Bangkok and North Thailand

We flew from Singapore in the morning and arrived in Bangkok just before noon. It was another great experience with Singapore Airlines business class. We hired a taxi from the airport. It was a national holiday, and the traffic was very slow. It took us almost an hour to reach our hotel. We stayed at The Athenee Hotel, part of the Marriott Luxury Collection. It is located in Sukhumvit right across from the US Embassy on embassy row. The hotel occupies the former grounds of Kandhavas Palace, once the residence of Princess Valaya Alongkorn. The front desk and the concierge services were both top notch. We had access to their Royal Club Lounge which serves breakfast and hors d’oeuvres in the evening. The buffet were wonderful, with so many choices of delicious plates. Situated within the hotel's garden, the pool has a lagoon-style design and is quite large for being downtown.

We had been to Bangkok before, but we wanted to go back to the Grand Palace, a stunning historical complex that has been the ceremonial residence of Thai kings since 1782. It features magnificent buildings, including the Temple of the Emerald Buddha, one of the most visited landmarks in Bangkok.

We took a taxi from the hotel for what should have been a 15-minute drive, but the traffic was very congested, and it took us almost an hour to get there. At the end, it was definitely worth a second visit.

We had dinner reservations at Paii, a beautiful historic restaurant part of the W Hotel. It is one of Bangkok's most iconic landmarks, the House on Sathorn. The beautiful home sits next to the hotel. From 1948 to 1999, the building was leased to the Soviet Union as the first Russian Embassy in Thailand. Our meal was very average, but we still enjoyed dining in the beautiful courtyard.

We had booked an excursion for the next day with the hotel’s concierge. He found us a driver and a guide to visit Ayutthaya Historical Park, a UNESCO World Heritage area that lets you explore the remnants of the ancient Ayutthaya Kingdom. The historical park covers 289 hectares. It took us a couple of hours from Bangkok to arrive at the Bang Pa-In Palace, also known as the Summer Palace. We arrived before the tour groups and were able to take wonderful photos. The Palace was formerly used by the Thai kings and has a perfect mix of Thai, Chinese, and European architecture.

Our next stop was Wat (which means "temple" or "monastery") Mahathat, known for the Buddha head entwined in tree roots. Located nearby, we continued our visit with Wat Ratchaburana, a temple that features impressive towers. We had lunch at Krungsri River Hotel, which has a great buffet. The buffets in Asia have so many dishes, it is a bit overwhelming. Before going back to Bangkok, we toured one last temple, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, a former royal temple of the Ayutthaya Kingdom, known for its three grand chedis (domes).

At the end of our tour, we asked our driver to drop us in Bangkok at the Royal Barges National Museum, a huge boathouse that displays 8 of the 52 historic boats that form a procession on the water during very important official ceremonies. These boats were beautiful. We went back to the hotel afterwards and enjoyed one last time in the Royal Club Lounge. We enjoyed our tour at the Ayutthaya Historical Park, but we might have been able to do the same with an English-speaking driver without having to hire a guide.

In the morning, we flew from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with Thai Airways. We had booked seats in economy class for the one-hour flight. It was perfect, and the service was excellent. It is amazing that for a one-hour flight you can have a full breakfast with Asian or European airlines, but in the US, you only get water, tea, or coffee.  

The Chiang Mai airport is near the city, and we took a taxi to our hotel. We stayed three nights at the Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel, a perfectly located property near the center of town. After checking-in we started our walking tour of the Old City and visited Tha Phae Gate, the most famous historical landmark in Chiang Mai Old City. We continued our tour visiting Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Pan Tao and Wat Phra Sing, which houses the North’s most revered Buddha statue. We shopped for a while and ended the afternoon by visiting Wat Chiang Man, the oldest temple in Chiang Mai town, built in 1296 by King Mengrai of Lanna kingdom.  The temple is famous for its Lanna-style chedi supported by rows of elephant-shaped statues. Before dinner we had drinks at the hotel’s M Lounge, which has great hors d’oeuvres. We stayed at the hotel for dinner and had pizza at Favola.

We had pre-booked a tour from the hotel for the next day. Our driver picked us up in the morning and drove us to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The temple offers panoramic views of Chiang Mai from the mountaintop and features the iconic golden dome. You can either climb the 306 steps or take the cable car to the temple.

On our way down from the mountain we stopped at Wat Pha Lat (Hidden Temple). The hidden area in the forest has a very peaceful atmosphere. Our next stop was

Wat Umong, known for its tunnels and forested surroundings. That was the least interesting part of the tour for us. We ended our excursion at Wat Suan Dok, known for its large central chedi and monk university.

