Chiangmai- Thailands mountain community

The highlight for me were the full day trekking, which includes riding elephants, hiking in the mountains and rafting on bamboo rafts. This is about a 9 hour day. You start with an elephant ride for about an hour, hike in and out of small villages, and end with a rafting trip on Bamboo poles. Also includes the temple high atop one of the mountains with an incredible view, with golden temples, and golden buddhas. Finally the food and the people. The food is very good at the little stands. Could definitely have stayed here longer.

Quick Tips:

Take the Trekking trip, it is about .00 US dollars, and for what you get, it is unbelievable. The tours here were not very commercial, even though you know quite a few people do it, you feel like it is really geared towards you. Go to the night market for the food, great food and for about .00 you get more than you can eat.

Best Way To Get Around:

Depending upon where you stay a tuk tuk is usually the best way around and usually about 10-100 baht. For the Temple on the mountain, saw people riding bicycles, and I am active and fit, but think they are crazy...hahahaha.... for other destinations such as terkking etc...definitely take a tour group, most hotels will arrange for you and will pick you up at the Hotel. Once in town walking around is the only way.

Very nice room, 2 king size beds, movie channels, mini bar, and a great view of the river. The rate comes with transportation to and from the Hotel, and the airport is about 15 minutes away. The restaurant was very good with a full buffet, with cuisine from many regions around the world. So will fit any palate. Meals were all under $10.00. The staff is very nice, and the concierge will set up any and all tours you may need. There is also a business center, so a good place to check emails, and write to friends and family. Nominal charge for computer use, based on 15 minute intervals for about $10.00.

Was an incredible trip. The guide and driver pick you up at the Hotel and take you up into the mountains of Chiang Mai, approximately an hour. Once you are in the mountains you crawl on top of an elephant, I rode on his head, takes a bit to get use to but, once the balance was down it was great. You proceed up and down mountains and terrain, that can only be reminiscent of a time long ago. So as long as you stay on the elephant you will be great...haha. The elephant ride is a little over an hour, and when you are finished, there are vendors to sell you bananas to feed to the elephants. Then there was hiking through the villages, and seeing how people have lived for generations, The villages were very intrigueing to see, and the villagers live as they did many, many years ago. After the hiking it was nice to cool off under the waterfalls, a short walk into an area takes you to a beautiful area, and the water is very refreshing. This ended with a bamboo rafting trip, with freshly cut bamboo poles held together with a few strands, didn't know how it stayed together, this winds you down a river where it is just you and 3 other people on the raft. There really are no instructions just hope for the best, since there is some white water, I did take a plunge, when sterring the boat we hit an underwater rock, and I had a nice swim to get back to the raft, so do plan on getting wet. This was about a 9 hour day and included lunch. Lunch was between the Elephant ride and the villages, a roadside cafe, very tasty food. The whole thing was about $20.00 US.

Had a private tour, up to the mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. This takes about 45 minutes to get to the top, if you ride a bike probably all day, very steep and windy. Once on top there is a Buddhist temple that is spectacular, colorful, and one of the best views to see. This temple was built in the 14th century to house a relic Buddha. This was found by sending a sacred white elephant out. This elephant was followed by Buddhist monks eager to see where the elephant would go. The elephant traveled up into the mountains and when it turned around three times and sat down, the monks knew this is where the temple should be. There are 300 steps that take you to the top where the temple is located. The golden Chedi pictured below is where the relic Buddha is kept, although as a tourist you cannot view. Very worth the trip, specatacular views.

This is an ancient area with temples and Wats. They are overgrown, and incredible to see. The history, the detail and carving are remarkable. There is a school nearby that was playing ancient drums while I was walking through and it made the feeling even more amazing. There is also a cemetary that holds the ashes of many people long gone, and the shrines they build for them are with pictures, and they are constantly given offerings.