Golden Thailand: from Bangkok to Chiang Mai

Hello readers! We wanted to write a small blog post to update you guys on what we've been up to. I'm sat writing this blog post in Chiang Mai, after a beautiful morning of outdoors yoga. But how did we get here?! After a relatively pain-free flight; in which Edward drank his weight in complimentary whiskeys(!), from Zanzibar to Bangkok (via Nairobi), we found ourselves in Thailand's hectic, bustling, crazy capital. It's no secret that I don't normally enjoy busy concrete jungles, but there's something different about Bangkok. I love the city! It's a huge, confusing metropolis and it manages to bombard all your senses simultaneously. I'm not sure if it's the smell of wonderfully enticing food (lemon grass, ginger, chilli, soy sauce); or the sight of small Thai ladies cooking all along the street; or the sounds of the bustling street mixed in with ringing from the nearby temple bells, but there truly is something intoxicating and enrapturing about the place.

Bangkok's skyline from Wat Saket (The Golden Mount)

Scooters lining up to go in Bangkok's busy streets

Chao Phraya Express Boat

Decorations at Wat Saket

"Venice of the East"

View of Wat Arun from Chao Phraya Express Boat

We only had a limited five days in Bangkok, but we managed to fit a lot in! We visited countless beautiful temples, including Wat Pho, Wat Arun and the Wat Saket. We also visited the beautiful Grand Palace. It's impossible not to marvel at the beauty of all these temples and buildings.

Building for the royal family's feasts (Grand Palace)

Golden guards lining a temple at the Grand Palace

Temple at the Grand Palace, the royal family's residence

Pagodas at Wat Pho temple

Probably one of the best things to do while in Bangkok is to wonder through some of the busy streets. Several times we found ourselves lost in Chinatown or stumbling our way down Khao San Road, stopping occasionally to grab some delicious street food along the way.

Khao San Road night market

Lady making vegetarian pad thai for 40 baht (~£1)

After our five days we took the overnight express sleeper train (number 13) to Chiang Mai. The train was fun and (surprisingly!) comfortable. Top tip: if you're planning on taking this journey it's best to head to Bangkok train station and book your tickets a few days in advance. It's also best to go for second class sleeper: it's fairly inexpensive and perfectly comfortable for the one night ( ~800 Baht, or £20, for both of us). We arrived in Chiang Mai at 8am, the air laying low and heavy on the mountainous skyline. The cool climate (well, 33°C...) was a welcome relief for us, having spent the past couple of months in stifling heat (40°C +). Since our arrival in Chiang Mai we have: visited beautiful temples, wandered around the colourful night markets, cycled all the way up to the peaceful, secluded Doi Suthep (we're both still aching from this!) and taken a yoga class in Nong Buak park.

Doi Suthep temples

Monks in Doi Suthep

Highlight of Chiang Mai: our visit to Doi Inthanon and the highest point in Thailand! We took a day trip with 'Journey Smile'. The whole trip cost 2000 Baht (for both of us, roughly £40), this included: transport, a visit to two incredible waterfalls, lunch and of course a visit to Doi Inthanon itself as well as the King and Queen pagodas found high up the mountain. We can definitely recommend booking through Journey Smile, for anyone planning on giving Chiang Mai a visit!