This past October I had the opportunity to spend two weeks in one of the most beautiful countries, Thailand. My best friend, Graey, he has been living in Chachoengsao, a small town just outside of Bangkok, for the past six months. He moved there this summer to teach English at a local school. This Chiang Mai Thailand Guide shares how I spent my first week exploring Thailand with him. You’ll find everything from my favorite Thai dishes to how to minimize travel expenses. It’s a long post because I had so much to share!
You can read Graey’s life update here.
Traveling
The toughest thing about traveling halfway around the world is getting there. I spent 23 hrs traveling to and from Thailand. My first flight was from Orlando to Atlanta, then to Seol, Korea and finally Bangkok. Surprisingly, the traveling wasn’t too bad for me. I didn’t suffer from jet lag as many people do. Though maybe that’s because I am the world’s best sleeper, ask anyone in my family. Airport, plane, train, car, floor, bed, it doesn’t matter where I am, I can fall asleep. I plan to write a blog post about traveling must-haves & tips in the next few months, so be on the lookout.
If you’re interested in learning how to book a cheap but not-crappy flight shoot me a message through Instagram! I’d love to share my experience.
One Night in Bangkok
I arrived in Bangkok late Friday night not knowing a single word in Thai. Yeah, I was super prepared. Luckily Graey was there to greet me and show me around the bustling city. Bangkok reminded me of New York City. Lots of nightlife, crazy traffic and a lingering smell of trash. We walked around and stumbled upon a night market where I first tried Pad Thai. It was tasty but nothing compared to the coconut ice cream we had later. They carved a coconut shell to act as a bowl and then layered the ice cream with fresh coconut shavings and peanuts. It was heavenly.
Left: Shimp Pad Thai at Bangkok Market Right: Coconut Icecream with Peanuts
After spending a night in Bangkok, we took an overnight train to Chiang Mai. We were as giddy as kids when they set up the bunk beds for sleeping. It was exactly like the Hogwarts Express but with sleeper beds. The next morning we woke up in Chiang Mai.
Chiang Mai Thailand Guide
We knew that we wanted to spend our time in northern Thailand so it only made sense that Chiang Mai was our first stop. Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand. It’s full of culture, friendly locals, incredible food markets, dozens of beautiful temples, a relaxed vibe, and beautiful landscapes.
Where to Stay:
Hostels start at about 100 THB aka $3 for a large 10-person dorm room. Smaller dorm rooms (6 people) start at around 120 THB. We usually stayed in a 4-6 bed dorm room for around 330 THB aka $10. Most of the places we stayed had air conditioning, free breakfast, and a spot for you to lock up your bags during the day. We stayed at…
Bahn Thai Resort
$10 night
Located near the famous Chiang Mai Walking Street and the Old City, Bahn Thai Resort is a beautiful historic Thai style resort. It had a laid-back atmosphere in a quiet area of town with a garden and pool.
Haus Hostel
$16 night
Haus Hostel (see photos below) was one of my favorite places we stayed. Part of the building was made out of glass and it had a rooftop with a gorgeous view overlooking the city. I ended up sketching and watching the sunset up there.
Sunseta Hostel
$11 night
This hostel is located in one of the best areas of Chiang Mai. You can walk to restaurants, shops, old town and more. We stayed in a shared room along with shared bathrooms. My favorite part about this hostel is how it is steps away from May Kaidee Restaurant. My favorite restaurant I ate at in Thailand, but more on that later.
What to Eat and Drink:
I love ALL Thai food. Seriously, I don’t think I ever didn’t enjoy a meal. Many times I ate too much because I couldn’t stand the idea of something so delicious going to waste. Street food cost around 25-50 THB ($1-3). Most restaurant meals cost around 120 THB ($4) for a meal and a drink.
My staple was smoothies, fruit bowls, curry (mango and panang are my favs), Thai iced tea, Thai green tea, kai soi, and so many more. I’ve listed some of my favorite restaurants and recommended dishes below.
Left: Cappuccino & Yogurt Fruit Bowl from Natwat Cafe. Right: Pad Thai & Mango Smoothie from Woo Cafe.
