With Bangkok memories still buzzing in our ears we set to discover the north of Thailand, searching for some quietness and a bit more of that Thai flavour. We wanted to get to know a bit of Thailand’s countryside too, so we took a bus instead of flying straight to Chiang Mai, the de facto capital of Northern Thailand.

This also gave us a chance to visit Sukhothai, a nice little town halfway between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It was pouring when we got there, and the intense smell of wet soil invaded our nostrils leaving us with an immediate feeling of wellbeing. Sukhothai was indeed the kind of place we were looking for, with an amazing set of temples gathered in the city historical center, some of them displaying the Kmer inspiration that we will find later in Angkor Wat. The dampness of the day didn’t help much our photos, but allowed us to wander there mostly by ourselves… a trade off that we happily agreed to. Seeing the sun going down there, with rays of purple and orange embracing the Buddha statues, was truly special.

After the quick stopover at Sukhothai, it was time to resume our journey to Chiang Mai, where we would reunite with our remaining travel companions (Alexandra had stayed one more day in Bangkok and João had set on a quick detour through Malaysia and Singapore).

Even under rain filled clouds, Sukhothai was still beautiful

You’ll find in the architecture of this place some Kmer influences that we will be seeing in Angkor Wat

Overview of the temples in Sukhothai. The sky was about to fall on our heads!

Jules and Verne enjoying the solitude of Sukhothai

Buddha statue in Sukhothai

João and Jules wandering into the Sukhothai temple

This statue was imposing, not only because of its size, but mainly because of its peacefulness

Sunset in Sukhothai

Jules, João and Alexandra proudly posing during their cooking lesson. Ready for Masterchef Thailand!

Et voilá! A delicious Pad Thai cooked by Chef Jules

A cooking class would not be complete without a visit to the local market

Dragon fruit! Missing it already

Verne goes on a solo scouting trip to define our trekking trail for the day after (it was a very manly bicycle!)

He found a nice trek near this Golden Buddha…

… and his smaller friends. The strings connected to the statues’ hands are often used in ceremonies to transfer blessings

The next day we tried out the trek

It was very hot and humid, so this fresh water stream was a blessing (drinking it would be a big no no, though)

I must confess that I spent the whole time thinking of snakes and what to do if one decided to pop up in front of me!

Instead of big and ugly snakes we saw beautiful butterflies all over. This one had an amazing shade of blue, that unfortunately was not captured in the photo

Beautiful waterfall halfway our trek

An helipad on top of the hill…

… marking the spot for a breathtaking view

A six-lane ant highway!

A well deserved rest on the shore of lake Huay Tung Tao, after going up and down the hills around

Scooters are a great way to explore Chiang Mai

Wat Chedi Luang temple in Chiang Mai

Buddhist monks praying in Wat Chedi Luang

All temples displayed beautiful paintings in the walls. This one is in Wat Chedi Luang

For some reason they find women threatning inside this temple. We tried to understand why, but could not get a coherent answer. The only place I did not feel welcomed in Thailand!

Inside the Wat Chedi Luang Temple

A stone elephant in Wat Chiang Mun

Jules, João and a four legged friend inside the Wat Chiang Mun temple

An image of Buddha inside the Wat Chiang Mun temple

Never ending stairs to the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple

When you reach the top you are welcomed with a profusion of gold and colour

Golden pinnacle against a clouded blue sky

Dragon head in the Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep temple (mom looked pretty pissed)

One of the many Buddha statues that you’ll find in Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep

One of the guardians of the entry to the Wat Umong temple

We still don’t know what they do to the tigers to make them behave like this, but one thing is for sure: it is not a normal behaviour…

… If you want to pet a feline, get a cat!

Chiang Mai is a city of temples and vibrant nature, and we were keen to explore it all. But first things first, and with the five of us coming from a foodies’ country, we were eager to deep dive into Thai food. And what better than a crash course in Thai cuisine? Let me just say that we are now certified experts in Pad Thai, clear coconut soup and of course, mango sticky rice! You’re all invited to our home to confirm it 🙂

Next on the list were the amazing natural landscapes that can be found near Chiang Mai. Verne is not the biggest fan of kitchens, so while we were learning the secrets of Thai food, he went on a scouting solo adventure to define our hiking trail for the day after. And kudos to him, going up and down the hills near the Huay Tung Tao lake was great! It was a never-ending story of luxuriant greens and beautiful landscapes, with a breathtaking waterfall halfway into the trek. The only problem was, as expected, the mosquitoes, a plague that affects every country in this area.

Lastly, the temples. To be honest, after Bangkok, Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, we were starting to feel our quota of temples getting pretty full, so we ended up visiting only a few. Armed with our powerful bikes (you can also call them scooters, it’s ok…) we decided to go up the hill and visit Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep and Wat Umong. On our way there we stopped briefly on the Tiger Farm, a place that still makes me sad to think of: there you’ll see tigers interacting with tourists for a (considerable) fee. Knowing how wild and savage these animals can be, seeing them so docile being petted by numerous tourists makes one wonder what kind of stuff they give these animals. Doesn’t seem natural at all and made us feel quite uneasy. Big cats are to be free in the wild. If you want to pet a feline, get a house cat!

This trip to Chiang Mai would not be complete without a visit to the night market (tourist trap meets consumers paradise) and a Thai massage. With our wallets lighter and checking if all our bones were in the right place, we said goodbye to Chiang Mai, and embarked to Siem Reap, to a breathtaking visit to Angkor Vat. Verne will tell you all about it, but to spike your curiosity, I’ll just say that we were in the place were Angelina Jolie (aka Lara Croft) ran around with her Uzis.

See you in Cambodia!

Jules *