Shanghai Surprises: Chiang Mai, Thailand (Part 1)

As I mentioned in my Cambodia post, Sev and I really wanted an adventure vacation where we could do some things that we wouldn't be able to with the kids. Having never been to Thailand, I knew for sure I wanted to go there on our kid free trip but I figured since we could always take the kids to the Thai beaches, we should try the mountain city of Chiang Mai. On the agenda: visting some of the many temples in the city, zip lining through the rainforest canopy, traditional thai massage, and lots of thai food! Oh yeah, and a visit to an elephant farm which was so amazing, I am going to cover it in a separate post.

First off, we chose a small botique hotel called Rachamanka. It was decorated in the traditional Lanna style and the owner has filled the hallways and rooms with beautiful antique furniture. Plus, no kids under 12 allowed which was another reason we liked it! It was like an oasis in the middle of a busy city- I think I'd go back to Chiang Mai just to stay in this hotel! Plus the staff was amazing, and it seems that service and hospitality are something they pride themselves on in Thailand. On our first day in Chiang Mai we found out we had arrived just in time for one of their huge celebrations - the festival of lights. In the evenings, all of the temples and plazas were decorated with beautiful lanterns and we got to see a parade with all of the locals in their traditional costumes- so cool!

On day one, we spent our time wondering around the town and visiting many of it's famous temples. Along with the temples come the monks- they are everywhere! I don't know why but I got such a kick out of seeing them walking down the street (usually barefoot), in taxis, and on their cell phones- yep, cell phones! It seemed like a monk convention and we saw many young boys in training- wonder how one decides to become a Buddhist monk at the age of 10..hmm..

The next day we went zip lining in the rain forest. For those of you who don't know what that is- zip lining is a "sport" where you are strapped into a harness and you are connected by a pulley to cables which are strung (in this case) between trees. It's super fun and terrifying at the same time. I am apparently developing a fear of heights the older I get so I don't think I'd do it again but it was a great experience with amazing views of the forest.

All too soon, our time in Thailand came to an end but we both loved it and cannot wait to go back next year- I can definitely see why people get addicted to this country and go back year after year- it's been one of our favorite countries in South East Asia so far!