Thailand Travel Blog

I went to Chiangmai so many times. Normally, I’m not so interested in Chiangmai Zoo until the panda came from China and shown up at Chiangmai Zoo. These pandas become now a popular landmark of Chiangmai Zoo.

The panda area is not allow travelers to use a flash when snap the photo of panda. Although Chiangmai is cold in the winter but other season is quite hot. So the panda area is full with air-conditioner to make panda feel comfortable.

The idea that bring panda to show in Chiangmai is really successful campaign of Chiangmai Zoo because the pandas can draw a lot of visitors both local and international travelers.

If you have a time to visit Chiangmai Zoo, don’t forget to say “hi” to the panda.

Again, this morning, We just reached Chiangmai by Nakornchai Air bus service from Bangkok. Aom and I went to Warorot Market to buy some breakfast. We got hot sticky rice with a Fried Moo Yaw, and Fried Naem. We decided to have our breakfast beside the Mae Ping river. We walked along the river and found a place that we can sit and eat our meal. How great!! Early morning, fresh air, and good breakfast.

Afterthe meal, we headed towards the Empress Hotel again to rent a car. We chose Suzuki Caribian again, but not the same car as the last time. This time we got 4 seats with the canvas roof , we tried to get the one with no canvas roof. But there was no Suzuki Caribian left. So we had to take that one. We paid 2,000 baht for 2 days rental excluding the gasoline. (more…)

In the late afternoon, we decided to cruise along the Mae Ping river from the city of Chiang Mai. We looked at the the map and saw a river cruise being advertised on it. Then we called them for a rate and booked the cruise for both of us.

Twenty minutes later, the minibus of Mae Ping River Cruise came and took us from the McDonald’s near Chiang Mai Night Bazaar. We had to join a trip with other 4 foreigners. The minibus took us to the pier at Wat Chai Mongkol. 

At the outset, the tour operators described about the trip and then Aom and I made payment of 300 baht each for the boat fees. We went down into the long -tailed boat at the pier and started.our journey along the Mae Ping River,That was my first time for such a ride. (more…)

When we had hired a Susuki Caribian car we decided to drive along Nimmanhemin Road and went up Doi Suthep. With a map from the Tourisim Authority of Thailand in Chiang Mai and the Chiang Mai city map that we bought from Bangkok,I could figure out the way to drive a car in Chiang Mai. I can say that the map from the Tourisim Authority of Thailand (sponsored by Thaiways) doies not have enough detail s that we want. It is just a big picture map. So I had to use both the Chiang Mai City map and the TAT map together.

At the start Aom and I wanted to drive along Nimmanhemin Road to look around for home decoration shop. But after we drove through the road for some time looking at the shops along the road,we decided to go on to Doi Suthep instead. because the shops we saw look so luxurious and the craftitems are too high in prices. They were not the kind of prices we wanted to pay . (more…)

We reached Chiang Mai on Saturdy at the 5.30 A.M., early in morning, by Sahacharn Tour Bus (not recommended, old bus, bad snack and bad food) and immediately we went to the Nakhonchai air bus station and booked the return ticket for Bangkok on Sunday night. I had not much time to stay in Chiang Mai until the Loy Krathong or Yee Peng days. So sad because I have never joined the Loy Krathong festival in Chiang Mai before.

We hired a Red Song Thaew (red taxi) and went to The Empress Hotel for acheck- in. After having unpacked everything, we decided to have a breakfast in the morning at Warorot Market. I remember the delicious “Moo Yaw Thawd”(fried Northern Thai pork sausage , normally a cylindrical block of 2 inches in diametre and 6 to 8 inches long.)and “Naem Tawd” ( fried Thai sour sausage)with steamed sticky rice. Wow….how wonderful it was!! (more…)