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Theairplaneguy4ever

Hello there!

Here's the continuation to my BLR-BKK & Bangkok TR,

This TR is a bit long and so I thought I'd introduce a way point system to help you not get lost if you decide to pause reading the TR at any time.

Here's the first waypoint and the general pattern,

WP1: To WP2, 5 min

Without further ado, let's jump in!

Where's Chiang Mai?

Chances are, you're probably aware of where Chiang Mai is and what's to see there. If not, Chiang Mai is the capital of the Chiang Mai Province in Northern Thailand, 700KM from Bangkok. It is called as the 'cultural capital' of Thailand because of its numerous temples (Over 300) there. Chiang Mai is most famous for its floating lantern festival ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9Ko-yvJzHU ), it's the reason to visit Chiang Mai and...

we missed it.

Missed it by half a year.

It was an intentional miss though. The festival is conducted in November every year and we were flying in May. Oh well, there's always next time.

Why Chiang Mai?

To be honest, I hadn't even heard of Chiang Mai until plans for this trip were being formulated. The cultural experience had me drawn in, as the other two options were either Phuket or Koh Samui, both beach destinations and both a bit touristy as well. The fact that its cuisine is superb was another pulling reason. So, Chiang Mai was finalized.

Thai Smile TG710 : Bangkok To Chiang Mai

Booking & Pre-planning

After logging a set of flights on Thai, I'd wanted to try a different airline. Bangkok Airways was the number one contender, with its economy class lounges, a feature that is seen very rarely in today's world. But, of course, that was just too perfect.

The flight times of Bangkok Airways were messed up, and on the return there was a 7hr layover in BKK, between connections. As Bangkok Airways was slowly written, a sudden 5000INR fare surge (Per person) was the final nail in the coffin. So, it was Thai again. On the onward leg, there were just two flights in the morning, TG710, Thai Smile's A320-200 and TG102, Thai's classic 747-400. You know which one was my choice. But, the opportunity of flying a new airline, that too, Thai Smile, which was slowly making its way to India, made me change my mind. This turned out to be a lifesaver. A huge life saver. Upon landing in Chiang Mai, I learned that TG102 had been cancelled! That was a close one.

Flying time!

I'll be sticking to just the video TR for this one as well :

http://youtu.be/N__r0_F-DRY

[Viewer Question, How was the music for this video? You may know that I've been making my own for the past couple of videos. It is intentionally similar to the last one's music because I wanted to keep the same mood and... it also saves a lot of time.]

Some notes on the flight:

As you'll know, the meal was horrible. What did it smell like? Rotten and fish and half-dried shrimp. So much so, that I wish they hadn't served anything at all.

The crew. Very cute, very polite and very friendly. They really made up for the meal and were all smiles during the flight. Guess the airline name does have some meaning in it.

Loads were pretty low on this flight, I'd guess around 60% at most. Perhaps this was a reason for TG cancelling their 744 flight, scheduled to arrive an hour later.

Now for the main event,

Two days in Chiang Mai!

Our guide waits for us as we enter the arrival hall at Chiang Mai Airport. Dhawabe, is a smiling middle aged man who is very friendly and knowledgeable on Chiang Mai. He is a local who has connections with overseas travel agents. Our travel agent back in Kochi, had insisted we get a guided or group tour when visiting Chiang Mai, but we weren't actually sure which one the travel agent had selected. Chiang Mai, isn't awfully touristy, there are nearly no group tours available, so a guided tour was more appropriate. Dhawabe would only accompany us on the next day when we visited Wat Doi Supthep and the Bhuping Palace.

For now, he dropped us off at our hotel and suggested a few places to visit for the day. We stayed at The Furama, a pretty decent hotel and one of the big ones at Chiang Mai. The rates were cheap and they had a complimentary breakfast spread as well.

As we dropped our bags and started exploring, you'll notice that Chiang Mai has a much more rural feel, much calmer and quieter than Bangkok or any Indian city for that matter. Our first stop suggested by our guide, was the Chiang Mai National Museum, a 20 minute walk away from our hotel.

Oh, and that's an original 1970s VW Beetle under the cover by the way.

WP2: To WP3, 5 min

On the way, we come across one of the many temples in Chiang Mai. The ruins of the ancient city lay scattered around Chiang Mai and remains of the city moat still exist as well. The traffic on the ring highway, along which we walked, was minimal with the occasional car passing by every now and then.

