Traveling to Chiang Mai was a treat that also allowed us to explore Chiang Rai, as well. After our disastrous experience traveling to Koh Tao by train, we decided to book our Northern Thailand trip by air and take our chances with being stuck in a sealed plane for a short time. As we mentioned before, Thailand seems safe now from covid-19, so we felt comfortable enough to fly this time around.
We planned on flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on Thai Smile Airlines and then renting a car to explore the area before driving on to Chiang Rai. Finally, we would drop the car off at Chiang Rai airport and fly back to Bangkok when it was time to return home. This plan worked flawlessly and we highly recommend this itinerary for people who want to combine both Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai into one easy trip!
Our flight was simple and uneventful. We arrived in the evening in Chiang Mai and received our rental car straight away. It was a nice brand new Honda Jazz, which served us well during the trip. We rented it from Hertz and included top insurance as part of the deal to make sure we had no issues on the road. The car was a significant expense, but was well worth it for the carefree freedom it brought us throughout the journey.
We drove into the old walled city of Chiang Mai within minutes and checked-in to our first choice of accommodations. We spent the first 3 days and nights exploring the old city area, mostly by foot, but also by car for some of the outer lying areas outside the walls. Everything was super convenient and our stay at Chala Number 6 was dreamy.
Chiang Mai city is very vegetarian-friendly, which was awesome. In general, the food was a total treat! The city is incredibly walkable and compact, making it easy to find your way around after only a few hours there. We really enjoyed the Sunday Walking Street Market, which was conveniently right in from of Chala Number 6! The best part of the city area was the simple fact that everything was really cheap. Now I understand why so many expats choose to live here, especially if they are on a tight budget…
The saddest thing we saw in Chiang Mai was the same thing we saw in so many travels around Thailand this year… So many touristy venues (hotels, restaurants, bars, etc) were closed due to the ravages of covid-19. Many were obviously gone for good. While it is very heartbreaking to know that many people had to make dramatic changes to how they make a living, we do feel that this downturn was long overdue and will help the sustainable tourism industry in the long run. Thailand needs to rely LESS on foreign tourists and many sub-par hospitality business SHOULD be gone. Call it natural selection for some, but a real tragedy for quality businesses that just could not make ends meet.
The temples in Chiang Mai were a major draw for us. Some of the most beautiful in Thailand are right here and we wanted to see them all! Unfortunately, some of these temples did not allow women inside. This was extremely disappointing for a female travel blogger! Maybe everyone should increase their donations made at temples that DO allow women and withhold any donation from temples which do not. Let’s see how long that practice will last in that case… There is simply no place in the world for ignorant sexism…
Once we saw most of Chiang Mai city area, we ventured off into the mountains to stay at Panviman Resort and Spa, about an hour away. This is where the car really came in handy, as it not only got us there, but also allowed us to explore the area, which had lots to see and do. Nature was wonderful here and we truly basked in the glory of all things green!
Chiang Mai is really a great travel destination and would make a nice home, as well. We loved the eco-friendliness of the place and the creativity of many businesses here. Nothing was crowded, in stark contrast to Bangkok, and this was a great change of pace, even when in Chiang Mai city. We will definitely be back to see more soon…
Once our trip was over, we packed the car and set out on the trip to Chiang Rai. The drive went over roads that were all under construction, so it took more than 4 hours over very rough terrain. We made it in one piece, however, and began a new adventure in Chiang Rai for the next week…
Please enjoy our complete Chiang Mai adventure in video format:
Part 1: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Part 2: Chala Number 6
Part 3: Panviman Resort
