Thailand is without a doubt an extraordinary and amazing place to visit. Located in South-East Asia, it is the only country that did not suffer from a European mandate. And they’re proud of that.
Located in the far north of Thailand, about 700 km from Bangkok, Chiang Mai is famous for its temples and for being a wonderful green and alternative destination.
In this article we will focus on the “adventurous” face of Chiang Mai, which is usually outside of the traditional packages and routes of the mainstream tourism.
We were exploring Chiang Mai and its surroundings for 4 days. In that period we were able to carry out a number of enriching and exciting activities. Join.
Getting to Chiang Mai
We arrived in Chiang Mai from Caracas stopping in Los Angeles, Tokyo and Bangkok. A journey by plane that took us more than 36 hours… the longest flight we have ever had!
When we arrived in Chiang Mai, we headed to our hostel, left our bags and went for a walk that same day. Relentlessly.
That first day, we took a cooking course and went back to our lodging to sleep.
Having been such a long trip, we decided not to sleep when we arrived but to wait until the night to get used to the time change and reduce the effects of jetlag. In this way, we make more use of the time… he who sleeps, loses!
Cooking classes
Thailand is famous for its cuisine. And they take advantage of that variety of flavors to make visitors fall in love.
As mentioned above, from the same day we arrived in Chiang Mai, we took our cooking course with the company Siam Rice. It consisted first of taking a tour of a traditional market where the guide told us about the most popular exotic ingredients and spices used in Thai cuisine.
From there, we went to the place where we would prepare the most delicious and traditional dishes.
We were about 10 people and in the end we tried 10 different dishes, as each one chose a recipe to prepare. This, of course, with the help and supervision of the guide.
In total, it was about 4 or 5 hours that were spent flying and became a delightful experience.
Interaction with giants
Approaching the elephants, these incredible animals and seeing them in the wild is a unique and rewarding experience, comparable to swimming with dolphins. Elephants are loving and extraordinarily intelligent creatures.
You can pet them, hug them…. We even kissed them! We felt love back to us.
We do not recommend and we are totally against doing walks on the back of this amazing animal. Not even pay to see them perform human activities such as playing football or painting with the horn. They do not do this voluntarily, but are forced with abuse.
The key is to choose well: for an authentic and respectful experience we recommend with your eyes closed to visit the Elephant Nature Park,where you will have the opportunity to interact with these friendly giants in their natural habitat.
Trekking
Doi Inthanon National Park is one of the most popular and picturesque parks. Located 70km southwest of Chiang Mai, it boasts countless waterfalls (the most famous Sirithan Waterfalls), mountains and rivers.
For much of its extension, it has well-marked trails where you can take long walks in the middle of a lush nature and with truly impressive scenarios.
A true paradise for lovers of nature and photography. Here is the highest peak in Thailand the Doi Inthanon, with just over 2500 meters. And you can visit some small villages of the ancient Hmong ethnic group.
In the waterfalls you can take a bath. The water is warm, clean and tasty… so don’t forget your swimsuit!
Rafting
Also in Doi Inthanon National Park you can do this exciting activity, which consists of descending through turbulent waters with an inflatable raft.
It sounds risky, but don’t worry you’ll have a guide who will teach you how to handle it and together you’ll have fun.
Those rivers have a rating from least to most challenging and the ones you get here are suitable for almost anyone with a bit of adventurous spirit.
We recommend entering all your documents and accessories that you do not want to get wet in a plastic bag. Because believe us when we tell you that after this experience you will not have a single dry hair.
Zip-line
In the middle of the rainforest what more fun than to take a walk among the tops of the trees (feel like Tarzan or a monkey) by “Zip-line”, in Spanish called “zip line”, “zip line” or “arborism”.
Eagle Track is the company that organizes and offers this type of activity. It is located less than an hour from chiang mai city center. We chose this company because its prices are affordable, although there are many companies that offer this same type of activity.
With Eagle Track the experience was surprisingly fun and exciting, with different activities, which test your prowess and increase your adrenaline.
As you go up the platform you feel an accumulation of energy that reaches its climax when you stop at the edge and look down.
All that load is released when you dare and jump into the void and you’re transported along the steel cable.
The entire adventure consists of several jumps, different levels of platform height and different activities between the trees. Most at a good height. But when you reach the end, you feel a satisfaction with yourself for having dared.
Chiang Mai Night Safari
It is another activity that we recommend doing and that you will not regret.
In Chiang Mai Night Safari you take a ride on a train where you will be made to tour a good part of the forest and you will see the animals up close in their “almost” natural state.
And we say “almost” because many animals are not native to Thailand, such as beautiful giraffes or zebras.
You can have a fun interaction with them: feed them with natural vegetables such as carrots, which you can buy in the same park.
Caution: Do not touch animals through the hindquarter, especially zebras. Because you can get a coz from an offended zebra… and that can be dangerous.
Botanical garden
If there is one place on the planet where there is a great diversity of orchids with incredible colors and smells and other plant species, it is Thailand, a country that loves flora. And if you are like us a lover of these natural wonders, then you will love to go and visit the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden which is located 27 km northwest of the city of Chiang Mai.
This garden has an area of approximately 1,000 ha. with a vast collection of plants, 12 exhibition greenhouses, numerous gardens, nature trails and a variety of educational and research activities.
Because we should not visit the tribe of Giraffe Women
This is a section not to recommend and ask you not to support the horrible business of visiting “giraffe women”.
These communities were mostly established by women refugees from an ethnic war in Myanmar, who found in this region a place to survive.
Women of this ethnic group are famous for a practice that consists of girls, from the age of 12, are placed on their necks metal rings year by year successively until adding a frightening 25 cm. This can and does lead to functional atrophy.
Thailand’s government points this out as an illegal activity. These unscrupulous people exploit them by forcing them to exhibit themselves to tourists like a human zoo.
As long as this practice continues to be lucrative, people in these communities will not have freedom. By paying to visit one of these villages, tourists are involuntarily participating in unethical practices and trafficking in men, women and children.
Conclusion
Thailand is pitifully portrayed many times in cinema as a country of easy fun and hectic nightlife.
And we say “pitifully” because that stereotypical image leaves aside these hidden gems like Chiang Mai, in which you can experience all the beauty of the country, of its people and satiate our appetite for good food and adventures, always with a green approach.
In addition to its beautiful and ancient temples, Chiang Mai is able to meet the expectations of adventure tourists, ecologically oriented and, at the same time, seekers of internal knowledge through communion with nature.
