Exploring Northern Thailand!

After a few great days exploring Chiang Mai, it was time to head further north to Chiang Rai. We’d arranged for a private driver to collect us from our hotel and take us on the journey, although I’d requested a minivan, we ended up with a SUV. Ah well, can’t win them all!

The drive between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai isn’t particularly long, and we made good time to our first stop, a hot spring about an hour outside Chiang Mai. These hot springs are heated by geothermal activity beneath the ground, with hot mineral water rising to the surface. The area is very touristic however we just needed a quick bathroom stop and continued our journey north.

From here onwards, however, things became a little less enjoyable. It seemed like the roadworks would never end. For what felt like nearly 100 kilometres, we encountered one roadwork section after another, with traffic repeatedly being moved from one side of the road to the other and reduced to single-lane traffic at lower speeds. It was stop, start, slow down, wait, and repeat. At this rate, the roadworks will still be going when our kids have their own  kids! Eventually, after three hours, we arrived in Chiang Rai and headed straight to our first major attraction, Wat Rong Khun, better known as the White Temple.

Unlike many of Thailand’s older Buddhist temples, the White Temple is a relatively modern creation, by Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and it’s a mix of traditional Buddhist symbolism and contemporary art. Almost everything is white, with countless small mirrored pieces reflecting the sunlight and making the buildings sparkle.

The approach is a tad unusual as you cross a bridge over a pit filled with sculpted hands reaching upwards. Once inside, the artwork becomes even stranger, with modern cultural references mixed in among Buddhist themes. It was fascinating, but also weird in places. There were so many unusual decorations and unexpected details that you never quite knew what you’d come across next (we saw references to Marvel Universe, DC and many more).

We spent a good amount of time wandering around and taking it all in before grabbing a quick lunch nearby and moving on to our next stop, Wat Rong Suea Ten, or the Blue Temple.

If the White Temple was all about white and silver, the Blue Temple went in the complete opposite direction. The temple is famous for its blue exterior, intricate gold detailing and colourful interior featuring an enormous white Buddha. The blue and gold decorations give it a completely different feel from the White Temple, and it was another impressive place to explore. We even spotted someone literally spray-painting some of the blue decoration!

After a busy afternoon visiting temples, we headed to our accommodation, The Heritage Chiang Rai Hotel and Convention. As soon as we pulled up and walked through the main doors, Eloise looked around and asked, in a rather impressed voice, “How much was the budget for this place?”

That probably tells you everything you need to know about the hotel! It was a lovely place, and after checking in we headed straight to the large swimming pool. Best of all, we had the entire pool to ourselves, which made it even better after a hot afternoon of sightseeing.

Later, we walked up the road for some massages. Suz went for a Thai massage, Eloise chose a foot massage and I opted for a back oil massage, while Xander decided he wasn’t interested. After a busy day, it was a pretty good way to unwind.

For dinner, we walked over to Central Chiangrai, a nearby shopping mall, where we decided to change things up and have Japanese food. After several days of northern Thai dishes, it was nice to eat something different. Mind you, I’d been having Khao Soi for lunch every day for the previous five days, so perhaps I was finally ready for a break!

The following morning our driver returned to collect us for a full-day tour of northern Thailand. Our first stop was Baan Dam Museum, also known as the Black House.

Created by Thai artist Thawan Duchanee, Baan Dam is a collection of dark buildings and artistic installations rather than a traditional temple. The buildings are mostly black, with a mixture of traditional northern Thai architectural styles and unusual artwork. Inside, you’ll find collections of animal bones, hides, horns, wood carvings and other objects (think phallic ones).

From there, we continued north to Tham Luang Cave, the cave system that became world-famous in 2018 when 12 boys from a local junior football team and their coach became trapped inside.

Standing at the entrance to the cave was a strange experience. It was a large, imposing opening in the mountainside, and knowing what had happened there made it feel quite eerie. Even more so because there was nobody else around when we visited. It was just the four of us, standing at the entrance and imagining what it must have been like for the boys and their families during those terrifying days.

Afterwards, we continued to the border town of Mae Sai, right at the northernmost edge of Thailand. Here we visited the Sky Walk at Wat Phra That Doi Wao, a temple complex overlooking the border between Thailand and Myanmar.

As soon as we arrived, it was obvious that this was going to be the purple temple. There was purple everywhere, from the decorations to the surrounding buildings, with Eloise announcing, “I guess this is the purple temple then?” She’s certainly developed a cheeky sense of humour that one…

The highlight was the glass-floored Sky Walk, which extends out over the hillside and gives visitors panoramic views across Mae Sai and towards Myanmar. Looking down through the glass adds a little extra excitement, particularly if you’re not particularly fond of heights. From up there, you can see how closely the two countries sit alongside one another, separated in this area by the Sai River and the surrounding border landscape.

We all made our way across the glass floor, although slippers generated little electric shocks whenever we touched one another. Naturally, this turned into a game of chasing each other around and trying to zap whoever was closest. I’m not sure the other visitors appreciated our scientific investigation into static electricity, but we certainly entertained ourselves!

After admiring the views, we grabbed a quick lunch nearby before continuing towards the Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle is the meeting point of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, where the Ruak River flows into the Mekong. The region is historically famous for opium production and trafficking, which made it one of the world’s best-known areas associated with the opium trade. We stopped at a viewpoint where we could look out towards all three countries, which was quite remarkable when you consider how close together they are.

We also visited an opium museum to learn more about the history of the trade and its impact on the region. It was an interesting way to understand the area’s past, beyond just looking at the rivers and taking a few photos. After a cold drink (from 7Eleven of course) and a little more time exploring, we climbed back into the car for the drive to Chiang Rai.

All in all, we had a fantastic day exploring northern Thailand, taking in everything from contemporary art and the dramatic Tham Luang Cave to border views and the history of the Golden Triangle.

Once we returned to the hotel, and after some pool time, we headed out for dinner at a northern Thai restaurant for some final regional dishes. Afterwards, we made our way across to the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar.

Compared with the night markets in Chiang Mai, the Chiang Rai Night Bazaar felt much quieter and more relaxed. There was still plenty to look at, with stalls selling souvenirs, clothing, handicrafts and food, but we could wander around without feeling quite so swept along by the crowds. We enjoyed some dessert, had another massage and took our time exploring before eventually heading back to the hotel.

Our time in Chiang Rai was short but packed with experiences. We’d visited two of Thailand’s most unusual temples, explored the history of the Golden Triangle, stood at the entrance to the cave that had captured the world’s attention and crossed a glass bridge overlooking Myanmar. It was a great way to see a different side of northern Thailand.

Next up, we are heading south towards the coast and the island of Koh Samet. After all the temples, mountains and sightseeing, some island time sounds like the perfect way to relax!