We approach the museum gate. The place is deserted. There's next to no one about, we enquire in one of the offices for tickets.

"Ah, no, sorry. Tuesday Holiday."

Just our luck. A kilometer's walk for nothing.

Thankfully, I'd asked Dhawabe where to get some kicker Khao Soi in Chiang Mai. Now, Khao Soi is the dish of Chiang Mai. It's a spicy broth of Thai curry with egg noodles with beef or other meats. Dhawabe recommended a shop 10 minutes away from the museum. So, we headed over there and we were not disappointed.

What I had - The monster. Khao Soi with mixed meats, beef, pork and chicken. It was absolutely fantastic! Heavenly! So much so, that I nearly ordered another bowl. And I'm killing myself now for not doing so back then.

What mum had - Chicken Khao Soi.

What dad had - This was a Thai style fried chicken. It tasted quite different to normal fried chicken. Guess the Thai's can make any dish fabulous!

After that amazing meal, we headed to the not so amazing Chiang Mai zoo, which I'd wanted to avoid, but it was recommended by Dhawabe and insisted upon by dad. If you've read the last part of this series, you'll know I'm not an animal lover, so I did not enjoy the experience.

The giant pandas here are the main attraction. They're on a loan from China and are to be returned after 10 yrs.

He just stood there motionless staring into oblivion for a good 10 min. He doesn't look particularly happy either.

To my relief, we were done with the place in 2 hrs and on our way. Transportation in Chiang Mai is very easy, because of these,

Songthaews as they are called, are red trucks which roam the streets in Chiang Mai picking up people along the way. They don't particularly follow specific routes. Instead, it picks up one person and along the way to that person's destination picks up other people and drop them off subsequently and the process continues till they run out of fuel. There is a flat rate of 20BHT (40INR) for a kilometer or two. We were headed to the many temples in the old city.

Now this is something great about Chiang Mai, the old city is pretty much the city centre and it is surrounded by the ancient moat, which still stands even after 700 yrs. Of course, it's been turned into more of a fountain, but the sight is great and reminds you that Chiang Mai hasn't let go of its past just yet!

It's also great to spend a day walking along the entire perimeter of the city, which I'd love to do if I ever visit this wonderful city again.

Our Songthaew dropped us off in front of Wat Phra Singh, located to the west of the old city. This temple was built in 1345 and the idol of the Buddha has a strange mystery surrounding it. The head of the idol was allegedly stolen back in 1922. And nobody knows if the current statue is the real one or in fact a fake. Intriguing.

To our incredible luck, we'd arrived upon a session going on at the temple, where most of the monks had assembled and a briefing or speech was being conducted. It was a magical sight to see, as everyone sat intent, listening to the head priests words. There were just a couple of Thai nationals around and no tourists which made it even more authentic!

The plan was to walk along the roads visiting Wat Chedi Luang and some of the street shops before ending our walk at the three kings monument and square at the heart of the old city.

As we commenced our walk, this shop caught our eye and we dove in. The thing to note in Thailand is, if you notice more locals than tourists dining at a particular restaurant or cafe, dive in. Because, if the locals approve, then the food has to be killer. And the thing about this hole in the wall was that it was filled completely by locals. And they had to be here for a reason.

The owners of the restaurant were very friendly and helped us in our order. Though I did want to savor the amazing dish that is Khao Soi once again, it was time for something new.

Lemongrass tea! Very peculiar. When I saw it on the menu, I had to get it. It was quite refreshing and the fact that minimal sugar was used, elevated the drink.

What mum had - Thai style barbecued pork with fried rice. I had a bit of this and wow, it was absolutely stupefying, the most tender and succulent pork with perfectly done rice and egg. It was heaven!

What I had - Pad Thai! I couldn't avoid it. After coming all the way to Thailand and not sampling authentic Pad Thai would be a sin! And, boy was it good! The prawns and the chicken in it were perfectly done, as with the noodles as well. Brilliant! And for 35BHT (70INR), it's an absolute steal!

After that amazing meal, we continued walking on towards Wat Chedi Luang, there are next to no signs around and we had to heftily rely on the map we had.

