The picturesque town of Chiang Mai nestled
in the verdant hills of Lanna, Northern Thailand is an idyllic haven of calm
and serene bliss, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Raul Dias brings you 10 ways to make the most
of your Northern Thailand jaunt
By
Raul Dias
From learning the finer nuances of Northern Thai cookery and massage, to marveling at the handicrafts made here, there is a lot on offer for the intrepid traveller.
1. Commune
With The Divine
Make the surreal Wat Chedi Luang, nestled at the very core of Chiang Mai—both physically and metaphorically—your first pit stop. According to ancient Lanna beliefs, the temple is at the epicentre of the city which mark the centre of the universe. Dating back to 1385, this grand temple was once home to the stunning Emerald Buddha, that you can now find in Bangkok’s Grand Palace. The surrounding temples and shrines in the main complex are equally revered as many contain relics of the Buddha. (www.tourismthailand.org)
Make the surreal Wat Chedi Luang, nestled at the very core of Chiang Mai—both physically and metaphorically—your first pit stop. According to ancient Lanna beliefs, the temple is at the epicentre of the city which mark the centre of the universe. Dating back to 1385, this grand temple was once home to the stunning Emerald Buddha, that you can now find in Bangkok’s Grand Palace. The surrounding temples and shrines in the main complex are equally revered as many contain relics of the Buddha. (www.tourismthailand.org)
2. Go Handicraft
Hunting
One of the finest repositories of the ancient art of parasol making is the Bo Sang Handicraft Centre a little out of the main, compact Chiang Mai city centre. Here, you can not only pick up a few gorgeous parasols at rock bottom prices, but the on-site artists making them are only too happy to give you a short little demonstration. (www.visitchiangmai.com.au/bo_sang.html)
One of the finest repositories of the ancient art of parasol making is the Bo Sang Handicraft Centre a little out of the main, compact Chiang Mai city centre. Here, you can not only pick up a few gorgeous parasols at rock bottom prices, but the on-site artists making them are only too happy to give you a short little demonstration. (www.visitchiangmai.com.au/bo_sang.html)
3. Get
Cooking
With a lighter, more herbaceous take on the coconut milk-redolent southern and central Thai food, the Lanna cuisine of the north is a unique and flavourful one. Sign up with the newly launched Airbnb Experiences and learn the art of Northern Thai cookery with a 4-hour hands-on class with Air one of Chiang Mai’s most celebrated chefs. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/205730)
With a lighter, more herbaceous take on the coconut milk-redolent southern and central Thai food, the Lanna cuisine of the north is a unique and flavourful one. Sign up with the newly launched Airbnb Experiences and learn the art of Northern Thai cookery with a 4-hour hands-on class with Air one of Chiang Mai’s most celebrated chefs. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/205730)
4. Meet The
Giants
The Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Center a mere 30 minutes out of the city is as far removed from a ‘zoo’ as it can be. This center is home to 32 elephants that are each trained by their own mahout and here the emphasis is strongly on eco tourism. Travellers can not only come up close and personal with the center’s inhabitants but can also see them wander through the dense forests as well as help bathe them in the placid Po River nearby. (www.chiangdaoelephantcamp.com/)
The Chiang-Dao Elephant Training Center a mere 30 minutes out of the city is as far removed from a ‘zoo’ as it can be. This center is home to 32 elephants that are each trained by their own mahout and here the emphasis is strongly on eco tourism. Travellers can not only come up close and personal with the center’s inhabitants but can also see them wander through the dense forests as well as help bathe them in the placid Po River nearby. (www.chiangdaoelephantcamp.com/)
5. Mingle
With The Hill People
For a glimpse of the elusive Hmong, Shan and Karen hill tribe people of this region, book yourself a place on a half day trip with Airbnb Experiences and learn about everything from their traditional stilt bamboo houses and tribal lifestyle to fabric weaving and their indigenous rice farming techniques. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/248011)
For a glimpse of the elusive Hmong, Shan and Karen hill tribe people of this region, book yourself a place on a half day trip with Airbnb Experiences and learn about everything from their traditional stilt bamboo houses and tribal lifestyle to fabric weaving and their indigenous rice farming techniques. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/248011)
6. Opium,
Anyone?
