Chiang Rai is the most Northerly point of Thailand, and it was not what we expected, to say the least.
Through word-of-mouth from other backpackers, we heard it was easier to book day trips through local travel agents as most come in a package-type deal and they have various options and ways of combining experiences one might want to partake in. Plus, there is always a way to haggle with the price.
So, we visited one of these travel agents in Chiang Mai and explained we wanted to work our way up to Laos and she suggested travelling through Chiang Rai, spending the night there before heading to Chiang Khong (the border), early next morning to cross into Laos.
Great! We thought. Makes perfect sense and we might get to see some cool sights on the way there.
Sights we did see... "Cool"...? Well, The White Temple was pretty epic to be honest, but that was pretty much it.
We essentially paid the equivalent of £19 to see the White Temple, the "Hot Springs", the "Golden Triangle" and visit the Karen Tribe (where the girls wear gold rings around their necks to stretch them out and make them appear less attractive to other tribes).
The travel agent lady made it all seem fantastic, so we trusted her opinion. After all, she was local from Chiang Rai herself.
The mini bus picked us up early doors and we were the last ones on, so we were pushed up the back of the bus accompanying our bags, as we were the only ones being dropped off in Chiang Rai at the end of the day. Turns out we were also the only people from the UK, which didn't help when Roisin accidentally chucked her phone straight down the bus on the floor when the driver slammed on the brakes. Language barriers are tricky when trying to explain to people that her phone is somewhere on the floor at the front of the bus having being thrust out of her hand by the jolt of the brake, while laughing hysterically at herself and her misfortune.
(SIDENOTE: Roisin loses things. A lot.)
She eventually got it back after two Spanish boys passed to back to us, also hysterically laughing, most likely at our expense, which made it more fun trying to talk to each other in broken English the whole trip.
I felt we spent more time on this bus than off it, and when we did get off at the stops, there was a further entry fee to each place.
The First stop? The Hot springs. Or just spring, (singular) was a rather pathetic looking puddle gated off, surrounded by market stalls and cafes. We were expecting a natural pool to swim in or something, so we exchanged looks and immediately regretted packing our two piece!
Here for around 20 mins, we departed for the White Temple, which really was a highlight.
It's a gorgeous, pristine white building so intricately detailed, (both inside and out), surrounded by a calm lake reflecting the beautiful exterior like a mysterious castle from an Asian Fairytale. The bridge leading up to the temple is meant to represent the cycle of rebirth in the teachings of the Buddha, and has many hand sculptures reaching out from below to symbolize desire. These and other head sculptures hanging from some of the trees reminded me of the David Bowie 'Labyrinth' film in all it's weird and wonderful glory.
Inside the main building were paintings of modern celebrities or film characters on the walls including Batman and Elvis Presley. A very modern take on the Buddhism religion and very impressive!
Next stop was the "Golden Triangle", which was just a bit of land, to be honest. It's an isosceles triangle of land overlapping Laos, Myanmar and Thailand; where the three Countries meet. There was a boat ride offered at an extra price to go see the land but, as we could see it from the shore, Roisin and I decided to grab an iced coffee instead and make plans for Laos.
It was also from here on we decided to speak to travel agents, do our own research and then decide whether to go ahead or not with excursions. We wanted to make sure they were worth the time and money during our trip.
Visiting the Karen tribe was very interesting in learning about the way the people live and their beliefs. Little girls are made to wear a golden ring around their necks at 5 years old. Over the years, these rings are added to, given the appearance of lengthening and strengthening their necks. This is to make them look more attractive to their own tribal men (as women's necks are more slender than men's) and less attractive to other tribe's. It's also believed the rings give the Women a resemblance to the Dragon, which is a popular emblem in their folklore.
After this, we were dropped off in Chiang Rai town centre, with no idea how to get to our hostel, which we found eventually. I felt the whole tour was pretty rushed and unorganised and not really worth what we paid.
However, lessons have been learned to put our own research into visits and excursions and to haggle the hell out of the agent!!
Our Hostel is really nice and quiet, which is just what we felt we needed after a long day on the road! We got pizza and an AMAZING massage from a little shop along the main street. I could really get used to £3 hour massages every week!
ACCOM: Mercy Hostel, Chiang Rai
ATTRACTIONS: White Temple
Hot Spring(s)
Golden Triangle
VENUES: Hungry Wolf's Steak & Ale House
Stace x
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