#springsum
#springsummer2024
The 8-day free trip to Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai is over (actually it should be 6 days if taking AirAsia). There were surprises and sudden realizations, and the missed gems in the itinerary also laid the groundwork for my next visit.
The means of transportation during the trip were self-driving motorcycles, cars and bolts (and once a tuk-tuk that was driven on the ground). Within the urban area of Chiang Mai (Old Town, Nimman, Chang Kham, etc.), the best means of transportation is by motorcycle. Many people who have not been there or have been there may think that the traffic in Chiang Mai is very chaotic, but as we in Taiwan almost always use motorcycles as a means of transportation, I privately think that we are technically superior to the locals.
Leaving Chiang Mai city and heading to Chiang Rai (Golden Triangle, Mae Salong), Pai, Elephant Cafe, Doi Inthanon, etc., it is really much more comfortable to take a car as a means of transportation. The gems we missed this time were Pai, Lampang, and Doi Inthanon (the most we went to in the west was Elephant Coffee) because of the limited number of days and the slow pace (we left the accommodation around 9-10 every day), so we chose to explore the northeast first. The first place we came to after leaving Chiang Mai was Mae Kampong Village (Hundred Years of Happiness Village). It was just time for lunch. On the way into the village, we encountered many parking lots waving at us. Later we realized that it was like many tourist attractions in Taiwan, with many parking spots, but the shuttle bus was a local unlicensed car (paid). We drove all the way up to where businesses gathered, and luckily there was a parking space. After lunch, we strolled around and continued on our way to Chiang Rai.
The road from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai (and even the Golden Triangle) is wide and smooth. When I came back, I joked with my friends that it was better than the highway conditions in Taiwan. The highest speed I saw on the whole journey was 90. Except for passing through small towns, there were few motorcycles on the road. There were many special rest stops and coffee shops along the way, and there were also many large gas stations (but not many when going to Mae Salong). On the way there and back, we encountered several road closures and inspections (just like the drunk driving inspections in Taiwan). Because we rented a car from HERTZ, there were HERTZ signs on the windshield and license plate. The military police who stopped us should have seen that we were tourists at a glance, but they just asked us to open the windows, looked at the people in the car and let us go (about 10 seconds, so fast). I was so excited that I took my passport and international driver's license in my hands, but they were useless... When entering Chiang Rai, you will pass by the White Temple first, so we went to the White Temple first and then to the hotel. We originally wanted to find food near the Chiang Rai Clock Tower for dinner, but after wandering around, we returned to the riverside restaurant next to our accommodation (I don’t know what this river is, there are many restaurants and cafes on both sides, and our hotel is Le Meridien Chiang Rai). The next day after breakfast, we went counterclockwise to the Golden Triangle. The journey was not bad (about an hour) and the road condition was still wide and good. Laos on the other side of the strait formed a sharp contrast with the Golden Triangle. It might be because of the casino special zone. When looking from the Golden Triangle, there are only high-rise buildings. My wife saw that every shop in the surrounding area was hand-sewing bags, which brought glory to the country (the price was almost half of that in Chiang Mai). Then we went to Cuifeng Tea Garden (about 1 hour) to have lunch and buy tea. After a short rest, we continued to Mae Salong (also about 1 hour). Mae Salong has a spiritual touch for people of our age. We always want to go and take a look at how these compatriots who were born and raised in a foreign village live (but later the King of Thailand gave them Thai citizenship). The road to the mountain of Mae Salong is much smaller, but still easy to walk.
After returning to Chiang Rai, I wanted to visit the Elephant Mountain Coffee Area on the way back to Chiang Mai on the third day, but time did not permit, so like Singha Park, it became a missed gem and will be explored next time.
Because this time we stayed in Nimman and Chang Kham districts in Chiang Mai, and we had motorcycles as our means of transportation, we had few opportunities to walk around. Maybe next time I can choose to stay in the old city area and wander through the alleys.