Christina Marie's Travel Blog

We had heard from several travelers in Luang Prabang (located in Laos) that it’s really easy to get to Chiang Mai in Thailand by bus. They suggested we just take an overnight bus to the Thai border, then hop on one of the many buses that will be there. I was a bit hesitant to go to any border again because of my last horrific encounter (read about it here). It ended up working out just fine, but it took nearly 24 hours to get to our next destination. 

Once we got to Chiang Mai, we haggled a good deal with a tuk tuk driver and found an affordable guesthouse. On the way, we passed this one area with tons of people wearing red shirts. If you’ve been keeping up with the news on what that signified, you might have been as nervous as I was. I only prayed that we didn’t see anymore. As to why I still went to Thailand even though I was scared, I don’t know, but I’m glad I did. 

While I was at a night market in Chiang Mai, there was a mini protest with a group of red shirts walking through. In their defense, they weren’t loud, obnoxious or violent; they were actually very respectful and peaceful. I believe everyone has a right to protest for what they believe in; I only get upset when people put others in danger. The media definitely portrayed the situation to be a lot worse than it actually was.

Overall, Chiang Mai was a city worth visiting. There were tons of pagodas and a pretty good weekend market and night market. I found a Mexican restaurant playing Beetles music, and since I was approaching five months away from home, this was just what the doctor ordered to keep me going for another four weeks. 

Chiang Mai was also a great jump off to visit other places, such as the Elephant Rescue Park. This was where we learned about abused and neglected elephants, as well as the elephants working on the streets (which I heartbreakingly witnessed). I highly suggest everyone add this place to their itineraries. It’s eye opening and extremely rewarding. 

One attraction that left a bad taste was Tiger Kingdom. The tigers looked drugged and the gate keepers had to keep poking ours to keep him awake. I understand that cats in general sleep for most of the day, which is why they should have just left him alone. 

You can visit my Flickr photostream to view more photos of Chiang Mai and the Elephant Rescue Park.