The Distillery guest post trip to Chiang Mai!

I’ve loved following along with Erin and Stef’s trip to Bangkok on Instagram, so I was super excited when they asked me to share some of my experiences in Thailand with you guys! My husband is from Bangkok, and we love getting to visit his family there. The whole country is incredible, but since we just returned from the North, I wanted to share some of our favorite things to do in that area and nearby in Chiang Mai. 

Sunday night walking market.

Chiang Mai has it all: natural beauty, amazing food, handmade goods, fun bars, relaxing bed and breakfasts, and the Sunday Night Walking Market. We’ve stayed at the U Hotel Chiang Mai for two years in a row, which is in a perfect location if you plan on shopping the Sunday market.  We like to stay in either the Old City or Nimmanhaemin Road. The Old City is more relaxing and traditional, and Nimmanhaemin Road is where most of the Chiang Mai bars, boutiques, coffee shops, and trendy restaurants are located.

Doi Suthep is a mountain near Chiang Mai with a temple called Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep located on the top. It’s a very traditional place of worship for Buddhists dating back hundreds of years. It’s accessible by van or taxi.

Doi Kham Coffee.

A restaurant in Doi Ang.

About an hour’s drive from Chiang Mai, there’s a Hmong village called Doi Pui where you can find gorgeous handmade Hmong textiles, handbags, and clothing. Something about this vibrant, traditional embroidery just pulls me in – it’s so intricate but has that informal, bohemian look at the same time. I love sourcing Hmong embroidered goods for my shop from the incredibly talented artisans in Doi Pui.

   

 From Chiang Mai, it’s about a 3 hour drive to the part of Thailand where my husband’s grandfather lives. The whole area is pretty mountainous which makes for some magical scenery, and plenty of nausea-inducing, hairpin turns getting there. This September, we went to the hot springs in Fang, which is a huge sulfuric park with a natural geyser.

There’s a really incredible place to stay about 20 miles from Fang called The Royal Agricultural Station in Doi Ang Khang. It’s this little village on the top of a mountain where the government has invested in agricultural research. You can rent a little cabin up there (very, very affordably) and spend your days walking around gardens, orchards, and flowers and eat all your meals at the restaurant where they prepare fresh produce from the grounds. It’s a pretty idyllic experience. Most of the tourists there are Thai people from Bangkok, so you know it’s got to be special. J

Thank you so much for letting me share some of my Thailand memories!