Day 1 in Chiang Mai began as we departed an overnight train from Bangkok bright and early. Kowit, the owner of our homestay for the night, picked us up and whisked us from sight to sight. We ate at restaurants casually perched on a busy highway shoulder or nestled in the trees of jungles. We hiked through a cloud forest and to the highest point in all of Thailand, saw ancient Buddhist temples, and slept in a rural hut built on mountainous farmland. Below is a quote from my journal that I think really sums up our experience on the farm:
“On a farm outside of Chiang Mai and I feel like my brain is starting to work at full force again for the first time in AGES. I am staring at green everywhere I look- trees blowing in the wind, and Morgs and I just swam in a little river, drank Chang beers, and ate dinner overlooking the mountains. The people are incredible here and I am absolutely loving the adventure, peace, time in nature, and love of other humans this trip is reinforcing”.
Once we left the farm, we arrived in the main city center of Chiang Mai where we stayed for the next four days. We didn’t necessarily fall in love quickly, but once we did we fell extremely hard. Between the narrow, walkable streets and alleyways, yoga studios and cafes mixed in with traditional Thai street food vendors, by the end of our time there it felt like a second home.
Wander the vibrant streets and markets, explore the mountains and jungles nearby, go for long hikes, take a yoga class or two, get caught in a few semi-monsoons, eat late night Roti and Khao Soi, and you might just fall in love with this city too.