In nearby Chiang Rai, pay a visit to The Hall of Opium Museum. Here, you can learn about the trade, sale, consumption and after effects of the dreaded drug that was notoriously popular all over the Asian continent in the 17th and 18th centuries. The eerie, cavernous tunnel-like entrance is a fascinating introduction to the museum with its sculpted frescos showing twisted, contorted human faces, all bathed in a deep blue light. (www.maefahluang.org)
In nearby Chiang Rai, pay a visit to The Hall of Opium Museum. Here, you can learn about the trade, sale, consumption and after effects of the dreaded drug that was notoriously popular all over the Asian continent in the 17th and 18th centuries. The eerie, cavernous tunnel-like entrance is a fascinating introduction to the museum with its sculpted frescos showing twisted, contorted human faces, all bathed in a deep blue light. (www.maefahluang.org)
7. Release
A Lantern
If you happen to be in Chiang Mai in the month of November, then all your senses will be treated to the delights of the beautiful Yi Peng festival. This autumn festival celebrates the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar with intricately fashioned lanterns called khom loi launched into the air to take one’s wishes up to the Gods above! (www.tourismthailand.org)
If you happen to be in Chiang Mai in the month of November, then all your senses will be treated to the delights of the beautiful Yi Peng festival. This autumn festival celebrates the full moon day in the second month according to the Lanna lunar calendar with intricately fashioned lanterns called khom loi launched into the air to take one’s wishes up to the Gods above! (www.tourismthailand.org)
8. Visit A
Royal Villa
Chosen as the summer home for the Thai Royal family, Chiang Rai is famous for the rather unusual Doi Tung Royal Villa that the current King’s grandmother Princess Somdej Phra Srinagarindra had built to partly resemble a Swiss chalet, as she lived in Switzerland for a while. With its well-manicured lawns and botanical gardens, this is one place that almost demands that one pays it a visit when in the region. (www.doitung.org)
Chosen as the summer home for the Thai Royal family, Chiang Rai is famous for the rather unusual Doi Tung Royal Villa that the current King’s grandmother Princess Somdej Phra Srinagarindra had built to partly resemble a Swiss chalet, as she lived in Switzerland for a while. With its well-manicured lawns and botanical gardens, this is one place that almost demands that one pays it a visit when in the region. (www.doitung.org)
9. Learn
About Thai Yantra Tattoos
Visit the tiny village of Samnak an hour outside Chiang Mai, where you will meet Nikom, who was previously a monk as well. As part of a curated Airbnb Experiences tour, he will share with you the different patterns and meaning behind each ancient geometric, animal and deity designs of traditional Thai Yantra Tattoos. (www.airbnb.is/experiences/223773)
Visit the tiny village of Samnak an hour outside Chiang Mai, where you will meet Nikom, who was previously a monk as well. As part of a curated Airbnb Experiences tour, he will share with you the different patterns and meaning behind each ancient geometric, animal and deity designs of traditional Thai Yantra Tattoos. (www.airbnb.is/experiences/223773)
10.
Make Your Own Herbal ball
As part
of a rather unusual and interesting Chiang Mai Airbnb Experiences session, Kanokwan—a
renound Thai massage specialist—will not just share more about the usefulness
of the Thai herbal ball—that contains various medicinal herbs, oils and
spices—but she will also show you how to make one yourself and administer a
traditional Thai massage. (www.airbnb.co.in/experiences/220243)
(An edited version of this article appeared on 15 July 2018 in Travel + Leisure, India and South Asia http://travelandleisureindia.in/10-bragworthy-experiences-in-chiang-mai/)
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