Touring Northern Thailand
I had the good fortune to visit Asia for the first time in 2023. My destination countries were Vietnam and Thailand. Although cycling was my main activity for this trip, my visit to Thailand was complemented by some touring in the northern part of the country. I was with a different group, and again, I was solo for this one.
Starting in Bangkok
Our tour of northern Thailand started with some time in Bangkok. We passed through a flower market on our way to a klong (canal) tour. I really enjoyed the flower market – it brought back fond memories of my trip to the Dutch flower market in Aalsmeer. This time – I learned different things. Our guide explained that in Thailand, yellow is the colour of life – the sun, the moon, light. Yellow flowers are often part of an offering to Buddha. As I wandered the Bangkok flower market, I wondered – did these flowers arrive from Holland that morning?
On the klong tour we saw Bangkok from the water, and were lucky enough to see a “lucky lizard” on someone’s steps. Don’t touch the lizard – leave it be – the residents will experience good fortune!
Other memorable attractions we visited in Bangkok included Wat Pho (otherwise known as the reclining Buddha – HUGE!), Wat Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha) inside the Grand Palace site, the Chatuchak Weekend Market (HUGE!), Wat Arun (HUGE! and very pretty), Yaowarat (Chinatown – HUGE!), Khao San Road, and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles (I was ready for something smaller). There are many other wats (temples) and attractions in Bangkok, however, as usual, there was not enough time to see everything.
Travelling North – Out of Bangkok
Heading out of Bangkok, our first stop was the Erawan Falls in Kanchanaburi Province. Erawan Falls is an absolutely beautiful place – it has 7 tiered connected falls all of which offer swimming in a unique pool. Many people stop at the second level. I managed to swim in 6 out of the 7 pools in the time I had. It was such a treat to follow the trails and climb up on a hot day, and then be rewarded by the cooling water at each level. On the trails you see ribbons and dresses at the Hopea odorata tree, offerings to the Thai tree spirt Nang Ta-Khian (who might be able to help you win the lottery). Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to walk through the jungles and see monkeys.
History Lessons
Then, on to see the bridge on the River Kwai. I knew of this only place only as a title to an old movie which I have never seen. Learning about how the bridge was built was sorrowful and again reminded me how little I knew of Asian history. Our group was quiet as we walked along the short bridge after hearing some of the history from our guide. There was a shared sense of sadness as we compared today’s peaceful, scenic views with what we heard about the horror people experienced not so long ago.
We continued by bus to Ayutthaya, a very historical place with lots to see. We visited the ruins of Ayutthaya, dating from the 14th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We learned about headless Buddhas (for making donations, heads are long gone, along with the donations), about Wat Na Phra Meru, a monastery dating from 1500’s and still in use, and visited the Wat Mahathat, home of the much photographed head of a sandstone Buddha knotted in tree roots. Although people can guess as to how it got there, the big mystery, is “why”?
On to Chiang Mai
That evening, we took the night train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai – about a 10 hour journey. Chiang Mai would be cooler and I was excited to taste the famous northern cooking and visit an elephant sanctuary. Chiang Mai has a number of wats too of course, the most well-known being the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of northern Thailand’s most sacred. The 300+ staircase is worth the climb, not just for the stunning views but also to walk alongside the sea serpents guarding Buddha and marvel at the craftsmanship. At the top, we were so fortunate because there was a monk inside the temple, blessing people with holy water and giving out white string to be worn on the wrist. I kept mine on until well after I returned to Canada (I was told the string would protect me from evil and accidents, and I didn’t want to challenge that until I was home!).
In the evening, our guide took us to the famous Chiang Mai outdoor food market – wow – what amazing food. Audrey pointed out her favourite places, and I made sure I went to each during my stay in Chiang Mai. The specialty – khao soi noodles.
