Thailand Chronicles: Chiang Rai and Farewell

It's called the northernmost province of Thailand. With a population around 60,000, Chiang Rai turned out to be a wonderful final stop on my two week adventure with my sister through Thailand. We spent four nights in Chiang Rai and though the highlights touted in the travel book include Wats, Wats, and more Wats, we found our own highlights. Among them, a two night stay up in the mountains at the Akha Hill House, a 24-hour luxury treat at the Dusit Island resort, and the 750 year old celebration of Chiang Rai with an enormous festival. How lucky were we to find ourselves in Chiang Rai the very night the celebration was occurring!? Fate was on our side.

Akha Hill House
This escape to tranquility was exactly what we needed after the overload of activities we experienced in Chiang Mai and the Little Bird hostel we camped out at for five nights. We stayed in a mud hut, had a breathtaking view overlooking the mountains, and spent the day trekking to a nearby waterfall and hot spring. Overall, we walked close to 6km that day and my legs were hurting the day after but it was well worth it. We saw some Akha villages and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the mountains.

Our mud hut!

Waterfall!

Dusit Island Resort
After living the backpacker lifestyle for close to two weeks, it was nice to see life from the other side. A plush room, soft down mattress with a duvet, television, steaming hot shower with great water pressure: these are a few of my favorite things! Oh, and the pool!? UNREAL. Though we missed the gourmet breakfast, I'd give our brief stay at the Dusit an A.

Chiang Rai 750 Festival
The majority of my photographs in Chiang Rai are from the festival which drew a record crowd to the streets to celebrate Chiang Rai. Music, dancing, food, all the ingredients for a proper festival were on hand. We didn't run into too many Westerners which made us feel all the more like special guests among the Thai people.

I feasted on this deliciousness of bananas, crepe, and chocolate (or honey) almost daily!

One of the 750 street performers

Felt like Paparazzi!

A final night stay in Chiang Rai and a street festival to pick up some last minute souverneirs rounded out our time in Chiang Rai and my final night in Thailand. I departed the next day for Bangkok to begin my trek home.

A wonderful, enchanting, trip of a lifetime with my sister. Incredibly grateful.