Date: 2014 12 19 – 12 25
6 people traveling: Jie, Kim, mother, aunt, aunt, uncle
Travel Planning: Per Sundberg’s Chiang Mai Travel Agency. Per is my old friend for more than ten years. He is a Swedish and senior tour leader and tour guide. Currently living in Thailand, I am married to a virtuous and gentle Thai wife. She can speak Swedish, English, Mandarin, Thai, and can understand Shanghainese from time to time. Familiar with Southeast Asia and China travel routes. Finally he opened a travel agency in Chiang Mai! The routes he provides are basically those of European tour groups, avoiding Chinese tourists and taking niche boutique routes. The most important thing is that there is no shopping in the whole process, just fun!
For people like me who don’t like to do guides, having Per’s professional help is really just: “Just show up at the airport!”
It is best to find professional people to handle professional matters. If you like to travel to Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar, don’t be shy. You must come to Per. We can definitely provide the most thoughtful and high-quality private customized travel.
Vehicle: Toyota 10-seater VAN super large 21-inch car TV + front and rear subwoofer speakers. Although not in use, it feels very high-end if it is present.
Tour guide: Kop for the first three days, Gon for the next three days, English-speaking tour guide and driver (certified tour guide). If you need explanations in Chinese, you will need a Chinese tour guide. There are very few Chinese-speaking tour guides and drivers. I have never liked having a tour guide to follow me. It is ideal to have a driver who knows the road and can handle tickets and other simple introductions, so I hired an English-speaking tour guide and driver.
Flight: Juneyao Airlines HO1325 & HO1326 round trip
Thailand phone card: Happy card with unlimited 3G and call charges for 7 days (bought from the invincible Taobao for 42 yuan)
Thai Baht exchange rate: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China has the best exchange rate: 5.33 Bank of China: 5.09 (the exchange rate fluctuates every day). You must exchange money in China. The bank exchange rate in Thailand is only about 4.5. I happily hit the road with hundreds of thousands of baht in my pocket (the maximum face value is 1,000 baht).
Time difference: 1 hour
Hotel: Chiang Mai Imperial Mae Ping Hotel (Teresa Teng’s favorite Mae Ping Hotel) X 2 nights
Nest Chiang Dao Boutique Hotel X 1 night
Dusit Chiang Rai Resort X 2 nights
Dining: Self-selected/recommended restaurants, mainly Thai food, team restaurants are not allowed. Average restaurants cost 150-250 baht per person, and good restaurants only cost 500-800 baht per person.
Shopping: There is no guided tour to the group shopping location throughout the whole journey. Shopping in the northern region is mainly about food, so eating and drinking is king! All kinds of fresh fruits and dried fruits are very good. Unfortunately, it was not durian season when we went there, so we could only eat dried durian. You can buy rubies and jade at the Myanmar border. It must be mentioned: the people in the northern region are simple and kind in doing business. 3. The price difference of the same thing sold in various markets in different cities is about 10 baht. There is not much bargaining. The cheapest one is 190 baht for 200 baht. If you buy 10 of them, it will be the same price. So dear friends, don’t waste your precious time for 10 baht (2 yuan) when shopping. Even if you don’t bargain when shopping in the market, you won’t suffer a loss!
Weather: December is winter in Thailand, and Chiang Mai is particularly cold in the north. Around 15 degrees in the morning and evening, and 30 degrees at noon. But Thai people wear down jackets, hats, and earmuffs. What is particularly noteworthy is that although Thais wear down jackets, they still have air conditioners on and cold air conditioners in their cars and hotels. 😓
December 19
It took 4.7 hours to fly to Chiang Mai at night and was delayed by 1 hour. This year, the 1 hour was basically no delay. Kop picked us up at the airport and took us to the Meiping Hotel in about 10 minutes. I was lucky enough to get a connecting room, which turned out to be 2 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms and 1 living room. The living room is large and perfect for families.
The water in Chiang Mai is all bottled.
My aunts and mothers insisted on giving me their passports, making me look like a tour leader. 😓
December 20
Flight of Gibbon Zipline, Chiang Mai
It's an hour's drive from downtown Chiang Mai, all on mountain roads.
