Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok, Thailand’s capital is very hectic; enough said. The city was a great place to do some shopping and experience Western conveniences after spending one month “in the country.”

The city’s spectacular temples, Wat Pho and Wat Phra Kaew are worth visiting. The temples have ornate chedis (conical-shaped structures). One great way to experience the sights is to take a ferry, the “Chao Phraya River Express.”

Juxtaposing temples are modern, multistoried shopping malls, many next to each other and containing identical stores! These malls are interconnected by a elevated walkway in the Siam Square area.

Chiang Mai, Thailand

I was determined to trek in northern Thailand for that was my reason for enduring a rough 14-hour overnight bus ride from Luang Prabang, Laos (it was another sleepless night). Thus, I headed to Chiang Mai after one day in Chiang Rai.

Chiang Mai is touristy, but much calmer than I expected. Besides the numerous temples, there were massage parlors, and Thai cooking schools. And most of the Thai people are so friendly, not to mention the cheap food and accommodation (cheaper than Laos). No wonder why people keep flocking to Thailand! This is a town that I could spend a week living during my next visit!

I did end up joining a touristy activities tour. Basically, in the span of a day, I went trekking to a waterfall, rode an elephant, visited hill tribes and went bamboo rafting. There were only three of us on my tour; I assume Lonely Planet’s negative implication of these touristy tours deterred many backpackers from joining. I actually enjoyed my tour as my Thai guide displayed excellent customer service and knowledge of the area (unlike the guides in Vietnam).

Chiang Rai, Thailand

Chiang Rai, in the far north of Thailand, is a quite, viable town that is used as a base for trekking. I came to specifically to do that but was unable to find enough travelers to form a group.

However, the town was pleasant enough to stroll around and I got my taste of the dozens of Thai temples. I also sampled Thai food in Thailand for the first time. This included curry noodle soup and green curry. Yum!