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Day two in Chiang Rai, and our one regret: we should have booked two nights.
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Our riverside resort
Breakfast with a view of the river and the boat pier, a pool overlooking the water, cottages, little ponds, a spa and our garden-view room. It's so calm that you could happily spend a whole day there. Book at least two nights in Chiang Rai.
Live Agoda prices. Book on Agoda at the same price, and we earn a small commission.
Open Agoda →The Blue Temple (Wat Rong Suea Ten)
A Grab ride away (Grab is easy everywhere in Thailand). The temple stands where an abandoned temple once stood. The local community rebuilt it with the help of an artist, and today it's one of Thailand's most iconic, artistic temples. The blues are incredibly vibrant, inside and out. There's also a small museum.
It was very hot, so wear something light that still covers your shoulders and knees. Sunaina wore a dress she'd bought at the local market.
Oolong tea
The Chiang Rai region is known for oolong tea. The shop let us taste a few, and we bought the green tea, which we preferred.
Pure-veg lunch near Bus Terminal 1
In the lane right behind Chiang Rai Bus Terminal 1 there's a vegetarian restaurant where you pick rice and your choice of vegetables, plus mushroom fritters. It's 100% veg and a paradise for vegetarians.
The VIP bus back to Chiang Mai
After an uncomfortable regular bus on the way in, we took the VIP class: 2+1 seating, big seats, screens and a toilet on board. At the terminal it cost 305 baht + 10 baht booking, against roughly 550 baht online. Buses leave exactly on time, so we nearly missed ours buying 7-Eleven toasties. The trip is about 4 hours.
Day 1: White Temple, Big Buddha & Lalitta Café · Full plan: 5-day itinerary.
FAQs
How much is the VIP bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai?
We paid 305 baht plus a 10 baht booking fee at the terminal. Online it was around 550 baht.
Is there vegetarian food in Chiang Rai?
Yes. We found a pure-veg restaurant in the lane behind Bus Terminal 1, a paradise for vegetarians.
TAGS: CHIANG RAI · BLUE TEMPLE · OOLONG TEA · VEGETARIAN · THAILAND
💬 Questions & answers
NO QUESTIONS YET. ASK US ANYTHING ABOUT THIS TRIP.
Prashant & Sunaina
A travel couple from Pune with Kashmiri Pandit × Maharashtrian roots, 8+ countries and counting. Every rupee shared.
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