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Our last day in Chiang Mai: a café breakfast, two of the city's most important temples and one very bumpy ride.
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Breakfast at Mars Café
A café designed to look like you're on Mars. It's fun and unique, but it was empty in the morning. It comes alive in the evening, so go then. It's a good one-time experience.
Wat Phra Singh (built 1345)
A marvel of northern Thai architecture: carved wood covered in gold, a golden chedi, and lifelike statues of monks you'd swear were real people. It's beautifully restored for something nearly 700 years old. Locals still come to pray, with candles and offerings, very much like temples at home.
The red songthaew experience
We flagged down a red songthaew (shared truck). You can hop on anywhere and they drop you where you ask, for about 30 baht per person, a bit more than Grab but instant. It had no shock absorbers, so for a 1 km trip we were bouncing around. Fine for short hops, but take Grab for longer trips.
Wat Chedi Luang
About 500 m from Wat Phra Singh. Entry is about 50 baht per person. Inside, one sacred section is men only, a long-standing local rule. The architecture is superb, and people press gold leaf onto the statues.
Tip: temple-hop early morning or after 4 pm. Many temples close around 5 pm, and the midday sun is brutal.
Lunch at Versailles de Flore
A European-palace café with a Greek-gods theme (and a hotel). We had shrimp basil rice with fried egg, and everything looked and tasted great.
The viral 7-Eleven toastie
Don't leave Thailand without the 7-Eleven toasted sandwich. We tried spinach and cheese and a Danish one.
Goodbye Chiang Mai
Most people give Chiang Mai 2–3 days. We think even a week isn't enough. We missed the elephant sanctuary this time, so next time. Few Indians come here (most visitors are from the UK, Europe, the US and Australia), which makes it feel even more special.
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Open Agoda →FAQs
When is the best time for temple hopping in Chiang Mai?
Early morning or from about 4 pm. Many temples close around 5 pm, and the midday sun is exhausting.
How much is the red songthaew in Chiang Mai?
About 30 baht per person for short rides in and around the Old Town.
TAGS: CHIANG MAI · TEMPLES · WAT PHRA SINGH · WAT CHEDI LUANG · CAFES
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Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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