WP3: To WP4 5 min

The streets of Chiang Mai are truly amazing! So much activity, even though there are barely any people about. The great thing is that there weren't many tourists, as I've said before. There aren't a lot of vehicles either, so the experience is completely rural!

We passed Wat Wan Tao along the way. Wat Chedi Luang is the biggest temple inside the old city and it was right next to Wat Wan Tao. Supposedly. Because after spending the next half an hour searching for it, we couldn't find it. We gave up our search and headed straight to the Three Kings monument.

It was a spectacular sight. The sun lit up the evening sky in a dozen hues of orange and yellow. And as the Thai flag flutters strong in the wind, I realize this is why I love travelling so much. To be in a place you've never been before, to experience something different, much different to what you're experienced to. It's brilliant.

An HDR I tried out. I admit it's not perfect, but it's still not a bad shot, right?

By now it was 18:45 and we were to head to our next destination, the night market in Chiang Mai. It was about a kilometer and a half from where we were and so we hopped on another Songthaew to take us there.

The sun set in Chiang Mai is wonderful.

The night market is more of a handicraft market than a food market, there are lots of food stalls around, but the real heavenly meals lie elsewhere. We spend a couple of hours here shopping around and savoring the atmosphere.

Here is something you can find all over Thailand, bottled orange juice. There really is nothing special about it, but seeing it was everywhere, I grabbed one. Unlike the ones in Bangkok, which are over sweetened and taste like fanta which has lost its fizz, this one was much more natural tasting and there was next to no sugar added in it.

I was stuffed from the Pad Thai earlier and really couldn't eat anymore, thankfully there were no street vendors around to make me regret my decision. So, we skipped dinner.

We finally grabbed a Songthaew back to our hotel and arrived there just past 9pm. Having woken up at 3am to catch our flight, I quickly fell asleep.

Day 2

Day two commenced by grabbing a quick bite at the hotel and attempt no.2 to the National Museum, thankfully it was open. The upper floors to the museum were closed for renovation, which meant only the bottom floor was opened today.

Chiang Mai has a very interesting history and it was great to learn about it. The moat and walls of the city helped greatly in defending it from the attacks of the nearby Burmese king and as you saw, the moat still stands. The Burmese did occupy Chiang Mai at one point though, before being driven away by the Thai King at that time. Even today, there is a significant population of Myanmar's people living in Chiang Mai.

A scale model of the old city and how it looked back in the day. Notice the many temples in the city. The biggest one on the left is Wat Phra Singh, which we visited yesterday.

After spending about an hour at the museum, we headed back into town for a walk and to check out a few more of the temples. A Songthaew was again our mode of transport.

Unfortunately, this temple was closed and we couldn't get in. I couldn't find the name of this temple either, even after getting back home. The dragons next to the step are a common feature in most Thai Buddhist temples.

The traffic inside the city is minimal, as I've pointed out earlier. I'm sure there must be some rule regarding entries of vehicles into the city. I believe that there's also another rule banning construction of big buildings inside the old city, similar to the one in Paris.

We were scheduled to meet our guide back at the hotel at around 1pm. We got back to our hotel and on the road to it, spotted a small shop, which appeared to sell food.

It was run by an unmarried middle aged lady and her sister who had lived in Chiang Mai for all their lives. They sell everything you could get in a supermarket. Here, in a space smaller than our hotel room. They also had a table out in front for the occasional customer who decides to buy some traditional Thai eats.

Meanwhile, the peculiar things in the picture above appears to be what the lady has collected over the years.

I had Thai style stir fried pork with an egg omelet on top. This here is traditional home cooked Thai food with lots of love. It isn't fancily prepared and doesn't have a jaw dropping presentation. But, it tasted oh so good. Eating traditional Thai food with some traditional Thai scenery in the background. It doesn't get any better than this!

Our guide is already waiting for us at the hotel and he asks me if I'd tried out some Khao Soi, to which I say yes. He seems pleased when I say it was fantastic and was possibly my best meal in Thailand!

We board the small minivan, with no other tourists except ourselves and make our way to the Bhuping palace.

WP4: To WP5, 5 min

The Bhuping palace is something like 15 km up the Doi Suthep mountain (or hill). After a good 45 minute journey we arrive at the place.

The Bhuping palace is the summer home of the Thai king built in 1961. It was thrown open to the public soon after and you can observe a bit of the immaculately kept gardens surrounding the grounds.

