We might have mentioned that we much prefer apartment rentals to staying in hotels. We don’t have our own house any more so each apartment we rent becomes a temporary home and there is something about having a couch to lounge on and a kitchen to cook in that makes us feel at ease wherever we happen to be (even if that ‘wherever’ happens to be hectic Bangkok…).
Buddha statues on a ledge of a crumbling old chedi at Wat Lok Moli. Just north of the city walls this isn’t one of the most visited wats in Chiang Mai but we liked the shades of orange in the towering chedi and the cute animal statues around the grounds.
There are over 300 wats (temples) in Chiang Mai. As you wander around the city you find one around every corner. Some are large and showy and full of visitors. Others are hidden down quiet backstreets with not a soul in sight. Some are working temples of shimmering gold with hundreds of novice monks in glaring orange robes streaming past and Thais lighting incense in front of giant gold Buddhas. Others are long neglected, chedis crumbling and being taken over by tropical vegetation.
We have left Chiang Mai now but when we look back at our five months there the Yee Peng and Loy Krathong festivals last October/November stand out as the highlights. The city was decorated with lights and lanterns and this photo was taken at one of the colourfully decorated plazas.
Sometimes you just need something sweet and Chiang Mai is happy to oblige. From market stalls selling Thai desserts to ice cream vendors roaming the streets and chic cafes with an array of cakes, there is plenty of choice in Chiang Mai.