Other excursions included a visit to an elephant sanctuary (which resulted in me being sprayed by an elephant – an unexpected delight), going to the famous night market, seeing the Wachirathan waterfalls (no swimming but has an impressive series of rainbows on sunny days), walking the beautiful 2.6KM Pha Dok Siew nature trail in the Doi Inthanon National Park (and seeing a poisonous snake), seeing the incredible views and the twin stupas when going to the highest place in Thailand at ~2600 meters (8500 Ft). For me, what was really interesting was the Royal Garden at the base of the twin pagodas. It was filled with the same flowers I see in Canada – hydrangeas, impatiens, begonias, magnolias – so different from the tropical vegetation that I was now used to seeing in Asia.
My absolute favourite Chiang Mai thing was visiting the Bua Tong, otherwise known as the Sticky Waterfalls. What fun! You climb up the waterfalls – so refreshing on a hot day. Then you walk down the waterfalls. Repeat. None of the people I was touring with had heard of the Sticky Waterfalls – I am not sure why the word hasn’t gone out more broadly about this amazing experience. You can’t leave that place without a huge smile on your face, and remarks with your friends about what a great time that was!
Definitely, Northern Thailand is a wonderful place for touring.
Where else can I go?
Please reach out if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!
3 highlights:
- The scenery of the northern hills – travelling by bus gives you an opportunity to view the lush greenery and mountains typical of Asia.
- All the temples – there are so many impressive ones – I loved it when you see a Buddha from miles away, growing bigger as you approach.
- The food! Incredible everywhere. If I won the lottery I would hire a personal Thai chef.
3 things for the next time:
- There are lots of caves in Thailand. We didn’t see many on this tour and two that I would like to visit are the Khao Pun Cave near the River Kawi with its many shrines, and the Tham Chiang Dao cave near Chiang Mai, which has an interesting story. You could probably even do a “Cave Tour” of Thailand – they are everywhere.
- More waterfalls – Thailand is a land of waterfalls. I am fortunate to have seen some of the most well known ones, but there are lots more. Better – maybe a “Cave and Waterfall Tour” would be awesome!
- More food – endless new things to try!
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Touring Northern Thailand
I had the good fortune to visit Asia for the first time in 2023. My destination countries were Vietnam and Thailand. Although cycling was my main activity for this trip, my visit to Thailand was complemented by some touring in the northern part of the country. I was with a different group, and again, I was solo for this one.
Starting in Bangkok
Our tour of northern Thailand started with some time in Bangkok. We passed through a flower market on our way to a klong (canal) tour. I really enjoyed the flower market – it brought back fond memories of my trip to the Dutch flower market in Aalsmeer. This time – I learned different things. Our guide explained that in Thailand, yellow is the colour of life – the sun, the moon, light. Yellow flowers are often part of an offering to Buddha. As I wandered the Bangkok flower market, I wondered – did these flowers arrive from Holland that morning?
On the klong tour we saw Bangkok from the water, and were lucky enough to see a “lucky lizard” on someone’s steps. Don’t touch the lizard – leave it be – the residents will experience good fortune!
Other memorable attractions we visited in Bangkok included Wat Pho (otherwise known as the reclining Buddha – HUGE!), Wat Phra Kaew (Emerald Buddha) inside the Grand Palace site, the Chatuchak Weekend Market (HUGE!), Wat Arun (HUGE! and very pretty), Yaowarat (Chinatown – HUGE!), Khao San Road, and the Queen Sirikit Museum of Textiles (I was ready for something smaller). There are many other wats (temples) and attractions in Bangkok, however, as usual, there was not enough time to see everything.
Travelling North – Out of Bangkok
Heading out of Bangkok, our first stop was the Erawan Falls in Kanchanaburi Province. Erawan Falls is an absolutely beautiful place – it has 7 tiered connected falls all of which offer swimming in a unique pool. Many people stop at the second level. I managed to swim in 6 out of the 7 pools in the time I had. It was such a treat to follow the trails and climb up on a hot day, and then be rewarded by the cooling water at each level. On the trails you see ribbons and dresses at the Hopea odorata tree, offerings to the Thai tree spirt Nang Ta-Khian (who might be able to help you win the lottery). Unfortunately, we did not have enough time to walk through the jungles and see monkeys.
