4 days in Chiang Mai | thailand vlog

Hey everyone :) this week we are visiting the beautiful town of Chiang Mai We'll be hiring a car for a day, then public transport for the rest of the trip Got our bags Got the car and off we go!

Going to the temple at the top of this forrested mountain It features a beautiful 17-metres tall Buddha statue The temple itself is over 1300 years old

As it's perched on top of a hill, it has a wonderful panoramic view of the city the Buddha statue we saw from below As we have a car today, I'm targetting areas that are far away from our Airbnb Starting with the Suthep area

Let's get breakfast at this rustic-looking cafe They have an English menu You have to write your orders down and pass it to them When you enter the shop it feels like you've gone back in time

I love the vintage atmosphere Does this make you feel nostalgic?

He got a chicken & holy basil stir-fry (pad kra pao) I got a hearty chicken rice porridge The pad kra pao was delicious but quite spicy!

My porridge was just perfect, I'd love to come back again Just a 5 minutes walk from the cafe you'll reach Baan Kang Wat It's a charming little artist village Once you enter, you'll find little stalls and shops surrounded by greeneries

They are all local independent stores So you'll be able to find some really unique things here made with love and care There's a boutique store selling clothes handmade by local people

& cute rustic coffee shops It'll be so lovely to sit in this corner for a coffee There's also fresh, home-cooked food Smells absolutely delicious

& the most unique thing about this place is ...

the amount and variety of art workshops!

There's a painting workshop A 'squeegee' art workshop A mosaic workshop An elephant musicbox workshop & also a notebook workshop

where you get to make a completely personalised notebook They teach you book-binding & cover collage in their classes & they have loads of stickers and charms to decorate your notebook with This part of the village gives me Ghibli vibes

Feels like I'm in the world of Arrietty (it's my favourite Ghibli film!)

they do watercolour lessons here too The whole cafe is just so whimsical They sell homemade cakes here The banoffee cake looks good This is truly a craft-lover's paradise!

Let's head to the next place till next time!

We went to the other side of town for this instagram-famous cafe Every corner of this place is photo-worthy The inside is pretty cool too & they have a DJ in that day

I would have stayed but I wanted somewhere quiet to do work Found a quiet little cafe just 5 minutes drive away Found a quiet little cafe just 5 minutes drive away

Today's choices It's nice and quiet here with plenty of natural light The cake is so soft & the cream cheese icing is delicious Managed to get some work done in this environment

Time to check into our Airbnb We are staying in Nimman which is a nice area in Chiang Mai This place is called Palm Springs Nimman Fountain and there's lots of listings on Airbnb There's a pool too! Perfect for a hot day

My apartment is clean and spacious There's a Sunday Market in Old Town today, so we will head there after dinner Let's have some Thai local food!

I read that this is the dish to have while in Chiang Mai Got a stir-fry brocolli for *nutrients* This is my first time having khao soi - it's like a soup curry with cripsy noodles & I'm a fan! I need to see if they have this back in the UK

As you probably would have guessed, it only opens on Sunday It's a night market selling local produce, food, souvenirs & everything in between Passed by this wooden temple

If you keep walking, you'll reach the Old City wall at the end The Phae Gate - it used to guard the ancient city of Chiang Mai from Burmese invaders & now it's a famous landmark

you'll reach the Michelin Bib Gourmand roti store!

The prices are incredibly cheap You have to write your order down & place it here I got a banana & nutella roti I waited for about 20 minutes I'm not sure how it compares to other roti but it was delicious!

We have to return our car by 8am so I thought I'd squeeze in a sunrise expedition Catching the sunrise is one of my favourite things to do on holiday & the best spot for sunrise in Chiang Mai is Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

You have to climb 306 steps up the Naga (dragon) staircase We made it up just in time It's foggy today, but I can just see the red sun peeking out

I love this time of the day Knowing that most people are still asleep It's just so calm and peaceful Let's explore the temple grounds

Found out that this stupa here is draped in real gold It's believed that Buddha's shoulder bone is enshrined here that's why it's an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists I can properly see the Golden Naga staircase now

Let's head to the next stop on the mountain One last look back At the halfway point down the mountain, there is a hidden jungle temple One of the most magical places I've been to

It's a temple by the waterfall There is a reclining Buddha inside It has a smaller Naga staircase, these dragon-like creatures are said to protect the temple from bad spirits

The sound of the flowing water makes the place feel even more serene The temple grounds are covered in beautiful green moss I feel like my camera doesn't fully capture the beauty of this place...

I wish I could have stayed longer but we have to return our hire car now Breakfast time I got the mixed boiled and crispy chicken riceIt's only 35 baht (1 usd) for a dish!

This place is close-by to the accomodation & the reviews are good It tastes good, and you can't fault it for the price you're paying It's time for a coffee so we can continue with our day

Got 3 mangoes for 35 baht (about 1 usd) on the way...

I hope it's good!

