai from Bangkok left at a rather civilised 1.30pm. We had time for breakfast and a last look around Pranakorn before we left. I had ordered a car from the Nouvo City Hotel, rather than wait for taxis, for our airport transfer; this is a more expensive option, but after the awful flight to Thailand from Australia, we just wanted a seamless transition to our next destination. Thankfully, we weren’t disappointed – our driver was a delight, chatting with us, talking about his life in Bangkok and generally looking after us on our journey to the airport.

Bangkok Airport was busy, as it always is, and I was expecting the same difficulties we had in Perth when checking in. The process at Perth international was a nightmare, but here it was a dream. We used the self-checkout to check in, and it was perfect, not a thing went wrong. We handed over our bags and headed to the domestic departures terminal - there was no hassle or fuss, we just walked straight through. I can only assume this was an easy process due to us only travelling domestically; whatever the reason, it just made the trip that much more pleasant.

We made a quick beeline to Burger King before our flight, since we wouldn’t be arriving into Chiang Mai until nearly three pm, but at a cost of $50.00 it wasn’t cheap. Airports never are to be honest, but this was excessive, especially by Thai standards, and was a lesson learned. Living life out of a suitcase for several weeks certainly has its disadvantages; having to eat out every day is one of them. From aeroplane meals, spicy Thai Food and take away joints, my stomach was doing somersaults this morning.

The flight to Chiang Mai took just over an hour. We flew on the smallest plane yet, and I was expecting a bumpy ride, but nothing could have been further from the truth. There was only slight turbulence and the cloud cover in this mountainous region wasn’t as bad as expected. As we descended into Chiang Mai, straightaway you could tell how different this place was – the cityscape below had turned into a green, mountainous, tropical paradise. There were very few high rise buildings, and it reminded me of my time staying in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Immediately, I knew this would be a place I would fall in love with!

Chiang Mai airport was small, and we were through security relatively quickly. We paid the 150 thb fee for a taxi to the hotel, and waited outside for our number to be called. Our driver was Nam, who was lovely; I was personally so impressed with her, that I arranged for her to take us to the Elephant sanctuary on Saturday. She was extremely knowledgeable about the area and just the sort of person to teach us about life in this part of Thailand. I have to feel comfortable with someone in order to employ their services or indeed form a friendship. She wasn't pushy or demanding, just offered to take us out for the entire day at a very reasonable cost - how could I possibly say no!

The Bodhi Serene hotel, our refuge for the next six days, was so different to the one in Bangkok. This hotel was traditional in style, historic in nature and absolutely stunning inside and out. The view from our balcony, of lush vegetation and trees, in complete contrast to Bangkok, was a highlight of our stay at the hotel. The room itself was extremely well appointed, even though it was older in style. The bathroom was modern, with a shower and luxury circular bath; overall, I was very impressed. After just having had my first night's sleep I can also say the bed was comfortable and unlike the Nouvo Hotel, the Bodhi Serene is quiet – you could literally hear a pin drop!

After unpacking and a taking a brief look around the hotel, we went for a stroll to downtown Chiang Mai – this place really did have the feel of Siem Reap, as I mentioned earlier. It even has a central canal/river in the same way. There are religious sites or 'Wats' dotted around this city of two million, and there was a distinct calm and laid back feel about the place. Nobody hassled us to take a tuk tuk ride, or indeed bothered us at all, and it was a joy just taking our time walking around the streets.

Immediately we stumbled across Wat Saimoonmuang, it was so peaceful just passing through this well cared for site, and the temple in the centre was magnificent. This is what I love about Thailand, you never know what you will see. There are hundreds of monuments, statues and Wats all over Chiang Mai, and Wat Saimoonmuang was a superb introduction.

As dinner time approached, we tried to find somewhere to eat. Now, this was no mean task, when you only have a credit card, and hadn’t drawn out any money. As a warning to any potential travellers, Thailand as a rule prefers cash, wherever you are, except in the large shopping malls of Bangkok, so turning up with no money, like us, is a no no.

We did however find a glorious hotel, called the Airniversary Hotel, tucked away at the end of a road which did take cards. In all my years, I had never seen anywhere like it, it was out of the World. This hotel was like a large jungle tree house, surrounded by vegetation. We wound our way up steep wooden steps to the second floor restaurant, where we had a view of the whole establishment. Looking down over our balcony, there was even a koi carp river running through the middle; stunning would be an understatement.

Like most of the Thai restaurants we have been to, the menu was extensive, and the portion sizes huge. I chose a Vietnamese sausage starter, followed by a Penang Curry, which, was, extremely spicy, but delicious. The food, ambience and especially the service was exceptional. We had a lovely chat with a young lad who worked there, who openly talked about his life. I have so far found the people so much more approachable in Chiang Mai, although 'So Samsen' and the young ladies who work there, is still my favourite place to be, as you would expect.

After a traditional desert of Mango sticky rice and a couple of pints of Chiang, we navigated the narrow streets back to the hotel. It looks like this will be a very different leg of our holiday, and I am looking forward to investigating this city more tomorrow. Today I feel surprisingly relaxed, Chiang Mai appears to have a more chilled out feel, which will be a welcome change from the busy streets of Bangkok! The next five days are going to be interesting, and I am eager to explore!

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