A Trip to Northern Thailand

The Riverside Plaza is a 25-storey building situated right on the banks of the River Ping. It’s in a quiet part of town that is a little out of the centre of Chiang Mai, but is only a 10- minute ride from the airport. To get into town, use the taxi or tuk-tuk. Prices are about the same for whichever mode you prefer-we actually liked the sensation of the tuk-tuk ride.

Although the hotel boasts of views of the river or the sacred mountain of Doi Suthep, we didn’t find the views sensational. Indeed we overlooked, admittedly from a great height, the entrance to a hospital-and a fairly run-down one at that, but in a 2-minute walk from the main entrance, you had a great view down the River Ping.

This is the only five-star hotel in Chiang Mai, and the service really lives up to the star rating. The concierge was ready to open the car door for us on arrival and to politely guide us through to the hotel’s grand reception area. We were told on arrival that we should ask for anything we wanted, and if it was within their behest, it would be sorted for us. Certainly we wanted to take on a trip or two, and they promised to get details to us by the time we had registered. They were good to their word, and I have to say, the check-in process was not a drawn-out affair.

We were taken up to our room in the express lift. We were very pleased with the room. It had a floor-to-ceiling, wall-to-wall window (I’ve already described the view) and a large living area with comfortable chairs and two large beds. You could access satellite TV if you wanted, but to be honest, we didn’t have time to even think about TV. There were tea- and coffee-making facilities

The bathroom, always a measure of a good hotel room, had bath and shower facilities; plush bathrobes; deep-ply towels; and a nice variety of shampoos, soaps, lotions and shower gels. We could luxuriate in here with no problem.

Downstairs, in the large reception area, there were a number of restaurants offering a range of cuisines. We didn’t bother eating here, as we preferred to experience the real cuisine in the centre of town. Just outside the hotel, there was a great little patisserie-we used it a couple of times for afternoon cakes.

For a large hotel, we were impressed at how attentive and friendly the staff was.

As far as our trips were concerned, they arranged a superb "private deal" for us. It was much cheaper than the price it would have been to book in the UK and significantly cheaper than the guide prices as displayed in and around Chiang Mai.

This was a quiet and relaxing environment to come back to after sightseeing, and we always felt suitably refreshed and ready for the next day’s activity.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is an absolute must to visit, and whilst you are winding your way toward the top of the 5,300 foot mountain, give a thought or two to the monk and his volunteer helpers who, in the 1930s, constructed the first proper road up to this holiest of temples. You’ll have some spectacular views of Chiang Mai, but I’d recommend that you save those for your return journey (craning your next to look behind is not advised on these difficult roads).

The legend of Wat Phra goes something like this. In the mid 1300s some holy relics were discovered and placed in a carrier on the back of a white elephant. The elephant was then allowed to wander freely, but, for some reason, it took on the toughest climb in the vicinity, and then collapsing, utterly exhausted, at the site of the temple. Its death at this place prompted the building of a holy place. Some of the buildings on this site date back to the early 16th century. Extensions and restorative work over the years has resulted in the magnificent group of buildings that you see today.

From the car park to the temple you’ll have to walk up a flight of 290 steps bordered by a banister carved with the Naga, a mythological gigantic snake. Buddhist legend says that they possess immense intelligence and magical powers and can transform themselves into humans to walk unnoticed in the world of men.

The temple itself is beautiful-well worth the walk up the steps. As you enter, you need to be a wee bit careful, as the highly polished tiled marble floor is a little slippery underfoot. It’s not overly patterned, but is extremely attractive in its geometric design. On this large "patio" are several trees-indeed the plant life in this temple is worth studying. The vibrant flowers and the variety of leaf hues complement the rich colours of the buildings. A gold leaf on the temple reflects the clear blue skies and glistens brightly in the sunshine. It truly is a colourful experience up here on Doi Suthep. And then we see the tangible confirmation of the White Elephant story. The monument established in its memory stands serenely in the shade, and the red adornments present a very powerful image.

As you would expect, the temple has a large variety of Buddha’s, some surrounded in incredibly gaudy mosaics. In the very centre of the temple complex, in the middle of an enclosed courtyard, is a massive bell-like construction, the Chedi, which is beautifully decorated, as befitting its status as a holy place.

There are some fantastic buildings in this complex that are decorated with rich colours and filled with religious symbolism in the wall paintings and engravings, and I just love to see the row of bells lining up outside of the houses of prayer. I find them strangely evocative of a bygone age-an age that is still an actual reality in this peaceful environment.

Whilst in Chiang Mai, check out the various craft markets and factories. Even if you’re not here to buy, they can be fascinating visits.

Head for the hills! A few miles up from Phuping Palace (it was closed to the public when we were in town), there’s a craft village. I reckon all the tourists are brought here, but it’s still an interesting place. We had hired a taxi for the day (it’s cheaper than an organised trip) and so were under no pressure to rush round. The dry and dusty tracks were lined with market stalls offering mostly craft-wares and some fairly suspect food. All prices were negotiable, but it was clear that the goods on sale were for us tourists. But follow the stalls upwards and take a sharp left, and you’ll enter an area that is less commercialised. The views from here are stunning, and the slopes were a mass of brightly coloured flowers; there were also quiet water areas and a traditional altar dedicated to Buddha. Clearly it’s a contrived area, as there were "traditional" huts, "water pumps", and a chance to fire cross bows. All was free, but the views did it for us.

Later, our driver took us to an out-of-town industrial park. Sounds horrendous, I know, but here we could view at leisure the local craftspeople at work. Our first visit was to a lacquer-ware showroom, where we saw the painstakingly slow process of building a fine lacquer piece. The wooden base is first coated several times with a translucent varnish, and then the design, traditionally gold and black, is painted before further coats of lacquer are applied. The range of available articles was staggering, from small trinkets to large display cabinets. The finished article is tough and waterproof.

