WORLDVIEWS {EYEs@世界}: Chiang Mai/Chiang Rai

This northern part of Thailand Chiang Mai basically a much cooler city with many national parks & temples.
I booked a half day and 1 day trip both to Doi Sui Tep and The Golden Triangle respectively at the airport. Overall the trip are fine. But I think there are many other travel agencies around town where one can get a faily better bargain for better coverages of places of interests.....

Doi Sui Tep, consider the highest temple in Chiang Mai, some 30 - 45minutes from town is a must visit attraction. Apart from its natural surrounding of national parks, there is a golden temple located at 3000ft at the top of Doi Sui Tep. It takes about 306steps in total to reach to the top....but according to my calculation, there are fewer than 306steps..may b my calculation is different from the Thai method…haha =p

My 1 day trip to the northern most of Thailand at the Golden Triangle wasn’t quite complete as there is a must visit popular "White Temple" somewhere along the way in Chiang Rai which it did not cover. Nevertheless, I am please to have ride on the speedboat on the Mekong river witnesses the boarder of Laos and Burma at the Golden Triangle.

While speedboating along the Mekong river, the trip members were allowed to have an hour stop at a small village at the Laos boarder for some good bargain of local stuff. Little disappointed that we weren’t allow to stop at the Casino resort at Burma...so close yet so far....*sigh!*

For the more adventurer, one can rent a motobikes costing around 150bath - 300bath depend on the capacity, and ride along to Doi Sui Tep as well to most of the national parks and Zoo along the same direction to Doi Sui Tep. It is indeed very convenient too to ride around the town and the Old City of Chiang Mai where it is surrounded by the "Mort" Gates. And it is where at the ‘Tha Phea Gate’ one will find many western restaurents and bars here.

Shopping at Night Bazaar is equally fun and exciting. It is where one can find many foot massage and food centres located. Prices here compares to the local wet market place is of cause on the high side but i still find its rather reasonable. Here is where one can really practising their bargaining skills…haha! But the "don’t" is never ever offer your asking price and not making any purchase. Chiang Mai no doubt a very much friendler people but never fool with the peoples here especially when comes to business.

Casino Hotel Resort at Burma Golden Buddha Statue at Chiang Rai

Look out point at Chiang Rai

Small village at Loas boarder

My trip would not be completed without visitng the local tribes village particularly the much talk about "long-neck" tribe. Eventhough the place that was included in my package took me to somehow a look-alike 'karen viallage' of the same, but overall I still pretty much find it interesting and rich enough to learned something new here.

Certainly there are many many more interesting part of Chaing Mai that are worth visitng only if one can spend more than 1 week of so…. Bon Voyage!!