We went back to the hotel and relaxed by the pool before our couple's massage at the Quan Spa. Everybody should experience a Thai massage when visiting the country. We had dinner at The Riverside Bar & Restaurant. Located along the Ping River, it is a popular spot for dinner with live music and views of the water. Their menu includes everything from Thai classics to international dishes. We really had a good time there. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at the night market and purchased souvenirs.

We were really anticipating the next day adventures. In the morning, a van picked us up and drove us to our Baby Elephant Tour at the Patara Elephant Farm. The farm organizes the transportation and offers a morning or an afternoon session. It took us around an hour to reach our destination.

Once you get there you take on the daily routines of the elephants, which includes feeding, cleaning, walking, and bathing. At the end, they even shower the guests with their trunks. It was a great experience, but I would not recommend bathing with the elephants if you have any cuts on your body. The water was not the cleanest.

They drove us back to the hotel where we got ready for our next activity, a cooking class at Thai Farm Cooking. Once again, we were picked up at the hotel. We first stopped at a local Thai market where we were able to visualize all the ingredients needed for our dinner.

The cooking class itself took place on a farm located just outside Chiang Mai. We first took a tour of the organic farm and looked at their spices and vegetables. Then it was time to cook. Everybody had already chosen from their online menu their curry paste, curry, soup, noodle dish and a sweet dessert. We had a lot of fun preparing our meals with other guests from all over the world. Our food tasted very good. They do not serve any alcohol, but you can bring your own. We really enjoyed the cooking class.

Our stay in Chiang Mai came to an end and the next day a driver brought us to Chiang Rai. The drive is usually less than three hours, but we had planned a couple of stops. We visited first Wat Sang Kaew Photiyarn, an extensive temple complex founded in 2006. Our second stop was the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun). Designed by the artist Chaloemchai Khositphiphat, it is a must-see attraction that combines traditional architecture and symbolic elements. The golden toilet building is known as Thailand’s most beautiful restroom.

From there, it took less than 30 minutes to reach Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort, where we spent the next three days. It is a beautiful property on the river with a large pool, a spa, and several restaurants. The perfect place to relax a little bit after our week of traveling. We had dinner at Favola (different restaurant than the one before), their riverfront Italian restaurant. They serve home-made pasta and have a good selection of Italian wines.

We took a rest the second day and enjoyed the Parvati Spa and the pool.  That night we had dinner at Latest Recipe, their Thai restaurant. They serve a wonderful breakfast buffet in the same location, but we did not have a very good meal there. It seems that they put all their focus on the Italian restaurant in the evening.

We had booked a driver through the concierge’s hotel for the next day’s excursion. We started at the Wat Rong Suea Ten (Blue Temple), just outside Chiang Rai. This vibrant, blue-toned temple with beautiful murals is relatively new and has quickly become popular for its unusual design and colors.

On our way out, our driver, a former monk, suggested that we stop at the Longneck Karen Village. It was not on our schedule, but we were very pleased that we visited it. The women in this tribe wear brass rings stacked around their necks or around their knees. It is considered a symbol of beauty in their culture. From the time when they are 5 to their 21st birthday, each year one ring is added to their collection. While some wear the rings for life, others choose to remove them later in life. Their origins trace back to central China, and it is believed they immigrated to Burma in 1000 AD. A lot of them fled Burma and ended in Thailand in the late 80s. It is both fascinating and sad to experience their culture.  

Afterwards we drove to the Choui Fong Tea Plantation, one of the largest tea plantations in the Chiang Rai area. It was established in 2003. It has a very scenic view, and you can see the mountain where, in 2018, twelve members of a youth soccer team and their coach were trapped in a flooded cave due to heavy monsoon rains. They were rescued after 18 days, but two Thai Navy SEALS died during the recovery.

Our next destination was at the top of another mountain, the Doi Tung Royal Villa & Mae Fah Luang Garden. The royal villa was the home of Princess Srinagarindra, the mother of King Bhumibol. She designed the home to resemble a Swiss chalet, remembering the time she spent living in Switzerland. You can visit the villa on your own.

It took us an hour from there to reach the Golden Triangle Viewpoint, where Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar meet along the Mekong River. We visited the viewpoint and the Opium Museum to learn about the history of the region's opium trade. It took us an hour to get back from there to our hotel in Chiang Rai.

We spent a wonderful week in North Thailand. People are very friendly and helpful. They have a lot of cultural destinations and activities for everybody.