A traveller's reflection: Thailand Borders 13: Chiang Mai

“If you really look closely, most overnight successes took a long time...” – Steve Jobs

(An old temple near Thaweesin Hotspring, Chiang Mai)

Day 13: Friday, 22 Nov 2024
Route: Mae Sai - Chiang Mai
Distance: 314 km (6:00)
Hotel: Diamond Riverside Hotel, Chiang Mai

Breakfast in the room. Checked out around 8.30 am then drove on Highway 1 to Chiang Rai.

(Driving out of Mae Sai on a cloudy morning)

(Roman gold figurines on the wall)

(Murals painting on a roadside power box)

(Heading towards Chiang Mai via Chiang Rai)

Detoured to Masjid Pakistan Nurul Islam in Chiang Rai and solat Dhuha there. We had roti pisang telur and coffee at Halefa Halal Bistro located a short walking distance from the mosque. There are a few other Halal eateries around the area.

(Masjid Pakistan Nurul Islam, Chiang Rai)

(The main prayer hall)

(The interior of the mosque)

(The mosque in the background, a short distance away)

(Halefa Halal Bistro)

(We are not very hungry yet)

(Roti pisang telur with condensed milk for brunch)

We continued our journey via Route 118 and made a few hot spring stops along the way. Chiang Mai has some of the best hot springs in Thailand. Some are located not far from the city.

(Comfort and coffee break)

(A stretch of highway roads under construction)

(The dark cloud is clearing fast)

(An old Angkor Wat style old temple near the hot springs)

(A good pit stop to stretch our legs)

(Up and close, if you can stand the strong smell of sulfur)

(In time for the hot spring to shoot up from the well)

(Many souvenir shops and eateries around the hot springs)

Arrived in Chiang Mai around 3.00 pm and headed straight to Halal Street Hilal Town, where we had our lunch of seafood tom yam and fried rice at Roumit 2 Halal Restaurant located near the Masjid Hidayatul Islam Ban Haw. Our favorite Restaurant Sophia is still at the same location.

(Welcome to Chiang Mai)

(Caught in the traffic in city center)

(Halal Street Hilal Town)

(Roumit 2 Restaurant in Hilal Town)

(Prawn fried rice with steaming hot tom yam)

(Masjid Hidayatul Islam Ban Haw)

(We performed the Eid Adha prayers and Qurban here in 2013)

(Sophia Restaurant is located next to the mosque)

Checked-in Diamond Riverside Hotel at RM78/night. We had stayed here before during our Q3 4-Nation Ride in 2014. The hotel is located east of Chiang Mai's city center, along the Ping River and a short walking distance to Halal street and the Night Market. After freshened up and prayers, feeling overly sleepy and tired, we took a refreshing nap till sundown.

(Diamond Riverside Hotel, Chiang Mai)

(Our second time staying in this hotel)

(The lobby is full of antiquities)

(Beautifully painted shocking pink room)

(The Ping River, viewed from our room)

(The Ping River at night)

After prayers, we walked to Kalarae Night Bazaar, a short distance from our hotel. The bazaar is a busy nightly hub of street food hawkers, fabric merchants, memorabilia and souvenirs, artists, plus live music and dance shows. Business is picking up after the pandemic, and there were a lot foreigners.

(The Halal Street Hilal Town is bustling with tourists)

(Another attraction in Chiang Mai, the Kalarae Night Market)

(Varieties of vibrant and attractive souvenirs)

(A sleeping kitten, a souvenir for Aira)

We had an hour of foot massage while watching pretty Thai girls adorned in traditional costumes performing and dancing on the stage. Later we had roti pisang and iced blended fruit juice for dinner before we walked back to the hotel.