In this episode we take you to northern Thailand to the city of Chiang Rai. We start off by visiting one of the most famous temples in all of Thailand, Wat Phra Kaew also known at the Bamboo Forest Temple. The emerald Buddha was housed here in the 12th century before moving around South East Asia and finally making its way home to the Grand Palace in Bangkok.
Next up we visit Wat Rong Khun aka the White Temple! It is located 13 km’s south of Chiang Rai and it’s a must visit. It is owned by Chalermchai Kositpipat, who designed, constructed, and opened it to visitors in 1997. It is open all year round and admission is free.
At night you must visit Chiang Rai’s night bazaar. Here you can buy dvd’s, clothing and goods from the local hill tribes. It’s the perfect place to have dinner, and we recommend skipping the restaurant and eating at the food court. If you’re the adventurous type, try some crickets and worms like we did!
The next location we visit is the hill tribe villages about 25 minutes drive north of Chiang Rai. Here you will visit five different hill tribes, the most famous tribe is the Karen long-neck hill tribe. You will hear music, dance and interact with the tribes. You can also buy souvenirs for friends and family back home.
And lastly we visit the Saturday Night Walking Street. It’s a night bazaar that is way bigger then the night bazaar and has over a hundred different foods stalls. I recommend coming early and seeing all the food before making a final decision on what to eat. The food was out of this world and I recommend you try northern Thailand’s most popular dish Khao Soi. It’s a mild coconut based curry served over soft egg noodles and topped and topped with crisp egg noodles. Its delicious!
Have you been to Chiang Rai before? So that was David’s list of 5 things to do in Chiang Rai, Northern Thailand? Leave a comment below!
Counter
101 Countries • 1432 Cities
