In 2010, my friend and I were relaxing on one of Thailand’s famous islands, called Kho Pha Ngan, and started chatting it up with a woman from Seattle, USA. She had just come from the north of Thailand and she started telling us about a town in the mountains. It was peaceful, beautiful, and not crowded with westerners. There were many side streets with cute eateries. There were markets, with locals selling goods, produce, and specialty dishes. There were a lot of temples, with monks carrying out their morning rituals of prayer.
There was a lot of cultures still around and not poisoned by tourism. The city was surrounded by lush greenery and mountains.
It was a town to get away from the hustle and bustle of a big city like Bangkok. If she was a saleswoman for Chiang Mai, she completely sold me! But the downside was that we could not fit it into our itinerary because our trip was coming to an end. Instead, I put it on my ‘To-Go’ list. I knew I would be back to Thailand one day!
Fast forward seven years later! My friend from NYC is getting married in Thailand! What a perfect opportunity to go to Chiang Mai!
My friends, Jessica and Eric, decided to jump on the Chiang Mai bandwagon, which was superb! We were going to spend six days and five nights in Chiang Mai, and then head over to Kho Samui for the wedding.
ROOM AND BOARD
A friend of a friend recommended BED Nimman Hotel, as she and her husband had stayed a week prior to our conversation.
I started researching and the smaller rooms were already sold out and it was only November! So I booked a family room (king size and a single bed) for five nights, which included continental breakfast, fresh fruit, and coffee all day. The price was a steal, although, there are much cheaper places in Chiang Mai. I love recommendations and will choose them over my own selections.
BED Nimman is a very basic, minimalist hotel. The rooms are simple and clean. All of them comes with a mini-fridge filled with soda and beer and are re-stocked daily, free of charge. There are refrigerators on every floor with free purified bottled water. I’m addicted to water, so this was a treat!
The daily breakfast was out of this world! I’m normally not a big fan of hotel breakfast buffets, but the variety and the freshness of the dishes at BED Nimman were perfect! There was a mix of Thai and Western dishes. They served fresh fruit, baked goods, eggs (hard boiled and scrambled), yogurt parfait, cereal, and Thai sticky rice, pork on a stick, stuffing, and lots of other yummy treats. During my whole stay, I made sure I did not miss the most important meal of the day! Teehee
The staff was amazing and they helped us with reservations, directions, hiring a Tuk-tuk, and renting a motorbike. The staff spoke English, which made communication very easy for us. Although it was not a 5-star resort, we were treated like 5-star guests. BED Nimman, was the most simplistic, accommodating place, I’ve ever stayed at!
PLACES TO GO EAT
My friend and I had created a list of places to eat in Chiang Mai. Since the city has become known as a food haven (according to articles and blogs), we had quite a long list. But because of our activities and the restaurant’s hours of operation, we were only able to check out a few places. Here are the places we went to and we loved them all!
Side Note: Most of these are in Nimman district, which was right by our hotel. They were all walking distance; we did not plan it this way.
Rustic and Blue is a farm to table eatery. This is a place that belongs in the outskirts of a city because it is very rustic and charming. My friends and I went for brunch and we got the Green Egg Benedict, Acai Bowl, Brekkie Stack, Tacos, Quinoa Salad, and Berry Banana Smoothie. All of the dishes were out of this world; they were put together perfectly and looked exactly like the pictures. Rustic and Blue is rated #1 on my list for décor and food, and it is Instagram-worthy.
Address: Nimman Soi 7, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand PH: +66 86 654 7178
Khao Soi Dek Thep is a cute hipster place. We had a hard time finding this restaurant because it blends in with other storefronts. It has an outdoor seating and bar area and the inside is small, simple, and quaint. We ordered the famous northern Thailand dish, “Khao Soi.” The serving size was small, but perfect for two people. We also got the minced pork dish and both were very delicious and filling!
Address: Nimman Soi 13. Chiang Mai
Ginger & Kafe at The House is huge and exquisite. The establishment has two eateries (THE HOUSE and Ginger & Kafe) and is connected by retail shops. Both eateries have a wide selection of Thai and Western cuisines. We decided to eat at Ginger and Kafe; it was more of an intimate setting whereas at THE HOUSE seemed like a café.
We ordered the appetizer platter, crab fried rice and crying tiger which were amazing! The Tom Yum Goong was ok; I could have done without this dish. My friends ordered some specialty cocktails which were nicely put together and delicious. I opted for a Bombay Sapphire with soda, which was served with a big block of ice. Overall, we thought this was going to be an expensive night. But it cost each person 25 USD (3 people), which in NYC would have cost us more than 75 USD each person. If you’re looking to get some fine dining, I would highly suggest eating here.
Address: 199 Moon Muang Road, T. Sriphum, A. Muang, Chiang Mai, Thailand, PH: +66 53 419 01 1/3
Café de Nimman was recommended by our hotel. It took us a while to find it because the restaurant is tucked away on a residential street. The front of the restaurant is a huge outdoor dining area, while the indoor seating area is small and it is in the back of the restaurant. We opted to dine outside since the weather was beautiful.
The menu is about eight pages filled with a wide variety of Thai dishes. We ordered seven different dishes; each and every one was insanely delicious! If you’re looking to get your Thai food fix, this is the place to go! The portions are huge and it does not put a strain on your wallet! They are open later than any other place in Nimman. We ate here two nights in a row!
Address: 13 Siri Mangkalajarn Rd Lane 13, Tambon Su Thep, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand
SS1254372 is a picturesque café. We didn’t get a chance to eat here because we had an amazing breakfast at our hotel. However, we came here every day to get an afternoon Thai Iced Tea. We also got a chance to stalk other tables and salivate from the presentation of some of their dishes. The café is connected to an artsy design shop, which we adored all the works. This is a perfect place to unwind and get creative.
