[The following post is from the archives of my In Search Of Incredible blog, originally published on 20 November 2016]
The Preparation
My friend AL and I had been talking about going on a trip together for a while, but due to our conflicting work schedules, it wasn’t easy to find a time when both of us could make it. However, we realised that work will never end, so we just gotta make it happen somehow. We decided that we would try anything too ambitious, just a short trip to recharge ourselves would do.
We threw up a few possible destinations – Bangkok, Lombok, Hua Hin, Palawan, Yangon, Vietnam and even China, but nothing felt right, until we stumbled upon Chiang Mai. Neither of us had ever been to Chiang Mai. Somehow it felt like a forgotten destination in Thailand, being overshadowed by Bangkok and maybe even Pattaya. Not too many people I know have been to Chiang Mai either, and it is not a place you frequently hear people talking about.
We did some research on the sights and activities to do in Chiang Mai, and we discovered that it is actually quite a happening place for thrill seekers! There is bungy jumping, river rafting, ziplining, ATV rides and trekking on offer, and all these activities are easily accessible from Chiang Mai’s city centre. I was itching to bungy jump again (I have done it twice before) and AL was very keen to try it for the first time. We didn’t need much persuasion in the end, and so we were set. Chiang Mai, it is!
We quickly booked our air tickets on Tiger Air, which cost S$296.72 per person. As it was only a 4-day, 3-night trip, we did not require check-in baggage. Furthermore, Tiger Air came with a generous 10kg carry-on baggage allowance, so it was more than sufficient.
For accommodation, I found a nice hostel called Oxotel, located at Wualai Road, outside the Old City. It only opened in November 2015 so it is very new, and the pictures and reviews looked good. Wualai Road is also where the Saturday night market is being held at, so it would be very convenient as the night market would literally be at our doorstep. The price was also very reasonable – only S$122.34 for 3 nights in a Standard Twin Room, inclusive of breakfast. That works out to only S$20.39 per person per night, quite unbeatable I must say!
Once the air tickets and accommodation were settled, it was time to plan the itinerary and activities. After some discussion, we decided on bungy jumping, ziplining, ATV riding and river rafting. For bungy jumping, I made a reservation with a company called X-Centre Chiang Mai. They are the only bungy operator in Chiang Mai. For the other three activities, we engaged a company called 8 Adventures, which offered them as a 1-day combo package. Everything was settled and we were ready to go!
However, even the best-laid plans don’t work out perfectly sometimes. Two days before our departure, Thailand’s revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away at the age of 88. The whole of Thailand was in mourning and it was announced that all entertainment activities would cease for 30 days. Everyone was expected to dress in black or dark colours and behave in a respectful manner.
Given the sombre mood, we weren’t sure if any of the night markets would still be open, or whether our planned activities would still go on. I emailed X-Centre and 8 Adventures and they assured me that our bookings would go on as planned. We were relieved but unsure of what to expect. After repacking my luggage and changing all my T-shirts to black or dark coloured ones, off we went to Chiang Mai, hoping that it would still be a fun trip.
(Exchange rate: THB100 approx. equivalent to S$3.98)
Day 1 – 15 October 2016, Saturday
Our Tiger Air flight departure time was 12:00pm, so we went to Changi Airport Terminal 2 at about 10:00am to check in. After clearing immigration, we went to the SATS Premier Lounge to relax and grab a bite before our flight. Chiang Mai is one hour behind Singapore. After a short 3-hour flight, we touched down at Chiang Mai International Airport at about 2pm local time.
After clearing customs, AL went to buy a local SIM card at a shop in the Arrival Hall. It was very cheap – only 299 baht (approx. S$12) for 10GB worth of data surfing, valid for 7 days’ usage. I didn’t buy it because I prefer to disconnect with the outside world for a bit while on vacation.
We then hired a taxi from another booth next door. It was an airport limousine service and the taxi was big and comfortable. It cost 160 baht (S$6.40) to bring us to Oxotel, and the journey took only 10 minutes. We arrived at Oxotel at about 3pm and checked in without a hitch.
Oxotel Hostel
Address: 149-153 Wualai Road, Chiang Mai, 50100 Thailand
Price: S$122.34 for 3 nights in a Standard Twin Room, inclusive of breakfast
Tel: 66 (52) 085334
Website: www.oxotelchiangmai.com
Our Standard Twin Room was large and nicely furnished. The air-conditioning was strong and there was a wash basin inside the room. As it was based on a dormitory concept, there was no attached bathroom so you’ll have to go to the common bathroom on the second floor to take a shower. The common bathroom was very clean so it wasn’t a problem for me.
I really loved the décor of the hostel. The colour scheme was a cool gray, white and black, and there were lots of green plants and ferns all over the building. There were also many cosy corners with beanbags where you could just chill out. It was very open and airy and allowed plenty of natural light to come through. If I could describe it in a word, it would be “chic”.
There was also a very nice café called ARTISAN co-located on the ground floor of the building. It is a hipster café and most, if not all, of its customers were non-guests of Oxotel. So if you happen to be in Chiang Mai and are looking for a nice café to spend an afternoon, you can head over to ARTISAN to enjoy a cup of coffee.
