Golden Triangle and Chiang Rai One Day Tour

For our second day in Chiang Mai, I booked me and my friend to have the Golden Triangle and Chiang Rai One day tour. This was booked and organized for us again by Travel Hub Thailand. I read all about the tour on their website and got very interested due to the comprehensive way they described how the tour would be. It was a join in whole day tour that we booked for ourselves. Right after breakfast, we readied ourselves in the hotel's reception. Pick up time was at 7:30am. I had on a big smile because I always wanted to see what is in the Golden Triangle. 

Our first stop was the Maekhajan Hot Spring. It was surrounded with different stalls selling food, clothes and souvenirs. 

For a few minutes, I wondered why I smelled eggs around. The water was so hot that tourists were able to cook eggs with it. The spring also spewed from time to time so it was best to watch out from being showered.

Our next stop was at Wat Rong Khun or The White Temple. It is a privately owned contemporary place inspired by the style of a Buddhist Temple.

In this photo, tourists are crossing the bridge of "the cycle of rebirth". The main building is reached by crossing this bridge over a small lake. The bridge itself is very narrow that people are asked to walk straight ahead. In front of the bridge are hundreds of outreaching hands that symbolize unrestrained desire. The bridge proclaims that the way to happiness is by foregoing temptation, greed and desire. 

I wasn't able to get good photos of the building as there were a lot of people. We didn't even bother to take a peak at what's inside because of the unbearable line and heat.

We just proceeded to look around the other parts of the complex. 

 Even the toilet is grand.

It was  1 pm when we arrived at the Golden Triangle. Our guide warned us that we would be having quite a delayed lunch so most of us were starved. Thankfully, the buffet lunch was awesome. We were served with different dishes and had a fulfilling meal.

Next stop was the Golden Triangle itself. It is called because it is where Laos, Thailand and Myanmar can be seen. 

Here was our guide telling us all about the place.

This was on our way down to the boat that would take us to a short boat ride to where the Mekong River meets the Ruak River and also to Don Sao, Laos.

I'm happy to have set foot in this part of Laos. Although, it is still my wish to visit either Vientiane or Luan Prabang soon.

Our guide asked us to hover around this place before anything else. Different types of drinks were explained to us. They were believed to provide either health or invigoration to those brave enough to drink some of them. Free drinks were offered but we didn't feel like it.

Because tourists are there  and so were souvenirs, clothes, bags, ref magnets and other trinkets.

After spending about 40 minutes to an hour in Don Sao, Laos, we then went back to the boat and back to our mini van. Our next and last stop for the day was visiting the Karen Long Neck Tribe. This was the way to their village.

Each of us was able to try and hold a sample of their neck rings. It was very heavy.

Some of them were busy tending to their products or making their products.

The ladies of the tribe are the only ones wearing the neck rings. The new generation of the tribe were able to speak English. Maybe also because they were visited by tourists almost everyday. They were kind and smiling and eager to talk with us as well as have a photo with us.

These are the things they sold as souvenirs. Me and the two Filipina ladies we me bought a cute ring from one of the stalls. It was to remind us of the moment we saw and talked with them.

It was a long day and we arrived in Chiang Mai at around 8 in the evening. It was truly an unforgettable and worthy trip. The trip cost us 1000THB each but thru it I gained new friends, new stories to tell and new insights. Thank you for reading and 'til my next blog! :)

An afternoon at Doi Suthep Temple

Before our trip to Chiang Mai, my friend and I already spent countless of hours researching on what to do and what tours to join. I came across Travel Hub Chiang Mai while researching on the internet and found that they had competitive rates. Reaching them for inquiries was not a problem as they were prompt to answer my emails. We booked all our join in tours with them and we didn't regret with their fast, easy and reliable service.

The first join in tour we booked with them was Half day Doi Suthep Temple Tour. Since we arrived in Chiang Mai in the morning, we took the afternoon tour. Pick up time was around 1pm- 1:30pm. Being excited and ready, we settled in the reception while waiting for our pick up. 

Our guide and pick up arrived at 1:30pm and we settled into a van. There were 10 other people who were with us during the tour. The guide started to introduce herself. Her name is Moon and the driver's name is Sem. She told us that there is a total of 44 temples in Chiang Mai. More temples meant more power back in the days. Their kingdom - Lanna Kingdom, was not the same as that of Siam (Bangkok).

The first thing we did was visit the Doi Pui Hmong Village. We we were able to see a lot of stores with their hand crafted materials.

There was also a hill tribe museum and garden near the top of the hill. Entrance fee was 10 Baht.

Articles and display of tools where inside this crude hut turned museum. 

Upon exiting the museum is this cool garden at the top. 

We then headed out to Doi Suthep Temple. It is one of Northern Thailand's most sacred temples. There are 2 ways to come up to the temple. One way is to reach the top by a strenuous 306 step staircase. For Buddhist pilgrims, taking this climb will help accrue merits. Another way is to take the funicular style lift. Sources say that this is 20THB per person for the lift. We took the lift on our way up. 

We saw the top of  the staircase. I think the climb is not too bad.

Shoes are asked to be taken off upon entering the temple grounds. One must be appropriately dressed when going into the inner grounds. A sarong was handed out for guests who were wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts. There are numerous pagodas, statues, bells and shrines within the site. 

A lot of Buddha statues are around the chedi. They are in amazing variety of poses and materials. 

According to the legend, the relic of the bone said to be from the shoulder of Buddha was placed on the back of a sacred white elephant which was allowed to roam anywhere it wanted. The elephant eventually climbed to the top of Suthep mountain. It then trumpeted and turned around three times, knelt and eventually died. This was taken as the sign as the spot where the relic wanted to be.

This is the gleaming golden chedi that enshrines the relic. My friend and I walked around the chedi for 3 times as it is believed to be for good luck. 

Getting a blessing from the monk.

Outside the temple ground is the viewpoint overlooking Chiang Mai City. The airport and its runway is  visible from here.

We chose to try the staircase on our way down.

At the base of the temple and its streets are a number of stores selling souvenirs, food stalls and jade factories. It was fun to look at the different things available for sale.

Though it was a very short tour, it was still an afternoon well spent. Thank you and 'til my next blog! :)