Though, Thailand is a parliamentary democracy, the King is still the head of the state and so royalty is still revered. The current king, Bhumibol Adulyadej's health is in pretty bad condition and he has been hospitalized since 2009 (though he was discharged last month). The Thai's revere their king highly and Dhawabe's voice is serious as he talks of the king.

The many cottages scattered throughout the palace. These will most likely be occupied by lesser diplomats, while the king's actual residence isn't permitted to be visited.

The transportation here is on golf-carts and it was fun to ride on one. I'm surprised how stable this shot is despite travelling on the golf-cart.

This place does look like it was from a fairy tale. It's great that this place is so well maintained as well.

As we conclude our visit to the Bhuping palace, we hop on the mini-van again to head over to the most famous temple in all of Chiang Mai, Wat Doi Suthep!

Wat Doi Suthep is just 15 min away from the Bhuping palace and we back track along the road we came to get there. The history of Wat Doi Suthep is very interesting,

Monk Sumanathera found a relic on these mountains, supposedly a bone of Lord Buddha himself. The monk took the relic to the king at that time, who apparently set it on the back of a white elephant and let it wander into the jungle. The elephant trumpeted three times on Doi Suthep before dying and at the place of its death, the Wat was built!

There are around 300 steps to the top of the mountain, where the temple is. But, since we were exhausted, we took the lift instead. Yes, they have a lift. On the side of a mountain.

As the temple comes to view, we are greeted by one of the many Buddha statues around the temple. This particular Buddha is impersonated after the Indian impression of Buddha as opposed to the Thai style rendition, Dhawabe tells us.

The classic temple architecture of Thailand is spectacular. In the partially cloudy and rainy sky, it looks wonderful.

A statue of Monk Sumanathera stands outside the temple, people pay their respects here before entering the temple.

Inside, there is a statue of Ganesha. Perhaps somebody here, knows the reason behind this being here at a Buddhist temple.

At the back of the temple, the view is breathtaking. The entire city of Chiang Mai is visible from here. Our guide points to the left and says Burma is less than 200 km from here. With Chiang Rai sister city of Chiang Mai, being to the right. Or was it the other way around?

You can also see the airport from here. There's a giant TG B777-200 parked at one of the stands. The AirAsia and Bangkok Airways A320s are dwarfed by it. Just as we are about to move on, a giant roaring sound fills the valley. In the distance, a TG A330-300 peeks into view and slowly makes a turn past the hills before making a smooth landing on the runway.

Now for the main event. The famous Chedi of Wat Doi Suthep. It was incredibly hard to get a decent shot of the Chedi as the other temple architecture surrounding the Chedi gets in the way.

Inside the main prayer hall, lies all renditions of the Buddha, including Thai and Indian ones. A monk is offering prayers here and the hall is quite void of activity. Except for the occasional tourist's point and shoot flash going off.

The time now is around 5pm and we descend the long flight of stairs to make it back to the minivan.

This is another famous sight along Thai streets. Many types of soft drinks are frozen into an ice lolly type thing. It costs 5BHT for two and though it may not be the most hygienic stuff I've eaten, it certainly wasn't a bad thing.

After the ride back to the city, our guide drives us through the campus of The University of Chiang Mai where his son is a first year mechanical engineering student. Chiang Mai is a prime education spot for Thais from around the country and there are a lot of universities here as well.

By the time we reach the airport at 6:40pm, I realize that our holiday in Chiang Mai had come to an end.

As I board the plane, settle into my seat and the familiar howling of the Trent engines (Which one? That's for another TR!) fills the cabin as we race down the runway, I realize I've left a part of me behind in Chiang Mai. This wonderful city, which has so much to offer and so much to see. I have barely seen a quarter of it. As the plane banks right and the lights of Chiang Mai slowly vanish away, my eyes are misty. I whisper two words before the last of the city disappears.

"Good bye."

Thanks for reading this TR.

Feedback and comments appreciated.