We're going to a specialty coffee roaster It has a great atmosphere with outdoor seating shaded by the trees They are renowned for their latte art & you can choose from these designs They've won a lot of awards for it

I ordered an iced latte though, as it’s a bit too warm for a hot drink I can feel my energy coming back The market sells a variety of handcrafted goods They have nice linen clothes in this stall

These earrings are so cute and dainty I like the pearl ones Having a quick lunch break nearby There's a big queue as it's a Michelin recommended place But just grab a number and wait to be called

We were seated pretty quick He got the beef khao soi, he said the meat was juicy & tender I got the chicken leg khao soi which I thought was really good too It's savoury & creamy, with just the right amount of spice!

It's a partially open-air shopping mall just 5 minutes from the Airbnb Looks like there will be a Jazz night this week!

It's a beautiful mall with european architecture It's nice to just walk around even if you're not buying anything Found out about the existence of elephant poo paper It's better for the environment as you don't need to cut trees to make paper

There's also a food court at the back with daily live music I'll try the food here one day as it's so close to my accomodation We'll head home to rest before going out for dinner later This restaurant has been Michelin-recommended for several consecutive years

I love the atmosphere of this place, with its romantic European design However, the reviews are mixed — people either love it or strongly dislike it Ordered the pork and prawn dumplings for starters, it's so cute!

This was so soft & delicious, it pairs well with the coconut milk dipping We ordered a few different dishes to pair with rice However, the rest of the main courses were on the sweeter side so I didn't enjoy it as much We are trying to flag down a red taxi

A lot of them are on the other side of the road!

Managed to get one in the end There's actually no buses in Chiang Mai & this red taxi is like a hybrid taxi-bus You flag one down and tell the driver the location you want to go

& it's a fixed price of 30 baht (around 0.88 usd) per person, per journey They may pick up other passengers on the way too like a bus A pretty unique system

Today we will be visiting 2 temple complexes in Chiang Mai old town This is the assembly hall where prayers are held It's beautifully ornate

There's 2 nagas at the front too to protect the temple A chanting ritual is taking place You can press gold leaf onto these statues as a sacred offering The actual temple is at the back of the prayer hall

It was struck by an earthquake in 1545, which is why the top part appears 'broken' The temple is over 600 years old!

It's impressive how it's lasted that long Spotted an interesting tree The flowers look like tiny bombs It's time for some food...

The cute drawings on the menu caught my attention Let's head in!

The inside is lemon-themed Indulged myself in 'nature's candy' It looks too good to eat Wasn't expecting such a large portion!

& the pancakes were so delicious Off to the next temple Another beautifully ornate complex There's so many temples in Chiang Mai, it's hard to choose which one to visit

I saw this temple while on the red taxi and decided to add it to my list It has beautiful lanna architecture & there were people dressed up in traditional clothing taking photos

The next stop is my 2nd favourite place after Baan Kang Wat It's a cultural arts centre that's free to enter A hidden oasis in the centre of old town

The building itself is beautiful - a blend of modern & Thai architecture Let me show you around There are spaces for you to create art I think this type of art is called 'frottage'

There's also a library upstairs It's so pretty!

You have to take your shoes off before going up There's a cozy little nook perfect for reading It's a small library but they have a good selection of books Dreaming about my perfect home one day... ☁️

There's also a cafe downstairs if you want something to drink Got myself an iced latte for *energy* They also offer a variety of classes here, like yoga, dance, and craft workshops (you can check their website out) I feel like they've built an amazing community here

Let's head home for a break Later that day...

We're at Angkaew Reservoir for a walk in the park This dog reminds me of Dug from Up 🎈 The reservoir is part of Chiang Mai University but the public can access it

You can get a glimpse of what it's like to be a student here I feel like this is a nice place for a jog or a walk

There's a cafe by the lake too if you want to have a snack or drink About an 8 minute walk from the reservoir you'll reach Kad Na Mor Market This is a university market so it has a younger vibe to it

It's not busy at all unlike the Sunday market The stalls also sell trendier clothing I think it's a nice place to drop by if you're at the reservoir area

Heading back via a red taxi, they're everywhere and very convenient!

day four This cafe reminds me of the ones you'll find in Kyoto There's a small shop at the back selling fragrances & ceramics

These ceramics are handcrafted by small local business The handcreams look like tubes of acrylic paint Breakfast was delicious & I love the ambience of the place After this we are going to explore more of Nimman area

There are still some shops we haven't visited yet Nimman is quite an upmarket area of Chiang Mai It's where all the cool cafes, bars, and nice boutiques are located The dress on display caught my eye Let's have a look

All their clothes are made of natural fibres like cotton and linen They have a beautiful selection of items I love it when stores arrange by colours 😌

I got a linen dress to wear for the rest of my holidays Came across this massage place & they have 10% off treatment in the morning The place is quiet and clean I thought I'd treat myself as the prices are really reasonable

it's around 20usd for 90 minutes I had a lovely massage here, I would really recommend this place Spending our last night here at the Jazz & Wine festival There are several stalls offering food to pair with wine This looks good

I'm getting some to try They were all really good It's nice to just sit back and soak in the atmosphere with live jazz music That's all for my Chiang Mai vlog! Thank you for watching