Thailand: Chiang Mai- Day tripping off the beaten tourist trail

Drying Fish at the markets old school, not the most hygienic but it gets the job done

My objective for the week was to go out and explore. Put simply I wanted to get out for a couple of day trips to meander around Chaing Mai on the Grey Ghost (GG) and escape the concrete jungle. A simple Google search of things to do around Chaing Mai threw up a multitude of things. But they all looked a little too touristy for my liking. So, I reached out to a good friend of mine that works for an NGO in Chiang Mai and asked her to help me with some recommendations. My stipulations were simple. I wanted no farangs, somewhere out of town to stretch GG’s legs and a cultural experience. Boy did she deliver on the first day’s recommendations.

Sampling exotic fruits at the Mae Malai Markets, this one is called a Sapodilla and is it very sweet.

My First stop was the Mae Malai local Markets. Located 38km North of Chaing Mai. This market is well and truly off the beaten path and not on a tourist radar. I’ll describe it as an eye opener in every aspect. It’s a local market that caters for locals only. It’s got all sorts of weird and wonderful things. The focus is heavily on fresh produce and what I can only imagine as speciality foods. I’ll let the pictures paint the picture because anything I say will do it an injustice. It’s a must do and be sure to bring an open mind and your appetite for adventurous food.

Or maybe dried catfish is more to your palates liking.

The mystical guardians of the temples definitely are colourful if not nightmare material. Wat Ban Den is both tranquil and intriguing at the same time.

My second stop of the day was a Temple called Wat Ban Den  which is 48km North of my condo near Central Festival and about 11km out from the Mae Malai Markets. This temple is a temple complex like no other I have seen in Thailand. As with all Temples they have mystical beings guarding them. But this Temple complex is massive, it’s next level stuff with the mystical creatures are totally out there. I tell you if you were prone to nightmares then this place will do it for you. Having said that they are so ornate, intrinsic, and colourful its mind boggling. I really liked this temple because it was very quiet and peaceful. It lacked tourists and was very much a local place. As I walked around there for a good couple of hours I felt humbled and relaxed, even ringing the bell which is supposed to give you good luck and Ju Ju felt like I was breaking the tranquillity of this magical place. None the less I rang the bell anyway on recommendation because who doesn’t need good luck on your side.

This sleeping Buddha is easily 60m long, the walls painted with art that tells an ancient tale

The final stop for the day was a visit to Siranna National Park. Located 51km away from my condo complex and about 10km away from Wat Ban Den. This was a lovely ride through the rice paddies and low lying valleys to get there. Its prominent feature is the reservoir, after your farang fee and motorbike fee you’ll come to a restaurant overlooking the lake. It’s a great view and a good cheap feed.

Taking the GG for a little sneaky off-road adventure here proved a little hazardous. She took a dirt nap when a log jumped out in front of her.  On another occasion we had a little run in with an overzealous dog. Mind you for that encounter the GG had the last laugh as she sprayed the dog in the face with rocks and dirt as we beat a hasty retreat. This proceeded to infuriate the already pissed off dog more and it chased us for another 150m down a narrow twisty dirt track while all the time I was yelling to myself don’t fall off now or you’re dinner. At the time I was shitting myself as the dog was pretty aggressive but thank goodness the GG was more than a match for it. The ride home was chilled. I tried for a coffee at a coffee shop made out of an Air bus A-300 (any excuse to get people to stop on the side of the road for coffee is fair game here), but alas it was closed.

Srilanna National Park, a great little place for a quick visit and a feed. The Restaurant overlooking the reservoir serves a Tasty and simple food with a scenic vista. here’s all sorts of watercraft here that can be hired to get you to distant shores, there is also a floating accommodation option.

And of course, GG loved the scenery so much she decided to have a little nap at my expense.

Any Excuse for a Coffee shop, they come in all shapes and sizes in Thailand