History Lessons
Then, on to see the bridge on the River Kwai. I knew of this only place only as a title to an old movie which I have never seen. Learning about how the bridge was built was sorrowful and again reminded me how little I knew of Asian history. Our group was quiet as we walked along the short bridge after hearing some of the history from our guide. There was a shared sense of sadness as we compared today’s peaceful, scenic views with what we heard about the horror people experienced not so long ago.
We continued by bus to Ayutthaya, a very historical place with lots to see. We visited the ruins of Ayutthaya, dating from the 14th century and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We learned about headless Buddhas (for making donations, heads are long gone, along with the donations), about Wat Na Phra Meru, a monastery dating from 1500’s and still in use, and visited the Wat Mahathat, home of the much photographed head of a sandstone Buddha knotted in tree roots. Although people can guess as to how it got there, the big mystery, is “why”?
On to Chiang Mai
That evening, we took the night train from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai – about a 10 hour journey. Chiang Mai would be cooler and I was excited to taste the famous northern cooking and visit an elephant sanctuary. Chiang Mai has a number of wats too of course, the most well-known being the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, one of northern Thailand’s most sacred. The 300+ staircase is worth the climb, not just for the stunning views but also to walk alongside the sea serpents guarding Buddha and marvel at the craftsmanship. At the top, we were so fortunate because there was a monk inside the temple, blessing people with holy water and giving out white string to be worn on the wrist. I kept mine on until well after I returned to Canada (I was told the string would protect me from evil and accidents, and I didn’t want to challenge that until I was home!).
In the evening, our guide took us to the famous Chiang Mai outdoor food market – wow – what amazing food. Audrey pointed out her favourite places, and I made sure I went to each during my stay in Chiang Mai. The specialty – khao soi noodles.
Other excursions included a visit to an elephant sanctuary (which resulted in me being sprayed by an elephant – an unexpected delight), going to the famous night market, seeing the Wachirathan waterfalls (no swimming but has an impressive series of rainbows on sunny days), walking the beautiful 2.6KM Pha Dok Siew nature trail in the Doi Inthanon National Park (and seeing a poisonous snake), seeing the incredible views and the twin stupas when going to the highest place in Thailand at ~2600 meters (8500 Ft). For me, what was really interesting was the Royal Garden at the base of the twin pagodas. It was filled with the same flowers I see in Canada – hydrangeas, impatiens, begonias, magnolias – so different from the tropical vegetation that I was now used to seeing in Asia.
My absolute favourite Chiang Mai thing was visiting the Bua Tong, otherwise known as the Sticky Waterfalls. What fun! You climb up the waterfalls – so refreshing on a hot day. Then you walk down the waterfalls. Repeat. None of the people I was touring with had heard of the Sticky Waterfalls – I am not sure why the word hasn’t gone out more broadly about this amazing experience. You can’t leave that place without a huge smile on your face, and remarks with your friends about what a great time that was!
Definitely, Northern Thailand is a wonderful place for touring.
Where else can I go?
Please reach out if you are interested in discovering wonderful places with a new travel community!
3 highlights:
- The scenery of the northern hills – travelling by bus gives you an opportunity to view the lush greenery and mountains typical of Asia.
- All the temples – there are so many impressive ones – I loved it when you see a Buddha from miles away, growing bigger as you approach.
- The food! Incredible everywhere. If I won the lottery I would hire a personal Thai chef.
3 things for the next time:
- There are lots of caves in Thailand. We didn’t see many on this tour and two that I would like to visit are the Khao Pun Cave near the River Kawi with its many shrines, and the Tham Chiang Dao cave near Chiang Mai, which has an interesting story. You could probably even do a “Cave Tour” of Thailand – they are everywhere.
- More waterfalls – Thailand is a land of waterfalls. I am fortunate to have seen some of the most well known ones, but there are lots more. Better – maybe a “Cave and Waterfall Tour” would be awesome!
- More food – endless new things to try!