At about 3:30pm, we went out to search for lunch. Earlier on, our taxi driver had told us that the Saturday Walking Street Market at Wualai Road would be closed due to the King’s passing. It was disappointing news but not unexpected. So as we walked along Wualai Road, we were not surprised to see that it was mostly quiet and many of the shops were closed. In actual fact, Wualai Road is the old silver-making district and it is not a commercial area, so many of the shops here are silver workshops. It only comes alive on Saturday nights with the Walking Street Market. Otherwise, there isn’t much to see at Wualai Road.
After walking for about 15 minutes, we reached Chiang Mai Gate, one of the four official gates to the Old City. The Old City was built 700 years ago and it was once a walled square surrounded by a moat. The moat remains but the walls have largely been torn down, save for the ones at the four gates – Thapae Gate to the east, Chiang Mai Gate to the south, Suan Dok to the west and Chiang Puerk to the north. Thapae is the main gateway to the Old City and it has since been pedestrianised. The Sunday Night Market is located at Rachadamnoen Road, right at the mouth of Thapae Gate.
From Chiang Mai Gate, we wandered around blindly and found an eatery that seemed decent. We gave it a try and ordered a tom yum soup to share (70 baht), Pad Thai noodles (50 baht) and Thai iced milk tea (40 baht). It was good and it affirmed my belief that the best food are often found at obscure areas and frequented by locals. We would have some good luck with our food choices over the next few days.
After lunch, we continued exploring and came across a few temples, or Wats. They’re everywhere! The first temple we visited was Wat Fon Soi and it was closed. The staff told us it was because they were busy making preparations for Buddhists’ Day on Sunday (the following day). As we walked further along Prapokkloa Road, we came across Wat Chedlin. It was a small temple and we went in to take a quick look.
After that, we decided to visit one of the major temples – Wat Chedi Luang, which means “temple of the big stupa”. Somehow we went a roundabout way and found ourselves entering Wat Chedi Luang via the back entrance from Jhaban Road instead of the main entrance along Prapokkloa Road. There is an admission fee of 40 baht for adults so we bought our tickets and entered. When we arrived at about 4:55pm, the evening sun cast a nice glow over the temple and it was very beautiful. It was also not very crowded so it was the perfect time to visit.
Wat Chedi Luang was built more than 500 years ago and it was possibly the largest structure in ancient Chiang Mai. Its stupa was believed to been destroyed in a massive earthquake in the 16th century. A restoration project in 1990 resulted in the structure being reconstructed but the spire was left as it was, as apparently no one could agree what it looked like originally. Hence, it looks somewhat odd with the top of the stupa being left in ruins while the rest of it appears intact.
Wat Chedi Luang is a square structure and each of its four sides has a monumental stairway guarded by stone nagas, which are mythical snakes. The stairways are monumental because they do not actually have steps on it. Midway up the structure on the southern face, you can see five stone elephants, of which only one of them is an original. Wat Chedi Luang reminded me a lot of the ruined temples at Angkor, with its pink brick walls, nagas and elephants. Simply stunning and definitely worth a visit.
On the western side of the stupa is a small pavilion housing a reclining Buddha, or Pha Buddhasaiyat, measuring 8.70m long and 1.93m high. The Buddha’s head reclines toward the south and faces the Grand Pagoda. It is believed to have been built sometime around the year 1500. Also around are some small chapels and teak pavilions housing wax figures of venerable monks.
On the eastern side of the stupa is the beautiful assembly hall with its white walls, elegant roof ridges and gilded entrance gateways. It houses a tall standing Buddha known as Phra Chao Attarot. The interesting thing is the Buddha’s pose – the Buddha is standing with the right hand at a 90-degree angle, and the palm is facing outward. Apparently this is the “preventing relatives from fighting posture”. How this pose came about is that according to legend, there was a water shortage in the river that ran between two small kingdoms, where the people from both kingdoms were relatives of the Lord Buddha. So the wise Lord Buddha intervened and stopped them from fighting and prevented bloodshed. Interesting.
Near the entrance of the assembly hall and the main entrance of Wat Chedi Luang is Sao Inthakin, or the Chiang Mai City Pillar. The pillar is housed in a richly decorated shrine, reminiscent of those found in Tibet temples, and Buddhist rules dictate that only men can enter the shrine to view the pillar. The pillar is highly significant because it is believed to protect the city. Standing beside the shrine is a tall Dipterocarp tree, which also has an important role. Legend has it that as long as the tree stands, the city of Chiang Mai will be blessed with good fortune.
In all, we spent about 40 minutes touring Wat Chedi Luang. We then popped by Wat Phan Tao, located right next door. It used to be a palace but has long since been converted to a temple. It is unusual because of its teak wood viharn, unlike the concrete ones of most temples. It is a small temple so we only spent a short time visiting it.