The umbrella showroom was mainly for selling, and the lone demonstrator was clearly not comfortable. I presume the real environment was much more relaxing for her. The points we learnt were that all Thailand umbrellas are made from homemade paper, stretched over a bamboo frame, lightly lacquered (to make them shower resistant), and then decorated before the final varnish coat is applied.

The woodcarving "factory" had a similar set up – a demonstrator and piles of allegedly locally carved pieces. Woodcarving is not the most impressive of art forms to watch, as there is an awful lot of banging with very little to show, but we watched patiently and appreciatively, responding with nods and smiles on demand.

One of my favourites was the silverware – not least because it seemed so extravagant. The ornate bowls, with their intricate repousseé designs, were a pleasure to examine and handle, and we took note that these were not particularly functional pieces but played an important religious role. The production of these items is a long and tedious process, and the hammer blows must be very measured, so as not to damage the precious metal.

Our guide would have taken us to other places, but we were all crafted up!

An elephant ride was a "must-do", and Mae Ping Elephant Village was the venue. We arrived just in time to see the "show" but were in two minds about this, wondering if cruelty was involved in training these incredible animals. But then I thought, if an elephant didn’t want to work, I’m sure it would make its reluctance clear. They are, after all, amazingly powerful creatures. We saw elephants dragging logs, playing football, balancing on their front legs, playing drums, dancing, painting, and perhaps most bizarrely, walking on two legs. Impressive? Yes, but still somewhat perturbing.

After the "show", the elephants and their trainers trundled down to the river, and they rolled and "frolicked" in the water. As excited tourists watched, the elephants moved back towards the bank and sprayed what seemed like gallons of water at the onlookers. We were well back from the bank, so we could enjoy the spectacle.

Despite our reservations about the show, we thoroughly enjoyed the next part of this trip -- a ride on an elephant through a variety of terrain. Our elephant was determined to be in front and strode purposefully over the river, took a short-cut up a steep incline into the hills, and then had to negotiate down what felt like a potentially treacherous, and certainly very steep, slope to edge into poll position. Thereafter, she ambled through the forest, occasionally stopping to grab some vegetation, knowing that none of the following elephants could pass her on this narrowest of routes. The sensation of riding the elephant was strangely relaxing after the first part of the "race", and it was intriguing to watch the symbiotic relationship between the elephant and her handler, to feel the gentle breeze created by the intermittent flapping of the animal’s huge ears, and to note the gracefulness of her each and every move. This was a priceless experience that can never be repeated – our first-ever ride with the gentle giant of the animal kingdom.

Our feet were momentarily on terra firma, but then we were led back to the river for a bamboo raft journey -- yet another new experience. We were given large bamboo hats to wear, and then we were punted down the river. At about the time we saw a village and working elephants, we noted three or four women stood in the water, immersed up to their waists and holding cheap trinkets for sale, As we were approaching them, we noticed that we were being overtaken by fast-flowing, floating elephant dung. Not sure I’d fancy standing in that river, but in the distance, we saw those buoyant deposits being reclaimed from the river. We later found out they were "processed" into writing paper and gift cards, some of which we purchased for friends’ and family’s birthdays!

The final treat of this visit was a ride in an ox-drawn cart – an incredibly bumpy ride, and one we were relieved to finish.

A superb visit that we were both glad we made.

Although Chiang Mai is Thailand’s second largest town, it feels like a village in comparison to Bangkok’s bustle. It’s a great place to walk round – at night to get involved in bartering at the bazaar, and in the daytime to visit some of the many temples that adorn the streets.

The early 19th-century walls and moat enclose the town, and the Ping River flows through the centre. We decided that we would walk and see what we could find. It was not hard, as virtually around every corner there was another temple. Firstly, we stopped at Pan Tao, which has an incredibly beautiful Vihran (an assembly hall for monks to hear sermons) built entirely of wood, with some exceptional gilded stuccowork. The inside of this great hall just feels and smells great, with the odd ray of sunlight focusing through the joins in the wood-panelled walls and bouncing off the creaky wooden floors.

Just opposite Pan Tao, on a busy intersection, is the Megrai Shrine, with plenty of offerings from local devotees.

Just round the corner was our favourite temple – Wat Chedi Luang. It was bustling with monks who calmly went about their business and was rammed full of interest. An ancient gum tree stands proudly at the entrance overlooking a small revered building, which celebrates King Mengrai, the founder of the city who was struck by lightning on this spot in 1317. The monks’ residences surround the grounds, and there is a magnificent ruined Chedi at the rear. How can a ruin be magnificent? Well, it just is! The structure was originally built in 1401, was enlarged, but then destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. What remains is a dominant feature, guarded by stucco elephants and other mystical figures, and on high, in a niche, is a seated Buddha. In these grounds, you’ll also see the huge reclining Buddha – an impressive sight

Wat Puak Hong has a really unusual, rounded pagoda-style, 16th-century chedi. Its many decorated niches house images of meditating Buddhas.

Wat Mahathat is also well worth a visit. It took years to build, and the piece-de-resistance is the "lotus chedi", which boasts a lotus bud finial and a beautiful stucco frieze depicting followers of Buddha.

There were many more temples to view, and as dusk fell, we were privileged to see groups of orange-clad monks, deep in prayer in their special places of worship.

We now intended to spend in the night bazaar as we meandered through the back streets, past the city’s food market and to the infamous night bazaar. It sells everything you’d want and much that you don’t want! Haggling is expected and I just love it. I never, ever pay more than a third of the asking price, so I start ridiculously low. I had a great night and picked up some good bargains (ties, silk cushion-covers, and clothes).

I had to be dragged away, with bahts burning a hole in my pocket.