As per usual, in Southeast Asia we continued to rely on Grab rides and local tuk tuks or, in Thailand's case, trucks with seating in the back.
In Bangkok, the best way to get in and out of the city is the Bangkok Airport Rail Link which takes about 45 minutes to get to the city center from the new BKK airport. The ride costs only $3-4 depending on which stop you need to get off. This is cheaper compared to a taxi ride or Grab, which will run you $10-15 depending on the time of the day. The rail line only opens at 6 AM. So, if you have an early flight you may need to take a taxi/Grab. In Thailand, they use Baht for currency with an exchange rate approximately 1 USD for 30 Baht.
Chiang Mai
Thailand was originally supposed to be one of our first stops in Southeast Asia. We reached out to a few pet-sitting job opportunities, but the pet-owners warned us not to come to the northern part of Thailand, especially Chiang Mai (which means the New City in Thai language), in March or April due to the Smoky Season when farmers burn their crops. So, Thailand became our last stop in Southeast Asis instead.
We arrived in Chiang Mai one evening in May. I tried getting a simcard at the airport but the price was unusually high for what it was supposed to be ($15). Grab was not an option and the local taxis wanted a higher rate than normal. As we were walking away from the terminal, a man asked in decent English where we were headed. We explained that we wanted to go to our hotel the Holiday Inn Chiang Mai. He offered a fair price and we agreed. That was how we met “Juicy.”
On the way, Juicy shared with us his passion for learning languages, different cultures, and customs. In fact, he taught himself to speak several languages including English and Spanish. He also made extra income showing tourists around. This appealed to us and we decided to join him for a day tour around the city.
The next day, Juicy arrived right on time to pick us up. Our first stop was Wat Phra Thai Doi Suthep - a Buddhist temple overlooking the town. Juicy explained that the temple dates back to the 14th century. He also shared with the role of monks in Thai culture and how every man has to become a monk at the age of 18. , and have the choice to stay a monk for as long as they would like to. Some stay for life others for 10 days, Juicy made it 23 days.
The day before we visited the site 12 brand new monks were initiated and a ceremony was held at the top of the mountain. People from Chiang Mai walked up the old monks' trail to the Wat and celebrated this very important event. We arrived the following day and the area was still festive.
Down the mountain about half way from the Wat is a local waterfall Huay Keaw Waterfall (free), which is worth a hike.
Back in town, Juicy dropped us off near the Old City – the original Chiang Mai territory protected by an old moat and wall. Inside it are over 80 temples, which were built to commemorate each new king. It is said that sacred white elephants used to stroll the region and anywhere they stopped to graze for a long time a temple was erected. The two most iconic temples in the city are Wat Chedi Luang, known for its pagoda ruins, and Wat Phra Singh, known for its ornate gardens and the second golden pagoda.
After a small break at the hotel, we headed back to the Old City to visit the “night market” filled with small shops and all the street foods you can imagine. It was amazing to walk through the market and buy a thing or two.
The day tour was a blast, but we came to Chiang Mai for another reason - to meet the “Chang.” We woke up early one day to visit Maerim Elephant Sanctuary (‘Chang’ means elephant in Thai). As we approached the sanctuary, several big elephants and one baby elephant rushed towards us eager to play. They looked very happy and excited. As the day was going by, we learned about the rescue efforts that this sanctuary was putting forth. All these majestic animals were rescued from abusive owners. Many of the elder females had stab marks on their bodies from their time in camps and work sites. The guide explained to us the abuse these gentle giants suffer in the elephant-exploiting industries like ivory, logging, riding, and circus, which leave not only physical scars on the animals but cause them severe psychological distress.
The day tour was a blast, but we came to Chiang Mai for another reason - to meet the “Chang.” We woke up early one day to visit Maerim Elephant Sanctuary (‘Chang’ means elephant in Thai). As we approached the sanctuary, several big elephants and one baby elephant rushed towards us eager to play. They looked very happy and excited. As the day was going by, we learned about the rescue efforts that this sanctuary was putting forth. All these majestic animals were rescued from abusive owners. Many of the elder females had stab marks on their bodies from their time in camps and work sites. The guide explained to us the abuse these gentle giants suffer in the elephant-exploiting industries like ivory, logging, riding, and circus, which leave not only physical scars on the animals but cause them severe psychological distress.
We changed our clothes to a blue uniform which was meant to have a soothing effect on the giants. We were also told not to use selfie sticks because they could remind the elephants of prodding sticks and whips. Indeed, elephants ever forget!
Our first activity involved hand feeding the elephants with some local bananas and bamboo sticks. The elephants were very friendly but picky. They used their trunks to examine our pockets and satchels for ripe bananas throwing non-ripe ones on the ground. To quench their thirst, we offered the elephants banana leaves which consist mostly of water and are a perfect refreshing snack for them.
For the next activity, we walked the elephants to a playground. They enjoyed it almost as much as we did, but as the sun continued to beat down we had to look for a way to cool down. The elephants would dig up dirt and with their trunk would toss it all over themselves and us to cool down. As thoughtful as this may seem, I am sure they enjoyed this more than we did...
After that, the elephants guided us to their favorite place - the mud spa. We eagerly followed them into a mud pit and happily got dirty for the opportunity to give the elephants a much-needed mud scrub. We scrubbed them all over - behind their ears, on their trunks, and anywhere you could reach.
After the spa, the procession headed over to a nearby lake to rinse off the mud before it dried on their skin. The elephants laid on their sides and allowed us to wash them off. We wondered how they could breathe with their faces completely underwater, but we quickly learned that they held their breaths for several seconds and then popped their trunks out of the water like a submarine periscope for a gulp of fresh air.
This was the most humbling and memorable experience of our lives. We thank the sanctuary and the gentle giants for allowing us to share one day with them.
Koh Samui
After visiting Chiang Mai in the north, we headed to the other part of Thailand in the south. We arrived at Koh Samui Airport only to realize that because it is a resort island, the taxi rates are very steep. We discovered that the easiest and cheapest way to traverse the island (besides renting a moped) was to book a shared minivan transfer with Samui Airport Transportation. It still ended up costing about $16-20 one way to most lodging, but that beat the other options.
We spent the days in Koh Samui enjoying the beach, gym, and pool of the lovely Manathai Koh Samui and Conrad Koh Samui. Sunsets are spectacular and we fell in love with a little local restaurant ImchaI, where we had dinners every night, getting our favorite Tom Yum Gung and Green Curry (less than $4 per person). It was a peaceful bliss.
Bangkok
Known as “the Venice of the East,” Bangkok is known for its canals and rivers. That’s where we spent most of our time.
Also, while in the capital, we watched a Thai boxing performance called Muay Thai Live. We booked our discount tickets on Klook for under $20 apiece. It was well worth it because we got to learn the history of Thai boxing expressed in a beautiful blend of martial arts, technology, and dramaturgy. We even got a chance to watch two live semi pro Thai boxing matches. To get to and from our Conrad Bangkok hotel we took a Tuk Tuk ($3 per way).
In the month leading up to our visit to Thailand, a new king was coronated and we naturally wanted to see the Royal Grand Palace. For $5, we rode a hop on hop off boat which stopped at all the major landmarks including the Palace. From there we crossed the river to the gorgeous Wat Arun ($1.50 to enter). The temple had very detailed carvings and paintings and offered a fascinating look back over the rest of Bangkok.
Until next time Thailand!
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