Satisfied with our sightseeing, we began to get hungry again. As we walked along Rachadamnoen Road, we came across a street stall selling banana Nutella rotee. It smelled good so we decided to try it. It cost only 50 baht and it was basically a roti prata/crepe with banana slices and a very generous serving of Nutella spread. It was super sinful but oh so good.
Before long, we reached Tha Phae Gate. We walked along Tha Phae Road and headed towards the Night Bazaar located at Chang Klan Road. We still weren’t sure if the night markets would be open but we decided to give it a go since we had nothing to do anyway. As it turned out, when we arrived at about 6:40pm, the stall owners were busy setting up their stalls along the roadside. It was business as usual after all!
Chang Klan Road is the touristy area and where all the night markets are at. There are several permanent night bazaars here – Kalare Night Bazaar, Anusarn Market and Ploen Ruedee Night Market, in addition to the temporary roadside ones. You’ll also find restaurants and fast food joints like McDonald’s and Burger King, bars and pubs as well as upmarket hotels like Le Méridien here. Definitely the place to be on a Saturday night.
We took our time to browse through the numerous stalls at Anusarn Market. They sell the typical fare – clothes, handicraft, ornaments, gadgets and items that you don’t really need but look good anyway. One of the best souvenirs you can get for your friends and loved ones is a personalised passport cover. There are also small bags and pouches or keychain straps that you can personalise, but I chose the passport cover because it is practical and cheap. It cost only 120 baht each but if you are buying more, you can bargain and get them at 100 baht (S$4) each.
You can pick a small brass ornament to decorate your passport cover, to go along with your name, which will be engraved on a small strip of synthetic leather using a small hammer and alphabet template. You can choose the colour of the passport cover and the colour of the name strip, so it is quite fun. However, that became a problem as well because there were too many colours to choose from! On this first night, I just made one for myself but I returned the following night to make more for my family. So now we each have our own personalised passport covers, which I think is quite cool!
We didn’t do much shopping actually. The only noteworthy things I bought were miniature resin elephants. They were hand painted and came in different sizes and patterns. They were so pretty I bought six small ones at 50 baht each and a big one at 300 baht. I would keep the big one for myself and give the small ones away as souvenirs for my friends.
After the mini shopping spree, we went to Ploen Ruedee Night Market at about 8:45pm to have some more food. It is open everyday except Sunday, from 5:30pm to midnight, so we were there at the right time. It is an open-air market selling food only, and there are many stalls offering cuisines from all over the world.
The area has a very chilled and laid back vibe. In normal times, I suppose there is a live band performing because there is a small stage area in the middle. However, there was no music that night because all entertainment had been ceased. I especially loved the small furnishings that are scattered around the area – like the overturned rattan basket with a hanging light bulb perched on a table and the old row of cinema retractable seats. It was a cool place, perfect for a weeknight out to have some nice food and beer with your friends.
As we surveyed the food stalls, we were immediately drawn to one that sold seafood with a special Thai spicy sauce. It reminded us of Shell Out, the seafood feast we had in KL earlier this year. Best of all, there was an ongoing promotion and the fried seafood with Siam signature sauce set cost only 100 baht. It was too good to resist, so we ordered one set each. The serving was huge, with prawns, squid, mussels, clams, corn and a portion of rice. It was super yummy and quite possibly, the best (value) meal of the trip. Highly recommended!
Feeling quite full by then, we continued browsing through the other stalls. We stopped at a Chinese stall selling grilled beef and chicken on sticks, much like our local satay but with a special spicy sauce. We ordered one stick of beef (150 baht) to share. It was quite tender and quite nice. But maybe because we were quite full by then, it didn’t wow us as much as the seafood dish earlier. We were definitely done eating for the day.
To round off the night, we went for a massage. We didn’t have any particular one in mind so we just picked one that looked quite decent. We did a 1-hour Thai massage and it cost 200 baht (S$8). Massage parlours are really everywhere and you can get them as cheap as 160 baht for a 1-hour Thai body massage and 200 baht for a 1-hour oil massage. These cheap ones usually do not have private rooms so they will just draw a curtain around the massage bed while the other patrons doing foot massage will carry on outside. It was basic and functional. Basically, you get what you pay for. The massage was okay, though AL felt that his body was in more pain after the massage as his masseuse was quite forceful, haha.
After that, we caught a tuk tuk back to our hostel, costing us 70 baht. Earlier, we had each pooled 500 baht into a transport fund and I was in charge of the fund. On average, a tuk tuk ride from our hostel at Wualai Road to the Old City or Chang Klan Road costs around 80 baht (S$3.20), depending on the time of the day and your bargaining power. It is not too expensive, but taking multiple tuk tuk rides a day does add up to the cost.
As our tuk tuk drove along Wualai Road, we saw that some of the stalls were in the process of being packed up. So it turned out that the Saturday Walking Street went on as usual despite what our taxi driver said earlier. Wasted! Nevertheless, I think most of the stuff sold here would be similar to the other night markets too, so I guess it wasn’t such a big loss.
After a shower, we were back in our comfortable air-conditioned rooms, ready for a good night’s rest before some exhilarating activity the next morning. End of day 1, so far so good!