After a much-awaited return in Thailand after so many years, I was able to make a journey to Chiang Rai, the smaller sister of the more famous Chiang Mai. Over the years, I've watched many Instagrammers post stunning photos of the White Temple, which inspired me to visit this city.
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| Wat Rong Khun aka White Temple. |
Alas, I arrived in the late morning and only had less than 24 hours to visit the top sites. Although the most cost-efficient option is to join a larger group tour that would pick up guests in their hotels at 8 am, I had no other choice but to hire a private taxi driver for an hourly rate of 300 baht per hour ($9), which is a bit steep in Thailand. What can a solo traveler do?
I visited 3 temples- namely the White, Blue and Black Temples- and the Karen Long Neck Village all within 4 hours. Suffice to say, I was templed out like when I was in Taipei by the end of the day, but did have ample time in the evening to chill at the night market eating hot pot like the locals and at a cat cafe drinking Thai tea like the other foreigners, and even got a one-hour Thai massage, which I will not recommend.
I will let the pictures tell you what you can expect because, unfortunately, I didn't have enough time to read about each of the temples. In terms of architecture, I was most impressed with the Blue Temple with its intricate carvings and colors that embody that sun and the sky. The Buddhist statue inside the temple is also fixated with blue floor to ceiling art.
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| Rong Suea Ten Temple aka Blue Temple. |
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| Baandam Museum aka Black Temple. |
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| Such a funny experience with this woman. |
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| Unfortunately, the younger generation don't look too happy :( |
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| Want some protein? Doesn't look too tempting, eh? |
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| Cat n a Cup Cafe, Chiang Rai. Who has the larger eyes? |
Bye for now, Thailand!
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| Pin the image above. |