Flying on the jungle ropeway is the most exciting experience. We made a reservation very early for 2 people, Xin'er and me. Considering that the aunts and mothers were old and might be afraid of heights, I didn’t make reservations for them. My estimate turned out to be accurate. This high-altitude ropeway is 10 times scarier than ours in Australia. The key is not to leave midway. The entire 33 slides can only be completed in the same direction. After all, monkeys who are not Gibbon cannot go up and down the tree at a height of 200 to 300 meters.
The price in Chiang Mai is very cost-effective. 3,599 baht also includes lunch and transfer, which is a great value. Xin'er and I were excited and frightened, and it took us 3 hours to complete this challenge. It includes an 800-meter ultra-long ropeway, double ropeway, high-altitude bungee jumping, vertical slide, suspension bridge, etc. I took a lot of videos with the camera on my back, and the background music was my continuous screams that echoed in the valley woods. 😄
The schedule was so HIGH from the beginning, and then it really got out of hand.
The equipment in Thailand is relatively simple. Fortunately, this small hook is made in France. It is European after all. All the people who came to play were foreigners, and almost no Chinese were seen. And foreigners come to play regardless of age. 👍It’s all HIGH!
One of our lovely guides, Hobby, and Carp led our group of 10 people together. Although we asked for a tip when we said goodbye, we were really willing to give it!
While the aunties and moms were waiting for us, they went to enjoy a Thai massage. A bit jealous for a high quality massage at 120 baht/hour.
Lunch is very simple, mainly vegetarian, and costs 90 baht per person. It feels like a farmhouse, and the dishes are very fresh and delicious.
Return to Chiang Mai city in the afternoon.
We first went to the old market, which closes at 17:00 (because the night market opens at 16:00, so the connection is very good), mainly selling local food and fruits. Many Thais from Bangkok must come to the old market to grab a batch of food before returning. Food in Chiang Mai is relatively traditional and cheap.
The most amazing ones are: 16 passion fruit (passion fruit) for 100 baht, and 11 small avocados for 100 baht. 3 extra large avocados for 100 baht. And each one looks beautiful and tastes great! A large box of strawberries is 80 baht (sweet, too sweet).
A major specialty in the market is fried pork, which is made into puffed food or fried directly. It tastes like the lard residue we ate when we were children. good smell. But it always feels very greasy. I watched the locals carry back big bags and eat them as snacks.
I saw a lot of people queuing up in the middle of the market. Although I didn’t know what they were selling, I followed suit. When I was almost in line, I realized it was pork sausage. I bought half a sausage first: spicy, very spicy, with lemongrass. The taste, and the aroma of garlic, are so delicious. So I bought 2 more sticks, which are great for chewing on the road. Later, the tour guide also said that this restaurant's sausages are very famous and queuing is normal. Also tried the garlic pork ribs, which was even more delicious! While the aunties and mothers were busy buying dried durian and mango, Xin'er and I ate sausages and ribs there with relish.
Wat Phra Sing
A very famous temple in Chiang Mai.
Khao Mao Khao Fang Dinner
Per recommended a great restaurant, which is as beautiful as a tropical rainforest. Very authentic northern cuisine. Tom Yum Kung is great. I have learned a lesson in Xin'er's ability to eat spicy food. Last time I heard my father say that she can eat nasi lemak in Malaysia, I didn't believe it. She drank 2 bowls of tom yum soup, which was very spicy.
Night Safari
I found a lot of people there, so it should be considered a very popular tourist attraction. I have never been to a safari park at night. There are also a lot of places to eat inside, in a big food style style. They all look delicious, but they are definitely not as good as the restaurants we went to!
Take a sightseeing car and enter the zoo to start the tour. The whole process is explained in English and introduces the habits of animals. I really admire the driver for driving in the dark, without a single headlight, at high speed. Later, I realized that it makes sense. This way, we can avoid disturbing the small animals, and we will not be chased by enthusiastic small animals. This is actually safer.
The driver drove to the designated place with familiarity, turned on all the lights, and the little animals flocked to the place. We bought carrots and bananas to feed: giraffes, zebras, wild boars, various deer and more. The giraffes were the most rude and liked to eat bananas. With their long necks, they could reach into the car and snatch 4 bananas alive from our hands at once. Giraffes have long necks and even longer tongues, purple! purple! purple!
The commentator said that zebras cannot be fed with hands. They are low-IQ animals that cannot distinguish between food and will eat your hands together! The wild boar is very fat and has short legs, but it does not affect the running speed. It chases the car until the headlights go out.
