Travel Eat Drink Like a Local

Thailand is called the Land of Smiles. Yes, but Chiang Mai is where you find them the most.  In the absence of any western religion, Chiang Mai is Thailand's most culturally enriched city boasting its untouched identity and authenticity, yet blissfully simple, calm and restful. It is a place where your heart naturally feels happy. This is not the Thailand you have watched in movies. Unlike other Asian hot spots, locals are not always looking for ways to exploit tourists and, similar to Chiang Rai, one will not find poverty, hustlers, and horns here. Day 5: Chiang Mai The distance between Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai is three hours by road. So with Giri's relentless research he had managed to get us reserved tickets via a Thai-only website on a road bus that travels throu gh  Khon Chae National Park for the most of the trip. It's no secret we love to be surrounded by lush greenery . Leaving Chiang Rai in the VIP Green Bus We left Chiang Rai at 9am and re...

We decided to make Chiang Rai our base to explore the Northern most region of Thailand and its Lanna culture, cuisine and traditions. Having read many intriguing stories on the mysterious Golden Triangle, factual and fictional, and mostly from the western stand point, we were eager to d iscover the point where three countries merge together, the opium growing region of the past battled over by the empires in blood soaked clashes bringing one of the world's greatest and sophisticated four-thousand year old  civilizations to its knees. Day 3: Chiang Rai One and a half hours flight from Bangkok takes you over lush jungles to Chiang Rai. The Chiang Rai Airport is so simple and organized. Hopped in a metered taxi to our hotel for the next two days by the Kok River: Le Meridien Chiang Rai . Le Meridien gardens with Kok River in the way back Already set up for the Lanna dinner in the evening Wat Rong Khun was our place of exploration and enlightenment for the rest of th...