Chiang Mai Adventure: Your 2-Day Itinerary for Excitement
It’s 2:30AM. After 2.5 hours of idling
and staying awake, I finally decided to go out from the Suvarnabhumi International
Airport (Bangkok) and queued for a taxi to the domestic
airport, Don Mueang Airport.
Naïve as I am, I stayed at the
international airport, believing a fellow passenger from the flight I took from Manila that by the time I landed in Bangkok, the domestic
airport would be closed. Silly me… Check-in counters are closed, but not the
airport itself!
So, I told the guy at the taxi line my
destination, paid the fare, and took the receipt.
It took us to traverse Bangkok to Don
Mueang 45 minutes. As expected, check-in counters were closed and several
passengers were sleeping: some were lying on the floor, some were contentedly
sitting and leaning on the wall, trying to get to dreamland. Fortunately, while
sitting in the waiting area, the guy next to me left. I immediately placed my
backpack on the newly vacated seat, pulled out my sarong, and tried to cramp my
body on the 2 seats. Covering my upper half with my sarong, the situation
sank in. Yes, I’m starting my backpacking trip!
I was awoken by footsteps rushing around
me. The counters were already open, and the queue was getting long. With the speed
of lightning, I stood up and grabbed my backpack, and joined the queue.
Day 1:
Arrival & Adventure
By 8 AM, I was riding an airport taxi in
Chiang Mai to get to the guesthouse.
As it was too early to check in, I left
my backpack at the guesthouse’s storage room, grabbed a map, and started walking
around the historical walled city of Chiang Mai.
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| The Tha Phae Gate of the walled city of Chiang Mai, Thailand |
Chiang Mai is 700 km from Bangkok
(that’s why I took a plane and not a train). It is in the northern part
of Thailand. The walled city is surrounded by a moat, and inside it, you can
find more than 30 temples.
·
Wat Chedi Luang – this is one
of the tallest structures in the ancient Chiang Mai, much different than most
of the temples you will find inside the wall, and I can say, it is the best.
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| The entrance of Wat Chedi Luang |
History tells
that it was built in the 14th century but was only finished by mid 15th century. The Emerald Buddha was installed in the eastern
niche of the stupa, but due to an earthquake in 1545, the Emerald Buddha was
moved to Luang Prabang, Laos.
Now sitting on
the reconstructed top layer of the chedi is a copy of the Emerald Buddha, which
was made of black jade and is called Phra Phut Chaoem Srirat.
The stairways
are beautifully guarded by stone nagas (mythical snakes), and on a layer are
stone elephants.
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| Chedi Luang with stone nagas and elephants. |
There is an
assembly hall (sim) near the chedi, which was built in 1928 with an impressive
interior. It contains a standing Buddha called Phra Chao Attarot – made of
brass alloy and mortar – dating back to the late 14th century.
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| The Sim in Wat Chedi Luang |
Next to it, you will see a tree called Diptecocarp believed to be
the protector of the city. Local lore says a calamity will follow if it falls.
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| The Diptecocarp tree at Wat Chedi Luang |
Inside the
grounds of Wat Chedi Luang is another temple called Wat Phan Tao – beautiful
wooden carvings adorn the door and roof, and it contains a large reclining
Buddha.
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| Reclining Buddha at Wat Phan Tao |
Mahamakat
Buddhist University is also inside the Wat Chedi Luang compound, which is why you
can see tables around the compound with signs “Monk Chat”. You can linger
around and take a seat to have a chat with monks.
·
Wat Chang Taem – this is the
home to the Sacred Bronze Buddha of Chiang Mai Province, which is believed to
bring wealth and happiness to Chiang Mai locals. I wasn’t able to take a photo
of the inside of the temple as I was not sure if it was allowed or not.
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| The stupa at Wat Chang Taem |
Photos of other temples
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| Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| Temple in Chiang Mai. Thailand |
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| Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| A beautiful tree I found while walking around in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
Nibbling on some spicy Thai chips at the
guesthouse’s cozy outdoor area, the tour operator arrived to fetch me. It took us an
hour to reach Mae Rim, where the camp is located.
After a safety briefing/orientation, all
of us 7 adventurers had a practice maneuvering the ATV, circling the camp. The
three ATVs were driven in tandem, and I was by myself and the only Asian in the
group (plus, of course, our guide). We
were given a mask and a helmet and were asked to sign injury insurance.
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| ATV driving at Mae Rim, Thailand |
It was a 3-hour ATV driving. 42 km. I took
the Beginners Course, which offers a bit of off-road driving. The mask was
indeed useful in some parts, esp. on the rough and dusty terrains. In here, I
really had so much fun. The off-road driving was not easy, as it was my first time.
I was a bit terrified of falling off and thought I wouldn’t make it, but I’m still
alive!
Through the forest, mountains, farms,
villages, and highway, it was a 3-hour exhilarating fun.
We passed along a trail to the peak of Mt. Khom Long, which is 1,459 meters high.
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| ATV driving to the peak of Mt. Khom Long in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| View from Mt. Khom Long, Chiang Mai |
We took a bit of rest at a hillside village of Hmong, where you can find a store and a toilet. My groupmates went to the store while I walked down a bit to the side of the mountain, enjoying the view from the top.
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| The view when I went walking further down the village. |
Going back to the camp, it was a long
drive on the zigzag highway, and it gave me an adrenaline rush racing with big cars.
By the time we were back at the camp, it
was already dark. We sipped some soda and then were transported back to our
accommodations.
