Chiang Mai, Temples, Markets & Khao Soi

Our journey to Chiang Mai wasn’t exactly the smoothest we’ve had… after checking out of our hotel in Luang Prabang, we had some time before our flight, so we decided to just leave for the airport early and use up the last of our Lao cash on snacks and a few souvenirs. Eventually, the time came when we were supposed to board, however there was a small problem, there was still no plane for us.

About 30 minutes late, the plane finally landed and, in warp speed, we were on board and heading towards Bangkok, which would only take just over an hour. We had a very short turnaround for our connecting flight to Chiang Mai, and needed to get through immigration before catching this flight. We landed and thought we were doing pretty well on time, but then lightning decided to make an appearance, and apparently this means that the ground staff  can’t work, so we sat dead still on the tarmac for 30 minutes, stressing and just waiting to get off the plane. 

We got off eventually and rushed towards gate transfer to domestic flights and managed to get through immigration remarkably quickly and found our next gate — at the other end of the terminal, because of course. In the end, this flight was delayed as well, so all that running around was for nothing and we eventually boarded our plane and shortly after landed in Chiang Mai.

We grabbed a taxi, checked into out hotel, the Be Phrasingh Hotel and headed out for a quick meal nearby. This was where I had my first proper taste of Khao Soi, and I was immediately hooked. This is a northern Thai curry noodle dish, with egg noodles in a rich, spicy coconut curry sauce and topped with crispy fried noodles and some pickles. I had my first bowl, and decided that I had to try and compare a few of them throughout this trip. We finished the evening with a massage before heading back to the hotel for some sleep before our first proper day exploring the city!

The following morning was my birthday, so we started the day with a great breakfast at the Fern Forest Cafe, which is almost hidden away in a garden setting which was very relaxing! Being a birthday brekkie, we went all out and ordered a tropical fruit breakfast bowl, pancakes, bagels and cheese enchiladas, a weird mix but it was all delicious, specially when combined with one of the better coffees that I’ve ever had. It was a coffee with vanilla and cinnamon, which was delicious! I’ve heard good things about the coffee culture here, as it’s a major coffee-growing region, and if this is a taste of what’s to come, needless to say, I’m very happy!

After breakfast, it was now time to start exploring some temples and our first stop was Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, one of Chiang Mai’s most important Buddhist temples and famous for its Lanna-style architecture, intricate wooden details and the large golden chedi that dominates the complex.

From there we stopped at Akha Ama Phrasingh, a specialty coffee shop that works with hill-tribe coffee farmers in northern Thailand, helping them produce and sell their coffee while ensuring more of the value stays with the farming communities. I wasn’t about to pass up another coffee, so I ordered an iced espresso with honey and orange peel. It was very refreshing and, once again, a bloody good coffee.

We walked to our second temple of the day, Wat Chedi Luang. The enormous chedi here was originally one of the tallest structures in ancient Chiang Mai, although most of it was damaged by an earthquake in the 16th century. However, it’s still an impressive sight and must have been amazing when it was whole.

By this stage, however, Eloise (and Xander) had reached their own conclusion about the temples in Chiang Mai’s, stating: “They all look the same.” What can you do…

Anyway, we headed off towards Tha Phae Gate, one of the gates that forms part of the old city walls that once protected Chiang Mai. Nearby, we found a small craft pub called NAI-KAD, where I tried a few local beers, before we stopped for lunch, where of course I had another Khao Soi, which again was delicious!

Our third temple of the day was Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, founded 1296 by King Mangrai. The temple area contains beautiful Lanna-style buildings and several important Buddha images, and once again there was plenty to look at.

After a full day of temples, we grabbed a taxi back to the hotel, jumped into the pool and cooled down before heading out again in the afternoon. This time we headed to Nimman, one of Chiang Mai’s trendier neighbourhoods, known for its cafes, restaurants, shops, bars and nightlife. We first stopped at Sucking Stones Brewing to try some of their locally brewed beers before continuing to One Nimman, a shopping complex, with an almost Italian design. We strolled for a bit and then explored the food stalls where we had some dinner by grabbing little bits from different stalls, and finished with mango sticky rice. Because why not?

After a long day exploring Chiang Mai, we eventually made it back to the hotel where we called it a night.