Fruit Bowls at Natwat Home Cafe
This is the first place we ate at in Chiang Mai and it didn’t disappoint. I ordered a cappuccino, which not only looked better than any I had ever had in the states, it also tasted better. Along with the fruit bowl of my dreams. Chia seed pudding, greek yogurt, granola, homemade jam, and every tropical fruit you can imagine. I ate here twice during my trip if that tells you how amazing it was.
Pad Thai at Woo Cafe
If you’re looking for a classy, trendy lunch spot this is the place! Woo Cafe is not only a restaurant but also a flower shop. I could have spent hours smelling and admiring all of the flowers.
Left: Yogurt & Fruit from L'Opera. Middle: Panang Curry from Kanjana. Right: Iced Matcha from Coffee Lovers.
Panang Curry at Kanjana Restaurant
Google maps led me to pick Kanjana as one of our dinner spots and I don’t think I would have ever found it otherwise. It’s a little food shack with only a couple of tables for outdoor seating so it can fill up fast. I ordered the panang curry and it definitely had a kick to it. I’m not a big spice person, mostly because I tear up if I eat anything moderately spicy. But this curry was an exception, I ate every bite despite the tears dripping down my face. It was worth the pain.
Thai Drinks
I found myself ordering a drink with almost every meal since the prices were so inexpensive. My favorites ended up being… Thai iced tea, Thai iced tea with lemon (very different from Thai iced tea), iced matcha with milk, or green tea with honey.
Pumpkin Hummus & Thai Iced Tea with Lemon at May Kaidee Restaurant
Remember how I said my favorite restaurant was May Kaidee? I ate there twice and later took a cooking class with them. They’re actually a vegan & vegetarian restaurant which is pretty rare in Thailand. Between the pumpkin hummus and mango sticky rice, I was hooked.
What to Do: Chiang Mai Thailand Guide
Go to a Tea House
We visited two tea houses in Chiang Mai, Vieng Joom On Teahouse and Monsoon Tea. Monsoon Tea specializes in wild and free-grown tea from the hills of northern Thailand. I even brought back some dried tea as gifts.
Visit a Temple
There was a temple called Doi Suthep an hour outside of Chiang Mai. So we rented a scooter and drove there one afternoon. Graey took some photos while I sketched a temple deity. There are a couple of things to note if you decide to visit a temple. Make sure you wear long pants or a long skirt you will also have to take your shoes off to walk on the temple floors.
Get a Thai Massage
When in Thailand, you must get a Thai massage. Hopefully, more than once since they only cost $8-$15 per hour. We got two Thai massages in Chiang Mai, my favorite one was at Green Bamboo Massage. As soon as we walked in to get a massage we were given hot green tea and told to fill out a questionnaire as our feet were soaking in hot water.
A traditional Thai massage is a deep, full-body treatment that begins at the feet and ends at the head. Using a sequence of gentle, flowing exercise movements, your body is moved, loosened and stretched in order to increase flexibility.
Take a Thai Cooking Class
A cooking class is a bit pricier than most things in Thailand but when you consider the fact that you get to make and eat four dishes AND get all the recipes I think it’s worth the $30.
We took an evening cooking class at May Kaidee and learned how to make all of this.
- Tom Yum Soup
- Pad Thai
- Masaman Curry
- Mango Sticky Rice
A couple of things I learned that day were… Thai cooking is wicked fast, every dish is cooked in 3-6 min. Thai’s use fresh ingredients with lots of soy sauce, coconut milk, and their favorite ingredient, sugar.
Take a Yoga Class
We took a morning yoga class at Freedom Yoga. I’m not lying when I say it was one of the hardest yoga classes I had ever taken. I almost felt as stretched and pulled as when I got a Thai massage.
Explore the Sticky Waterfalls (Bua Tong Waterfalls)
Chiang Mai’s Sticky Waterfalls or Bua Tong, is a one of a kind place. Where else can you walk straight up a rushing waterfall without it being slippery? That’s right, you can walk up and down the waterfalls. The Sticky Waterfalls get their name from a mineral deposit that is incredibly grippy. In fact, the rocks feel like a hardened sponge. It’s located about an hour and a half outside of Chiang Mai in the Sri Lanna National Forest. We explored these multi-tiered waterfalls one afternoon to escape Thailand’s heat.
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