I asked to be dropped off at a market near
the guesthouse and did some more walking, appreciating the lights and people, and vehicles rushing to and fro. I sat on a burger stand, ordered my dinner
(and breakfast for the next day), and had a small chat with a young American
couple before heading back to the guesthouse.
Day 2:
Zip‑Line & Zoo
Early at 7 AM, I had already taken a shower
and was having my breakfast. Checked out and had my backpack stored in the
luggage room.
By 8 AM, the tour operator came. I was
the first one to be picked up, and the second passenger, a German guy who was
also a solo traveler, became my buddy for that day.
The ride to the camp from the guesthouse
was an hour on a winding road. We passed a really bumpy road on the way up the
mountain, but the scenery along the way was beautiful.
It was a good idea that I took the
morning schedule because, by the time we came back from the adventure, the camp
was full of people.
I took the Plan A course of the Jungle
Flight, a rainforest adventure, which consists of 33 platforms, 3 abseils, and an uphill trek. Snacks and lunch, plus a t-shirt and transportation, were included in
the package.
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| All geared up for the Jungle Flight Adventure |
I stored my bag in the locker, and the
crew started putting on our harnesses. And then, the flying from tree to tree like a gibbon began.
It wasn’t my first time zip-lining, so the
33 zip lines, long and short, became repetitive and a bit boring for me. If not for the
comedic 2 guides and the abseiling, I wouldn’t have enjoyed it.
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| Getting ready for another 'flight" - Jungle Flight in Chiang Mai |
I and my German buddy took turns using my camera to take photos of each other in between the platforms. I really
enjoyed the abseiling, especially the last one, as it is the longest (or highest
– 40 meters) free-fall among the three. You’ll have to sit on the edge of the
platform until the guide drops you down straight from the tree. Imagine how it
is to fall from such a height!
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| The canopy walk during the Jungle Flight in Chiang Mai, Thailand |
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| Me zip-lining in Chiang Mai |
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| One of the abseiling platforms in Jungle Flight, Chiang Mai |
Halfway through the course, we rested in the
middle of the rainforest for a while, and the two guides distributed muffins and
water to the group. You can hear the sound of chirping birds. We even saw some gibbons hopping from branch to branch of the trees. It was summer then, but I didn’t feel the heat from the
sun as we were under the shade of trees.
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| Jungle Flight, Chiang Mai |
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| Jungle Flight, Chiang Mai |
The guides were not only entertaining,
but they were also really professional when it came to safety. Every time you
reach a platform, the guide will clip your harness to a cable around the tree, and even on the spiral stairs, so that you will never fall from the platform.
The last league was taking a 300-meter
uphill trek. This made me panting, and I was the last one to finish the trek!
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| Wandering Raine trekking with the two comical and efficient Jungle Flight guides |
Lunch was served in a native restaurant
across the camp, which offers not only good Thai food and fruits but also a great
view of the jungle.
At 2 PM, I was back at the market near the
guesthouse. I hailed a tuk-tuk to take me to the Tiger Kingdom and was informed
that it was also in Mae Rim (where I did the ATV and Jungle Flight adventures), which means that it’s another long hour of traveling. I had to change my
plan and forget the Tiger Kingdom because I was booked to go to Laos at 6 PM.
Although I really wanted to get up close with tigers, I decided to go somewhere to use my remaining time in Chiang Mai.
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| On the way to Chiang Mai Zoo |
I visited the Chiang Mai Zoo instead for
an hour.
Chiang Mai Zoo is the first zoo in
Northern Thailand and was established in 1977. It is located at the base of a
mountain, so expect to walk up and down the hills. There’s a monorail, shuttle
bus, and trams that can take visitors around the zoo, but you have to pay an extra fee.
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| Chiang Mai Zoo |
There are 2 aquariums inside the zoo, but
the admission fee is also not included in the fee to enter the zoo. I didn’t see most of the place, as already
mentioned, there was not enough time.
Animals that are visibly well taken
care of and which I was able to see are giant pandas, rhinos, giraffes, zebras,
flamingos, ostriches, lions, tigers, koalas, penguins, camels, and elephants. I
was thrilled feeding an elephant with bananas, making sure to hold the banana at the tip, fearing that my hand would be sucked by the elephant.
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| Elephant-feeding at Chiang Mai Zoo |
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| Chiang Mai Zoo |
As it was summer, I was thirsty all the
time and sweating big time. I had to stop for a bit to buy bottled water from a cafe inside the zoo. When my legs started to hurt due to a lot of walking,
I found another café with tables around the monorail area and stayed there for a
while, refreshing myself before calling it off.
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| The monorail near a cafe with tables and chairs inside the Chiang Mai Zoo |
The tuk-tuk driver got lost on our way
back to the guesthouse, and I reached the guesthouse 30 minutes before the
minivan to Laos arrived.
The lady receptionist gave me a towel to
use so I wouldn’t need to wet my own towel and pack it in my backpack. She
waited for me outside the shower room, telling the guys not to pour any water on
me as I was leaving. The guys were so playful, and they shot some more water on
my face when I came out of the shower room. Two of the guesthouse staff
guided me to the waiting minivan; one carrying my backpack and one covering me.
We sprinted out laughing, and the guys were teasing me, aiming to pour water on
me. It was fun. Really, really fun!
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Some of the links on this blog are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you click them and make a purchase. This comes at no additional cost to you. I only recommend products or services that I believe will add value to my readers. Your support by using these links helps keep the blog running, and I genuinely appreciate it!
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