6D5N Pai and Chiang Mai : Chiang Mai (Part 2/2)

Day 5 (10/10/2017) : Joke Sompet – Tiger Kingdom – Moncham – Ice Love You – Chiang Mai Night Safari – Wat Doi Suthep - Rustic & Blue – Chiang Mai Street – Another night market – Mona Boutique Hotel

<<< continued from our first day adventure in Chiang Mai

Joke Sompet

After experiencing a rather tight schedule the day earlier, we decided to leave the hotel earlier in the morning to ensure a full productive day ahead. Breakfast was settled at Joke Sompet, a restaurant famous for congee. Apart from their congee, we also ordered roasted fish with rice and roasted chicken leg with rice. The total bill costs us 255 Baht (64 Baht per person / SGD 2.61 / RM 8.11) for 3 items.

Our planned first destination of the day following breakfast was Moncham, but after checking online, we found that Tiger Kingdom is along the way and is about to open at 8am. Since it was around 7.30am, we decided to head over to Tiger Kingdom first, to avoid long queue in the afternoon. Our decision proved to be a wise one as we were the first visitors of the day, and by the time we left Tiger Kingdom, no other tourists are present yet.

Tiger Kingdom

Though google states that the park is opened at 8am, it opens only at 9am. We were an hour early and had to wait, since the tigers are yet to be ready for viewing.





However, we were lucky to be given the chance to visit the tiger cubs, while the staffs were preparing the tigers. We see everything from their nursery to their training ground, being granted access to see how the trainer trains the cubs. We were also briefed on the history of Tiger Kingdom, the purpose of its creation and the way they handled the tigers here. 

Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai is part of a breeding program of tiger in Chiang Mai and, if you decide to go behind the fences, you will be able to take pictures with new born, baby and adult tigers. The Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai is one of only two such ventures in the whole of Thailand that allows the visitor an “up close & personal” experience with the tigers, allowing them to play, stroke & take photos in the tiger enclosure.



The first Tiger Kingdom branch called Ubon Zoo was founded in Ubonrachatani in 2000. As the number of tigers continue to rise thanks to the successful breeding program, Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai was then founded in 2008 as a 2nd branch of Ubon Zoo in order to generate more income for the extra space and enclosures that the tigers needed to be comfortable. As the Tiger Kingdom partners with Ubon Zoo, the animals that are bred here sometimes go there or to others zoos. For the most part though, a majority will stay here for life. 

Tiger Kingdom Chiang Mai is not a zoo but a park and restaurant where you can get up close and personal with the together or have a good lunch here, with the view of the tigers behind the fences. Buffet meal is charged at 270 Baht per person (half price for children), while the costs to get into the tiger enclosures are as follows:

🔼Newborn tigers 1200 THB / person

🔼Smallest tigers 1000 THB / person (children must be over 140cm tall and accompanied by adult)

🔼Small tigers 500 THB / person (children must be over 155cm tall and accompanied by adult)

🔼Medium tigers 600 THB / person (children must be over 15 years old , over 160cm tall and accompanied by adult)

🔼Big tigers 700 THB / person (must be over 18 years old, over 160cm tall and accompanied by adult)

🔼Giant tigers 1300 THB / person (must be over 18 years old, over 160cm tall and accompanied by adult)

There are also packages for visiting multiple cage. The duration in each enclosure is only 15 minutes. Camera is allowed in there and you can even hire their professional photographer which includes a CD with 50-100 photos. We didn’t hire any, yet the staffs were kind enough to help us on several photos. As a token of appreciation, we tipped them at the end of the tour, by placing the money in the tipping box.



Visitors must be fit, healthy and be able to squat / kneel down and stand up quickly and without assistance. Person requiring wheelchair and walking stick are not allowed in cage. They are not strict on the height requirement as I am only 157cm tall but was not denied admission into the Big Tigers enclosure.

By 8.30am, we were allowed entrance into the Big Tiger enclosure, and we were accompanied by 3 staffs. The staffs are there to ensure everything goes safely, smoothly and comfortably.



