Chiang Rai – Thailand's hidden gem 💎

During this year's summer holiday in Thailand, we decided to spend a few days of our 3 weeks in the "land of smiles" in the Northern city of Chiang Rai. 🇹🇭
It quickly turned out to be one of our favourite places on this trip. From beautiful old temples to modern interpretations, delicious meals and stunning views, Chiang Rai had it all.

We stayed a little bit outside of the city centre on a little hill at Tanya Baan Bon Doi. Not only was the accommodation a nice and peaceful contrast to the bustling city of Bangkok, but also offered beautiful views.🌈 The owner, Tanya, was very sweet and gave us some great tips regarding restaurants and less touristy spots in the area.

We could have easily spent more time here and explored some other parts of the surrounding area but here is an overview of what our itinerary looked liked, including some must-sees 😊📸

+ Chiang Rai Night Bazaar, เชียงรายไนท์บาร์ซาร์: beautiful little night market with live music and dance performances as well as many little food stalls and hand-crafted items for sale

+ Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), วัดร่องขุ่น:
stunningly designed temple with intricate details and beautiful grounds with flowers, little ponds and statues
We were not super early, but got lucky with our timing as large tourist groups were arriving when we were leaving, so I assume that a visit before noon allows for a less crowded experience.

+ Rong Suea Ten Temple (Blue Temple), วัดร่องเสือเต้น:
Make sure to try the coconut ice cream with sticky rice served in a real coconut with a refreshing cup of coconut water 🥥

+ Wat Huay Pla Kang (Big Buddha), วัดห้วยปลากั้ง:
definitely worth going up, not only for the views, but also to check out the design inside the head

+ Baan Dam Museum (Black House), พิพิธภัณฑ์บ้านดำ:
definitely a bit of an odd place, but interesting none the less
The artist behind the museum incorporated a number of animal skeletons and skins, so please be advised if that is not something you enjoy.

+ 270° Coffee:
beautiful views, especially at sunset, and some delicious food

If you also decide to go up to the Golden Triangle, here are some recommendations on the way up towards the border:

+ Choui Fong Tea Head Office, ไร่ชาฉุยฟง:
a perfect first stop for breakfast

+ Wat Tham Pla (Fish Cave Temple), วัดถ้ำปลา:
Probably one of my favourite stops during our whole trip – the stairs up to the cave were beautiful, but rather steep so make sure you are prepared for a little climb. You have a view of the border with Myanmar and the entire temple grounds are home to monkeys. They were harmless and actually really adorable to watch, but they still offer sticks at the entrance just in case. 🐒
There is not only the cave temple, but also a modern one and an older one, so you really get to see the differences.

+ Life Museum, สวนคุณปู่:
a beautiful little café in the mountains with stunning views over the mountains and valleys while enjoying some delicious treats 🍰

We ended up hiring a driver during our stay, which Tanya helped us with. Our driver, Chot, was amazing and not only showed us some local food like a soup called Khao Soi (highly recommend trying it) and a traditional native soup of a mountain tribe with soy beans but also became our friend despite the language barrier :))

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