The following morning we headed into the mountains to visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of Chiang Mai’s most famous temples. The temple sits high on Doi Suthep mountain overlooking the city and is one of the most important pilgrimage sites in northern Thailand. We had booked the trip with the same lady who had picked us up from the airport, as she’d been friendly and helpful, so we were happy to use her again. The drive up the mountain involved plenty of twists and turns as we climbed higher and higher. Once we arrived, we used the small lift/elevator service up towards the temple rather than tackling the famous staircase.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep was, once again, beautiful. The temple is particularly famous for its golden chedi, which is said to contain relics of the Buddha. We also got some great views back towards Chiang Mai, although the air was a little hazy. Still, being high above the city with the mountains surrounding us was worth the trip.

From there we were dropped off at Wat Sri Suphan, better known as the Silver Temple. This temple is famous for its elaborate silver-coloured decoration and intricate metalwork covering much of the exterior. There was, however, a slight problem when we arrived. Suz and Eloise weren’t allowed inside the main temple because women are not permitted to enter. So Xander and I went inside while the girls waited outside. The interior was impressive, but to be honest, the exterior was the star of the show anyway.

Afterwards we walked across to Eight Days A Week Cool Muang, a local craft brewery, where I sampled a few of their beers. Chiang Mai has a growing craft beer scene, so I was quite happy with the number of opportunities I’d been getting to try locally brewed beers.

We then walked back towards the Old Town and stopped for lunch, where I had — you guessed it — another Khao Soi. At this point I was definitely starting to compare them. Every bowl had its own little differences in the curry, noodles and toppings, but I was still very happy to keep doing the research.

After another swim at the hotel to cool down, we headed to the Women’s Massage Centre. The centre provides massage training and employment opportunities for women who have previously been in gaol, giving them a way to develop skills and earn an income after leaving prison. It was a great experience and a good example of how something as simple as a massage can also support a worthwhile social initiative.

That evening we headed to the Saturday Night Market, where the streets were packed with food stalls, local crafts, clothes, artwork and all sorts of things we absolutely didn’t need but somehow ended up buying. Xander came away with an ocarina, a small wind instrument that is played by blowing through a mouthpiece and covering different finger holes to produce different notes. Eloise picked up some earrings and a leather-bound journal, while we also found something that was far too appropriate for us not to buy — a little 7-Eleven sign that lights up and plays music. Considering how often we seem to end up in 7-Eleven when travelling, it seemed like the perfect souvenir.

We finished the night with another swim in the pool before heading to bed. The following morning we had something completely different planned — a Thai cooking class.

At 8:30am we were picked up from the hotel and headed to Asia Scenic Thai Cooking School, where all four of us had booked into the class. Our guide and teacher, A, was fantastic from the the very start, A was friendly, knowledgeable and explained everything really well. Our first that morning was the local morning market, where A showed us the different fresh and dried ingredients used in Thai cooking and explained how they are used.

Once we reached the cooking school, we each chose the dishes we wanted to prepare and got stuck into the cooking. It was particularly fun watching Xander and Eloise make their own dishes and then seeing how impressed they were with their creations. They were both genuinely proud of what they’d cooked, and rightly so.

The class wasn’t just for adults either. The kids were included in all the activities and had just as much fun as we did. The only real problem was that we’d cooked so much food that, by the end, none of us had much room left to eat it all. If you’re doing the morning class, don’t bother with breakfast beforehand!

After the cooking class we returned to the hotel for a swim and some relaxation. In the late afternoon we headed out again, this time to Chit Hole Brewing, another local craft brewery. After sampling some of their beers, we returned to town and wandered through the Sunday Night Market. We found some food, although we didn’t eat anywhere near as much as usual because we were still completely stuffed from the cooking class earlier in the day. We wandered around the market for a while before eventually heading back to the hotel for our final night in Chiang Mai.

We’ve really enjoyed our time here. The Old Town and its impressive temples, the night markets packed with food and interesting things to buy, the craft beer scene and, most importantly for me, the ridiculously good coffee have all made Chiang Mai a great stop on our trip.

And then there was the Khao Soi. I definitely wasn’t expecting to eat quite so much of it, but by the time we left Chiang Mai I was more than happy with the amount of research I’d managed to conduct.

Until next time, Chiang Mai, for now, bring on Chiang Rai!