We were told that the feeding time was 6am and 6pm daily, and upon hearing that, I was relieved to know that I wasn’t entering a den full will hungry tigers. Besides, we were the first visitors of the day, so no one is there to pressure us on leaving the cage after 15 minutes. In fact, we were there for almost half an hour and had fun taking photos with the tigers, patting them and lying on their back. The tigers are very well awake and active which is the most obvious sign they are not sedated. 

It was a little terrifying at first when I approached the tigers, but after some time I was already feeling excited at all the patting. Too bad time flies so quickly and we had to leave. I’m glad I went ahead with this and didn’t chicken out. It’s truly and unforgettable experience. 

Things to note:

🔼Do not approach the tigers from the front, only from the back

🔼Do not step on their tail. You can however grab it (but be prepared, it’s very heavy)

🔼Do not hold their head and front paw

🔼You can hug their back, or pat the, firmly. Do not do it too gently though as overly gentle touching might felt ticklish to them and they may think you are a fly or mosquito. You don’t want to irritate a beast. Every day they get plenty of pats, hugs and tummy rubs. So much so that they have almost become desensitized by it, it’s normal to them when someone new starts rubbing or heavily patting them. 

🔼Always follow the instruction of the staffs accompanying you

Disclaimer: 

Some may argue that supporting places like Tiger Kingdom is an inhumane thing to do, claiming that it similar to elephant riding, circus and zoo, when animals are kept in captivity, away from their natural habitat and this is against the law of nature. My stand is that Tiger Kingdom is founded primarily for the preservation if endangered Indo-Chinese species of tigers, as well as to generate income for their upkeep. They did a good job increasing the count of Bengal tigers to prevent them from extinction, and in order to keep the operation running, opening access to the public at a price is inevitable. And in order to open up to public, the tigers would need to be trained. At least, the tigers are well taken care of and they live comfortably in a clean and comfortable environment. They are not sedated like the infamous Tiger Temple at Bangkok. Ultimately, it’s one’s personal choice whether to support such an organisation. 

Address: 51/1 moo 7 Rim Tai, Amphoe Mae Rim, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand

Opening hours: 9am to 6pm

Admission: 700 Baht per person for Big Tiger (SGD 28.67 / RM89.04). Newborn tigers 1200 Baht, Smallest tigers 1000 Baht, Small tigers 500 Baht, Medium tigers 600 Baht and Giant Tigers 1300 Baht. Buffet meal for 270 Baht per person (half price for children)

Mon Cham

After we were done with Tiger Kingdom, we drove over to Mon Cham, which is a little-known place among foreign tourist (although it’s popular among the locals). Mon Cham sits on top of a small mountain about 45 minutes northwest away from the Chiang Mai Old City. The weather up there is significantly cooler on which was a welcomed break from the heat of Chiang Mai city.

So what is there to do in Mon Cham, you asked?

🔼You can stroll through the flower garden;

🔼You can enjoy a coffee from the café situated right in the middle of the viewpoint overlooking the terraces and fields;

🔼You can enjoy a traditional thai meal at the Mon Cham restaurant with the spectacular panoramic views of Mae Sa valley

🔼You can spend a night there in camping; or

🔼You can take shots after shots of instagrammable photos. I was certainly satisfied with the outcome. *wink*




 


Both Mon Cham Restaurant and the cafe are open aired thatched roof building. For Mon Cham restaurant, guests will be seated in private bamboo huts, overlooking the view Mae Sa Valley. The restaurant offers about twenty or so Thai dishes, which are created in part by using the local produce grown at the nearby Nong Hoi Royal Project.



Thanks to the Nong Hoi Royal Project, the local hill tribe families use sustainable farming methods to cultivate fruits, vegetables, flowers, and herbs that thrive in the mountain’s lower temperatures (think strawberries, lettuces, cabbages).

The café on the other hand, has lumber chairs to sit on with unobstructed views of the farm fields on the neighbouring hillside.

It is recommended to arrive early at Mon Cham, otherwise it's difficult to get a seat at the restaurant and cafe. We were lucky to be there early enough to be able to get a hut to our own. As early brunch, we ordered scones, passionfruit cheesecake and braised pork trotter for sharing.