WP5: End of TR
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India's first HD Video Trip Report Channel : www.youtube.com/Theairplaneguy4ever

sukritmunjal · Member Joined: 23 Jan 2013 Posts: 178 Location: FMO

Really wonderful TR. Thanks for sharing.

ameya · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 10:28 am Post subject:

Thanks for sharing. Wonderful TR. I should keep that at the back of my mind whenever I get a chance to go to Thailand

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 11:16 am Post subject:

Nimish · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 12:12 pm Post subject:

What a brilliant report and awesome pictures - thanks for posting. I love exploring such low pressure and unique cities - another such city I highly recommend is Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia...
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We miss you Nalini!

sukritmunjal · Member Joined: 23 Jan 2013 Posts: 178 Location: FMO

I need to plan a trip now, if only for Khao Soi and that radioactive green ice cream.

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 1:43 pm Post subject:

Nimish · Posted: Fri Sep 06, 2013 4:10 pm Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Adi, thanks for yet another superb trip report!
I liked the changed formal, bringing in the informality better.
Some decisions sometimes defy logic (choosing a A320 over a
B744), but then I am glad it turned out in your favour.
Music: stupendous! Your creativity is amazing...
I also admire your decision to go to a less touristy area, a bit
far from the beaten track, but which turns out much more exotic
than a better-known place but infested with tourists.
Your food pictures, and description had one satiated reader.
I am in Calcutta on an official trip right now, and reading this
after dinner wasn't the smartest thing I have done today.
Two packs of biscuits had to be sacrificed for the same.
Back to the food, can you describe the red `sauce' with the fried
chicken? The boulevard looks amazing. The fact that you give a
short history of place, and state some interesting facets about
it, adds to the magic of the TR!
Lemongrass tea- does this have any actual tea, or is this more
like the Chinese jasmine tea, or Chamomille tea, which are other
herbal brews. Looks like the latter, but just want your
confirmation. How do they brew this one? Is this also an art?
The HDR looks interesting!
The Bhuping palace looks like a really nice place.
I love dthe temple photos, and foudn the name of the famous monk
quite interesting, `Sumanathera'. I wonder if this shares a
common origin with my name! Ancient Thailand was Siam, or
`Shyam'. `Sumantra' is a bahuvrhi samAsa, `su mantraNa dadAti
ya:, sa:', or literally, one who gives good advice.
Remember Dasharatha's chief adviso in the Ramayana?
The name of the island `Sumatra' comes from one of the names of
Lakshmana, `Saumitra'. Just as Burma was `Brahma', `malay' of
course is the wind, Java is `jambudwIpa', Singapore is
`simha-pur', `Borneo' is `varNanIya', and so on.
We have to thank the Cholas for their amazing sea-faring
exploits, Rajaraja and Rajendra Chola, who started it all.
Sukrit: `radioactive green ice cream - ha ha!'
Thanks for a lovely report - I just cannot wait for the next part!
Cheers, Sumantra.

sabya99 · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 4:37 pm Post subject:

Nice and enjoyable trip report. Someday I will visit this place. Food very enjoyable, culture an extension of desi culture Thailand is a great place.
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Sabya99

Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Sat Sep 07, 2013 5:59 pm Post subject:

sumantra · Member Joined: 28 Oct 2007 Posts: 4685 Location: New Delhi

Spiderguy252 · Posted: Tue Sep 10, 2013 4:26 pm Post subject:

Stunning shots and an excellent read overall!
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Yeah.

stealthpilot · Member Joined: 19 Dec 2006 Posts: 2325 Location: BLR, DXB

Fantastic TR. Nice city, not too crowded not overly touristy sounds like a great place.
Yea a 744 would have been nice on a short flight but a new airline has its advantages.

jbalonso777 · Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2013 9:29 pm Post subject:

What a beautiful TR we have here, thanks a lot for sharing!
Wow this was a real feast for the eyes!

And I do apologize for such a delayed reply.

All pictures were stunning, but I particularly liked the ones in low light and of course, food. The combination of meats sound deadly indeed!

Talk about lifts on the side of mountains, sorry to ruin this, but there is one in Babulnath, Mumbai. And to ruin it further, there is one mountain in Bhubaneshwar where I saw a 6E A320 blast its way into the skies (I was on that very flight a few days later..)

But all in all, I found many similar things to another Buddhist country - Sri Lanka. There is a temple of the tooth relic here, but really, I haven't seen it. Rolling Eyes

And do I smell a Dragon Air A330-200 flight in the next trip report? Razz

Looking forward to it!

Regards
Jish
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Theairplaneguy4ever · Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2013 2:56 pm Post subject: