Beyond Bangkok: The Temples of Chiang Mai

Founded in 1296 and once a powerful, independent city-state, Chiang Mai is northern Thailand’s most popular vacation destination. Its culture is distinctively different from Bangkok’s. The temples have more marble, less gold; more graceful curves, less sharp angles. The itinerary my travel agent provided called the mountaintop temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep "possibly the most beautiful in Thailand." (It’s 3,300+ feet above sea level; just driving to it was a pleasure.)

People come here to visit the temples, enjoy a cooler, cleaner climate, to shop the bustling night markets and, perhaps, to ride an elephant through the jungle.

Chiang Mai is by no means a "pretty" city: no high-rise towers or Western-style supermarkets. It’s a wide expanse of low, gray concrete or wood buildings, some only roughly finished, occasionally enlivened by a bright red, white, or blue tile storefront. But the road from the railstation to my hotel was a sea of festive light-garlanded open-air markets. Visitors LOVE them.

Yes, my transport to Chiang Mai was a TRAIN. I saved less than riding it instead of flying, but saw a lot more interesting cities, villages and mountain landscapes than I would have from 30,000 feet.

Quick Tips:

If you plan to stay in Southeast Asia for a week or more, seriously consider adding the World Heritage Site at Angkor Wat, Cambodia to your agenda. This can be a last-minute decision; you can buy your Cambodian visa on arrival.

See the final article for an easy 4.5-day circle tour that lets you add Angkor Wat to your temple-collecting in Thailand.

Best Way To Get Around:

For a city of 300,000, Chiang Mai is relatively compact. If you can get a dependable map, in a language you can read, you should be able to get around on a rented bicycle or even on foot. (I didn’t actually SEE any bike-rental stands, but it’s almost certain that they exist in this tourist-intense place. If not, there were always at least a few taxis waiting at or near the hotel.

The neighborhood south of my hotel, wasn’t especially pedestrian-friendly; the sidewalks often had very high curbs and there was little traffic-light protection for foot traffic. Closer to downtown, toward the street markets, the walking would have much easier.

You’ll need a taxi or hired guide and driver to reach Wat Doi Suthep.

Traveling by rail is a very viable alternative to flying from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The main Bangkok railstation is a cheap taxi ride from downtown hotels, and trains also stop directly in front of the air terminal at Don Muang. I’d suggest taking the train one way, air the other. Or, possibly, day rail one was and overnight sleeper train the other.

This 375-room hotel would have been an excellent choice IF only it had a quiet dining room where I could have relaxed over a drink while composing travel notes.

The Empress bills itself as an "international business and conference center" and, indeed, seemed to be well-equipped for that. There were ample meeting facilities, a business center with secretarial service and other anenities, and a banquet hall. For an extra USD $25 a night, visiting executives could enjoy exclusive use of the top two floors and a private "Keyman Lounge".

My first encounter with the front-desk desk staff was certainly impressive. Told that there would be many steps to climb during the next day’s temple touring, I asked my guide if she could help me find a walking stick. This at about eight at night. When I came down for dinner after washing up, she was still in the lobby. "Wait with me a moment," she said. Shortly afterward, a hotel employee approached with a new, still in the wrapper, adjustable metal cane! Sign for it, he said, and it would be mine as long as I was a guest in the hotel.

Alas: The grill room that looked so appealing in the photographs on the elevator wall was closed for the winter. The only dining options were:

- A newly-opened supper club, with very loud live music. Dinner in a dance hall! or ...

- A 180-seat coffee shop in which I would have been the only diner.

The supper club had a small, semi-private dining area on a mezzanine above the dance floor, still loud but not quite as bad. The meal was fine, but I’d have preferred enjoying it in a more relaxing atmosphere. The second night, I arrived before the band and, by the time they started, was well enough into the meal - an excellent seafood dish - that I didn’t mind the music.

The Empress had a large, though shallow, swimming pool and a fitness room. The brochure said it was "just a 10-minute walk" from the Night Bazaar, though it seemed longer than that by car. The hotel is just 20 - 25 minutes from Chiang Mai International Airport and 15 minutes from the railstation. All major credit cards are accepted.

Thanks to the quality of service, I’m going to rate the Empress Chiang Mai "Recommended" despite the dinner disappointment.

Wat Chedi Luang, just outside the west wall of the Old City, was once 90 meters - more than 300 feet - high. It lost much of its height during an earthquake in 1554, but is still an impressive sight. Its rough stone and brick construction contrasts sharply with the gold and marble of Doi Suthep and the intricate carvings of Bangkok’s Grand Palace.

We noticed another contrast. The Buddhists of Bangkok use rather benign figures to guard the gates of their temples - grinning man/monkey figures or round-faced, pixie-hatted creatures looking for all the world like oversized Munchkins. Chiang Mai Buddhists preferred temple guardians with more bite; rampant lions and shark-toothed serpents were their favorites. The railings for the 301 steps at Wat Doi Suthep were long, golden serpents. It appears that the concrete along the entry steps to Wat Chedi Luang was also intended to depict serpents; with imagination, one could interpret the sculpures at the bottom as the heads of very angry cobras.

My favorite temple guardian was the guy in the third picture below. THIS is a sentry to be afraid of.

During our temple visits, my guide encouraged me to accompany her into the chapel while she said her noon-hour prayers. It would be cool and relaxing, she said, and I could study the artwork along the walls. It was, and I did. The usual rules applied: shoes off and, when seated in the presence of a Buddha figure, never allow your feet to point toward him.

Adding one or more of these in-city temples and a swing through the Old City after an excursion to Wat Doi Suthep will return you to your hotel with plenty of time for independent sight-seeing.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, perched on a mountaintop 3,300 feet above sea level, looks down on Chiang Mai like a benevolent God looking down over His subjects. Had it been a clear day, one could have had a superb panoramic view of the city and river valley below.

My pre-tour briefing book called Doi Suthep "possibly the most beautiful temple in Thailand."

Not long ago, the faithful had to climb 301 marble steps to worship here. Now, there’s a short funicular railway to the top (don’t expect a view though; it’s covered, to avoid distracting from the temple itself).

Like the Grand Palace in Bangkok, Wat Doi Suthep is actually a collection of several shrines and chapels. Though some of the shrines within Doi Suthep resemble those in the Grand Palace, the emphasis here is more on graceful curves than on sharp angles and vertical lines - a gentler, more flowing design. And the interior courtyard is dominated by a tall, golden stupa, a circular structure that begins as a cylinder but morphs first into a dome and then into a tall, slender spire - in this case, a golden spire. Stupas are a staple of the Buddhism practiced in regions like northern Thailand, Myanamar, and Nepal.

There’s a nominal admission fee for access to the funicular and temple. Shoes are permitted in the first of the two courtyards, but you’ll need to remove them to view the inner courtyard and stupa. As in most Buddhist temples I’ve visited, worshippers here had no objection to being photographed as they prayed or meditated.

The curving, climbing drive up the mountain is reason enough to visit Doi Suthep. Allow at least three hours for your visit, counting drive time from mid-city Chiang Mai. And on a clear day, you may feel like staying forever.

You might not realize it if you’ve never been north of Bangkok, but Thailand has mountains. Of modest height perhaps, but mountains nonetheless. The daytime "Sprinter Express" train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai is an inexpensive, comfortable, and relaxing way to see them.

"Express" is a bit of a misnomer. The train makes many stops and, during the last third of the journey, speed is limited by curves and climbing grades. At just under 11 hours to cover 751 km., the trip was about two hours longer than I’d have preferred. However, the ticket included two tasty meals - Thai-style rice and chicken as I recall - and a snack. You won’t go hungry on the trip. The seats aren’t as generously upholstered as those on Amtrak or VIA Rail Canada trains, but they’re as good as those on most of the UK’s regional trains.

The equipment, in fact, is of British design: multiple unit, self-propelled diesel railcars. The British call them "DMUs".)

All seats were reserved and pre-assigned. Because these are narrow-gauge rails, the seats were slightly narrower than those on European trains but far more comfortable than an airplane coach seat.

The main station at Bangkok, Hua Lumphong, is large but reasonably easy for foreigners to navigate. Look first for the big arrival/departure boards, about 10 feet above eye level on the north wall of the main concourse. They will show, in English, train numbers, times, origin and destination, and track number. If no one at the ticket window speaks English, there’s a special assistance office for foreign visitors. Someone there will.

Since all seats on the "Sprinter Express" are pre-assigned, buy your ticket in advance if possible. Before going to the ticket window, have a bilingual person give you a slip of paper with date, time, destination, and other pertinent information written in Thai. Include the Thai phrase for "A window seat, please."

If you’re considering the overnight sleeper train, remember: In most Asian countries, you must buy all the beds in a compartment to assure privacy.

Taking the train instead of the plane won’t save significant money - just $20 in fare plus the expense of getting to the airport - but you’ll see a lot more of Thailand. Some of the towns and villages we passed through were quite appealing. A few were apalling, with houses backed up against trash-cluttered canals there were obviously being used as sewers. Trains, unfortunately, can show you the worst of a country as well as the best.

Every fall, almost without fail, Cathay Pacific Airways offers drastically reduced fares from the U.S. to Bangkok - discounts of up to 15,000 miles for American Airlines frequent fliers. This intriguing city has some of Buddhism’s most spectacular temples and is renowned for its nightlife. Most likely, your most affordable route to Chiang Mai will be via Bangkok. With this easy four to twelve day circle tour, you can add one of Asia’s most famous World Heritage Sites - Angkor Wat - to your Chiang Mai experience without spending a whole lot more money.

This itinerary begins and ends in Bangkok with a late-morning return on Day Five. So you’ll be well-rested for resuming Sukhumvit District nightlife in Bangkok.

Day One: Bangkok-Chiang Mai by rail: Depart 8:25 a.m., arrive 7:20 p.m.

Day Two: Three-hour morning tour of Wat Doi Suthep; one and a half hours touring in-city temples and the Old City. Balance of day for independent exploration.

Day Three: Morning flight Chiang Mai-Bangkok, connecting there for Siem Reap, Cambodia. Be sure to bring three passport photos, required to obtain a visa. Afternoon orientation tour of Siem Reap, Wat Bo, and the Angkor Wat/Angkor Thom complex.

Day Four: Morning walking tour of Angkor Wat. Optional noontime hotel break. Balance of day at Angkor Thom, Tap Rohm, and other nearby sites, returning to view Angkor Wat at sunset.

Day Five: Several morning air options for the 45-minute return flight to Bangkok.

The major advantage of this combination is that it saves three airport-hotel transfers and at least two hours of extra waiting time at BKK. Airfare Bangkok-Chiang Mai is only USD $20 more than rail, but you’d also have to add the cost of the hour-long trip from downtown hotels to the airport.

The rail and air fares for this itinerary totalled USD $393 in December 2002. Hotel and tour costs would depend on the options you chose. The air option would probably allow time for a jungle elephant ride at Chiang Mai. For a preview of what you’ll find at Angkor Wat, click on this link:
Cambodia.