Address: 22/1 Soi Nimmana Haeminda 17 Chiang Mai PH: +66 93 831 9394
THINGS TO DO
On one of the days, we took a day trip to the Bua Thong Waterfall. We had to hire a Tuk-tuk to take us there and back, which cost about 1500 THB. The drive took about an hour, give or take, depending on traffic. The ride was nice with lots of scenic views of farms, fields, and mountains. Once we got there, the parking lot was empty. We walked right in and there was no entrance fee. We hiked down the man-made stairs, following the sound of the flowing water. Halfway down there was an area with tree logs and ropes that were already set up for tourists to use to climb up the waterfall.
Bua Thong is known by many as the “sticky waterfall.” The limestone deposits from the water make the rocks sticky and not slippery. Therefore, people can climb straight up without the fear of slipping and hurting themselves. The falls are pretty small and are doable for any age. I’ve seen better waterfalls, so I was a bit disappointed. However, I was very impressed with being able to climb it straight up in the running water. According to our driver, Chiang Mai did not get much rain, so that could explain why the waterfall looked a bit puny.
When in Thailand, one must get massages EVERY DAY!
Once we got back to town, we decided to take a walk and pick a place near our hotel. The menu and their advertisement lured us into Arayana Spa. They had a buy one and get the 2nd 50% off deal. But the deal is that you have to get the 2nd one the same day, so I decided to get a two-hour foot massage! It was the best massage I have ever had, by far! Although it wasn’t as cheap as I remembered when I went to Bangkok in 2010, it was still a good deal! When I say cheap, I mean that I was getting a one hour massage in Bangkok in 2010 for $5 USD.
Another place we went for a massage was Fah Lanna Spa. They were voted #7 on Trip Advisor, so we decided to book our massage there. The price was about $65 USD (1200 TH) which is expensive in my books. I’ve gotten much cheaper massages but we owed it to ourselves to be pampered at a nice spa. A driver came and picked us up at the hotel and once we got to the spa, we were taken care of right away. We were given a refreshing drink while we filled out a form and got some counseling, then immediately we were taken to our room.
After all that, I wasn’t too impressed with the massage. My friend felt the same way; the woman kept checking if we were ok, which was bothersome to us. After my massage, I wanted to lay there for a few minutes, but I was rushed to get dressed and go to the lounge area for ginger tea and treats. The place is huge, clean, and gorgeous, but I was not happy with the massage.
Also, I got my nails done here, and it was a really nice manicure that took about an hour. I would think a wonderful spa would have a large selection of colors, but it was slim pickings.
One of the best things we did in Chiang Mai was taking a cooking class. Again, we went with a recommendation and booked a class with Asia Scenic Cooking School. There is a half a day and a full day class and we decided to do the half a day. We got picked up at our hotel and made a few stops to pick up other people. Once we got there, we paid in cash and were put together with our classmates. Our chef, Pai, was the cutest little Thai lady. Before we started cooking, we learned about different ingredients, we got to taste some fresh greens from their garden and she took us to the market to shop.
Afterward, as a group, we had to decide on two courses, since half-day classes only make five dishes (curry paste, curry, spring rolls + 2 dishes). We all decided to go with stir fry and dessert. We were given welcome snacks and were taught the dos and don’ts. While this was going on, all the ingredients were being prepped in the back, except for the curry paste.
The time flew by very fast because we were having so much fun cooking and eating our dishes! By this point, I wished that Jess and I had opted for the full day!
In addition to eating, cooking, and massages, we visited most of the temples in the city and it was really nice to check them out! My favorite temple was the Wat Suan Dok because everything is white.
Another cool one was the Wat Umong, which is a tunnel temple. A bit out of the way towards the airport, but definitely worth checking out! There is no Tuk-tuk to catch a ride back, so make sure your driver waits for you.
The night markets are a MUST DO! Basically, there is one every night, whether they are food vendors selling eats or a street lined with locals selling goods. Check with your hotel concierge, to see which one is going on and the location. We went to the Saturday walking market on Wualai Road and it was never-ending road. The locals were selling tchotchkes and lots of artwork.
CHIANG RAI
I took a day trip to Chiang Rai to check out the famous Wat Rong Khun. The only reliable bus company that goes to Chiang Rai is GREENBUS. If you’re planning to go to Chiang Rai, buy a bus ticket in advance. I got to the bus depot without a pre-purchased ticket and had to wait two hours because the 7 am and 8 am buses were sold out. The total bus ride takes about 3 hours and the bus drops you off right in the back of the temple, on the main road. Let your bus guide know where you need to go when he collects your ticket.
Also, there are three different “class” bus tickets going to Chiang Rai, I bought the A class, which is your lowest cost ticket. It was a normal bus with A/C and wasn’t bad at all. For my return trip, I opted for the VIP ticket, which the bus is smaller; they give you drinks (non-alcoholic), a snack, and wipes. The chairs recline 90% of the way and have a foot rest. The cost was about 9 USD, which is a great price for the comfort!
There are many places to sit and relax. It was such a beautiful day, I sat at one of the benches and took in my surroundings with such delight. I spent about two hours at the temple!
When it was time to leave, it was hard to catch a taxi or a Tuk-tuk, but there is a bus stop on the main road which will take you to Chiang Rai town. The cost is about 20 THB.
I met two other travelers and we went to eat lunch at a cute spot called Connect Cafe, then I caught my bus back to Chiang Mai. I wish I could have spent a night here. Even though it’s a very small town with not much to do, I heard the night market is fun.
Overall, I loved Chiang Mai and I look forward to going back. Chiang Mai has become very touristy with lots of western pop-up eateries and shops. But it is still quaint and relaxing. I love some of the western influence and don’t mind the mix of culture.
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