You can only see lions and tigers from across the river. They are not vegetarian either. Carrots and bananas are completely unattractive.
December 21
Mae Sa Elephant Camp elephant camp
As soon as I entered the door, I was surrounded by elephants hugging me from left to right. There are still bristles on the nose, which is scummy. He hugged people very rudely and felt itchy when he was hugged. I was attacked once.
First, we watched the elephants take a bath. The elephants were taken to a small river. Invariably, they all pooped and peed in the river first, and then lay directly in the water to prepare for a bath. . . No wonder elephants stink. Can things washed with feces and urine be clean? 😓
Then the elephants went to the square to prepare for the show. I’ve watched a lot of this type of program, and it’s nothing special. But when I saw the elephants painting, I found that the artistic level of the elephants here is quite high, and they are the best elephants I have ever seen. It can be seen that training on weekdays must be miserable. These paintings were naturally for sale, and several paintings were sold on the spot.
This was painted by the elephant in front of us and we are all very proud of him. Awesome! He was sold as soon as he showed it up! Bravo! Can I add bananas and sugar cane at night?
Then the elephant on the opposite side was also painted. It turned out to be a self-portrait. I was impressed!
Then we rode an elephant in the forest for 1 hour. Our elephant was not very well-behaved. He often kicked dirt against the cliff and refused to leave, so we gave him all the remaining bananas and sugar canes, which still made him feel a little unhappy. The quality of daily life should be relatively difficult.
The happiest thing is the elephant crossing the river. While we were laughing, we saw the elephant we were meeting sucking up a lot of water with its trunk. As soon as we picked up the camera, he turned around and sprayed the water completely towards us. 😄 Oh my God! I don’t know how much feces and urine are diluted in this water! Well, you can't lose your temper with an elephant. It took a long time for Xin'er and I to dry out!
Aunts and mothers originally thought that an hour of riding was too long, and just did a lap. You thought you were in a zoo. Later, they all said how they arrived so quickly and they still couldn’t get enough of it!
Per special note, you must go to the top of Mon Cham to eat. The recommendation makes sense. The restaurant is unique, with tables in cabins, the food is unique, and the scenery is great.
I met many motorcycle riding teams on the road, which was very spectacular and the cars were very cool!
Mae Sa Waterfall
There are very few people in the valley. Many foreigners swim in the stream directly under the waterfall. It is actually quite cold. Although Per asked me to bring a bath towel, I still couldn't get into the water. I climbed almost to the top of the mountain with Xin'er and my mother and saw 10 large and small waterfalls. When the air is good, in addition to taking a deep breath, take a deep breath and then breathe again. . .
Orchid Garden
Personally, I have little interest in flowers and plants, and I don’t understand much about them. The orchid garden is naturally full of orchids. It is a small place and very clean. There is also a small butterfly garden inside.
I need to mention that the restaurant inside is great and the toilets are super clean.
Tiger Kingdom Tiger Kingdom
Add items. Tiger cubs between 2 and 4 months old cost 620 baht per person, and big tigers aged 2 years old cost 420 baht per person. Bring your own camera and take photos as you like. My aunts and mothers split up into two groups. Xin'er and I went to touch the little tigers, while they went to touch the real big tigers.
Why do you keep saying you can’t touch a tiger’s butt? In fact, you can touch your butt freely, and you can only touch your buttocks, and pull and pull your tail as you please. From the chest to the head is a forbidden area. Tigers, big and small, are the same. They are not allowed to touch or approach.
Like big cats, little tigers sleep soundly and can be dragged around and rolled over without waking up. The fur of a 2-month-old tiger is relatively rough, while the fur of a 4-month-old tiger grows very smooth and soft. I played with 5 little tigers in the little tiger yard for about 20 minutes.
These two didn't sleep together originally. We pushed and pushed them together, but they haven't woken up yet. 😄
Big Tiger is a real guy. My aunt said she regretted it after entering. Five big tigers and five people were locked in a yard at the same time. He eats it casually, one bite at a time, without any hiccups. The key is that you don't have anywhere to escape. When taking the photo, the big tiger looked back at his aunt. The tiger probably heard his aunt's heartbeat. BON BON BON's too loud.
Tiger must be tired of looking at people, he yawned when he saw grandma!
Guess what the tiger did in the pond? It is said that cats love to be clean, and it makes sense. Auntie, please let go quickly, I want to go into the water to do serious things.
Yes, when you go there, you must be in the water! This way the PP fur won’t stink! Okay, now that I’m done, I feel much more comfortable and can eat people again!
this. . . Well, if it bites you, you will cry. . .
Brother, are you calm after being beaten? Doesn't it matter if I lend you your tail to scratch it? Generous!
Finally, the tiger expressed that it was annoying them to death and farted, making them so smelly that they almost fainted. 😄 Look at you guys still smiling!
After driving for more than an hour, we entered the Chiang Dao mountainous area. Stay at the Nest Resort Chiang Dao all-natural oxygen bar cabin at night. It was dark when we arrived and we had dinner in the restaurant, which was Western food. The chef was a British and very famous chef. It's a pity that I can't cook Chinese food, which is not to the appetite of aunts and mothers. The risotto was uncooked and the aunts and mothers complained! Well, this dinner was the most expensive dinner along the way. Boiled water is also charged, 35 baht/cup.
A very original boutique hotel with no TV, but WIFI is provided. There was a flashlight inside the room, but there were no street lights outside. From the restaurant to the guest rooms, I saw a total of 5 staff taking care of the entire hotel.
The rooms are all single-family cabins and villas. The toilet needs to go down one level. Our cabin does not have a hall but has a balcony. The foundation heights of the cabins are different.
December 21
I feel so good when I get up and walk in the yard in the morning. The yard is very big, with several towering trees. Is there a little white rabbit living in it? !
Breakfast is freshly made for one person: toast + scrambled eggs + fresh juice + fruit + coffee/hot chocolate. The aunts and mothers agreed that it was better than yesterday's dinner. 😓
(Photography by Xin'er)
Mon village A small village of ethnic minorities
By coincidence, we happened to catch up with the New Year celebrations inside, and all the men, women, and children in the village were wearing traditional costumes. There are no tourists at all, everyone is enjoying themselves! 😄 We were naturally not polite and shamelessly took pictures with this one and that one.
The local custom is to crush the glutinous rice and eat it into a paste, and give us a big lump. It should be more delicious if you add some sugar, or add a mango!
The living conditions here are still very difficult and not rich.
Thaton Chinese unknown
It's basically on the border with Myanmar. Beyond Thaton Mountain is Myanmar. There is a temple on the top of the mountain. There are many Buddha statues in the temple. The temple is very new. It has a good location and is quiet. When we reached the top of the mountain, our hearts naturally calmed down.
Gon took us to another boutique hotel, Mae Sa Resort and Hotel, for lunch. The buffet was 150 baht per person. It was cheap and the environment was good. Very good at choosing places.
The toilets are so beautiful.
Added item: cruise ship. Take a boat directly from Thaton along the Mae Sa River to the Dusit resort hotel. The scenery along the way was beautiful, but it became extremely cold within half an hour. Complaints in my heart: I don’t want to sit in the car, but come to the boat to enjoy the breeze. There is no sun in the main valley, and the speed of the high-speed boat is too fast and it is freezing.
We stopped at a hot spring on the way, but the hot spring was too hot. Putting your feet in it would burn the soles of your feet. In the last hour, I asked the boatman to slow down, and the sun finally warmed up. After all, all the children along the way were swimming naked in the river. 😓
The Dusit Resort is built on the river and has its own pier. Gon was already waiting for us at the hotel with our luggage. We arrived in Chiang Rai.
The city of Chiang Rai is very clean and new. Still magnificent.
Went to the night market in Chiang Rai in the evening. This night market has food, stalls, and a lot of souvenirs to buy at cheap prices.
I also went for a 90-minute Thai massage in the evening, which cost 300 baht, and I paid 100 baht for consumption. Very comfortable!
December 23
Black House Black House
The private art collection of Thai national treasure artist Thawan Duchanee. Unfortunately, he just passed away 2 months ago. The whole yard is very large, with more than 30 houses of various sizes, all of which are his private collections and works of art. His paintings cost millions of baht.
Most of the collections are bones, including horns, bones, crocodile skins, python skins, etc. The family keeps a talking bird that can speak: Savadika, as well as an owl and a python. Black is his favorite color, and the houses in the yard are mainly black. Everything from his paintings to collections to pets reflect his anger, anger, Buddhist conflict and fusion.
Master's paintings representative works
Thailand Myanmar border
After passing the immigration office on the blue roof, we left Thailand and entered Myanmar. The town was a bustling treaty port. Things in Myanmar are cheap, and many Thais go abroad to find bargains.
Crossing this bridge is Myanmar. Need to cross the border. Thailand is a country that drives on the left, and Myanmar drives on the right. How do you think you should drive on this bridge?
We wandered around this border town for a long time. Jade and rubies are produced here and are very cheap. It is said that many Hong Kong jewelers will come here to get their goods. But for us, gold is valuable, jewelry is priceless, and it is difficult to identify authenticity. In short, everyone bought their favorite gems. Just be happy.
For lunch, we chose the Imperial Hotel in the Golden Triangle. The buffet had very few varieties, but they were all delicious. The key is to see the Golden Triangle.
Golden Triangle Golden Triangle
It’s really a triangle, with Thailand on one side, Myanmar on the other, and Laos on the other. It used to be a central base for drug trafficking. That’s what TVB said anyway! Drugs mainly originate from Myanmar.
Have you had any successful transactions? Smiling so happily! 😄
We took a boat along the Mekong River and went to Kapok Island in Laos. From the "Welcome to the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone" banners and the overwhelming number of fake brand-name bags, this island must have been invested or bought by a Chinese boss.
Lone Neck Village Long Neck Village
Add items. The king once abolished the custom of long-necked villages, but still retained several villages for tourism. At first, women wore collars and anklets to prevent tiger bites, but later it gradually evolved into a custom. A bit scary.
The child started wearing it when he was 5 years old, and he always wears it when sleeping. He can only take it off when adding rings and replace it with new ones with more rings. Please note that they are not added one by one, but surround the entire root.
A foreign doctor came to take X-rays for them, and it was said that the cervical spine was not deformed. Instead, the excessive pressure from the neck ring causes the shoulders to sag and squeeze the chest and ribs.
The village relies purely on tourism to survive. You can buy handicrafts in the front, and the dilapidated houses are in the back. They are really dilapidated.
In the evening, Gon took us to a very authentic restaurant. The restaurant only had an English menu that was passed around, half locals and half foreigners. We are not afraid, we have Gon, he is very enthusiastic to help us order. Wow! The food in the north is loved by aunties and mothers, it is sweet and the food is very fresh.
Although the weather is cold, ice cubes are indispensable on the dining table, Southeast Asian style.
I started writing postcards when I returned to the hotel in the evening. I heard that it takes 3-4 weeks to send them back to China from Thailand. Did they come across the ocean and take a boat?
December 24
White Temple White Temple
Another breathtaking place. It is basically a work of art, and the style of artist XXX is in sharp contrast to the black room. Temples in Thailand are generally gold, and white is rarely used. This temple looks as clear as pure land.
There was an earthquake a few days ago, which shook part of the tower top. . .
The entire project has not yet been completed, and from time to time you may encounter the designer himself in the White Temple.
Drive 2.5 hours back to Chiang Mai. Aunts and mothers finally got tired. Normally the conversation on the road would be deafening, but this journey was very quiet. 😄
There was a coffee stop for a delicious chocolate pie.
Passing by a natural hot spring, I went down to boil a hot spring egg, soaked my feet for a while, and then continued on my way.
Gon took us to Khao Soi Noodles for lunch, and I also packed a portion of Hainanese chicken rice from next door.
The coconut pudding in the small shop next door is super delicious, filled with fresh coconut meat.
After lunch, I walked in the old town for about 1.5 hours and saw many temples, one next to another. It's small, compact, sophisticated, and very Chiang Mai.
After satisfying the aunties and mothers, I went to the old market in Chiang Mai and came back with a full load. Don’t you feel very happy?
Nimmanhemin Chinese unknown
A place similar to Xintiandi in Shanghai. The roads are also numbered, from the first street to the 19th street. It is full of young, petty bourgeoisie, fashion and international elements.
We stopped at Mango Tango and had one, two, and three. . . Mango sticky rice is so delicious.
Gon took us to a very famous restaurant in the middle of the mountain. I can’t remember the name, it’s all in Thai. The night view is very charming with stars.
After dinner we went straight to the airport. The customary delay was 1 hour. The return flight only took 3.5 hours, and we arrived in Shanghai only 15 minutes late. In fact, you don’t have to work so hard. You can just fly normally. Flying fast will make you feel scared. 😄
December 25
Arrive in Pudong, Shanghai early in the morning
over