The scones were too hard for my liking while the cake was mediocre, but the braised pork trotter was surprisingly very good, and way better than Fong Fei Fei's. I guess the chef's specialty is in traditional Thai cuisine and not western ones. Our bill including two cups of coffee totalled to bill 510 Baht (127 Baht per person / SGD 5.22 / RM 16.22) 

Bonus: More often than not, you would most probably spot the young children of the Hmong tribe, dressed in their tribe clothes, wondering around Mon Cham. I saw one lovely girl that day but before I could get a good shot of her, she shyly walked away.

Address: 22/8 moo 7 Tambon Mae Raem, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand

Opening hours: 7am to 7pm, daily

Admission: Free

Ice Love You

We left Moncham around lunch hour, when the crowds started to fill in, and headed back to Chiang Mai city, for some dessert. There’s a famous café in town selling ice cream – Ice Love You, and we were eager to try.



The ice creams are all homemade and come is various flavors, including traditional mint chocolate chip and more unusual ones like Korean yogurt and cheese. Customers are allowed to sample the ice cream before making up their mind. 

For sharing, I would recommend getting their mango sticky rice with ice cream combo set, which we ordered. The set costs 250 Baht (62 Baht per person / SGD 2.56 / RM 7.95) and comes with 2 mangoes, 6 sticky rices and 3 ice cream flavours of your choice. The 3 flavours we ordered were Mango Chili Salt (which is my favourite), CMU cheese (if my memory served me right) and Black Bean Sticky Rice. 

  

It’s a pretty nice place to chill out if you have time to spare. And the ice cream works wonder to beat the heat.

Address: 5"N Rachadamnoen Rd Soi 7, Mueang Chiang Mai District, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Opening hours: 10.30am to 10.30pm, daily

Chiang Mai Grand Canyon / Hang Dong Quarry

Photo from The Culture Trip

We wanted to visit the Chiang Mai Grand Canyon / Hang Dong Quarry initially, but the sky turned dark and started raining, causing us to be stranded in the café for longer than we thought. It will take us half an hour there from the café and another hour to Doi Suthep, potentially missing the sunset. Therefore, with little time we had left once the sky cleared, we decided to skip the Grand Canyon. If you are interested with this place, here’s the info for your reference:

Address: 202 Phra Pinklao Road Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50230 

Opening hours: 8.30am to 6pm, daily

Admission: 50 Baht. Lifejackets and tubes can be rented on site

Chiang Mai Night Safari – Feeding Giraffe For Free

With Chiang Mai Grand Canyon off our list, we made our way next to Chiang Mai Night Safari. What?! The Night Safari?  

Yes! You read that right. It’s the Night Safari. But no, we didn’t pay to enter. Well, technically…

Not your usual tourist attraction, this is quite a lesser-known thing to do in Chiang Mai. And for free. We found out that one could feed giraffes for free, without having to pay for the admission fee.

As the giraffe enclosure is located next to the entrance, we could just feed them across the fan. But to do so, we would have to buy a basket of vegetables for 30 Baht (7.50 Baht per person / SGD 0.31 / RM 0.95). 


Do note that this is not the Chiang Mai Zoo, but Chiang Mai Night Safari, which is two entirely different places. On our way to Wat Doi Suthep, we even passed by some deers which were roaming around the parking area, and stopped for some photos.

Address: 33 Moo 12, Tambon Nong Kwai, Amphoe Hang Dong, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50230, Thailand

Opening hours: 11am to 10pm, daily

Admission: Free (admission to the zoo applies). Vegetable for 30 Baht per basket

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep 

Chiang Mai is said to have around 300 temples, but If you’re going to visit only one temple in Chiang Mai, it has got to be Wat Doi Suthep. The temple is located up Doi Suthep Mountain (hence the name) and can be seen from almost anywhere in the city.



It’s also one of the most sacred temples in Thailand. A Thai saying goes, "If you haven't tasted Khao Soi or seen the view from Doi Suthep, you haven't been to Chiang Mai." (Thank god, I've done both!)

Here's the story behind this temple:

According to legend, a monk named Sumanathera from the Sukhothai Kingdom had a dream. In this vision he was told to go to Pang Cha and look for a relic. Sumanathera ventured to Pang Cha and found a bone. Many claim it was Gautama Buddha's shoulder bone. The relic displayed magical powers: it glowed, it was able to vanish, it could move and replicate itself. Sumanathera took the relic to King Dhammaraja, who ruled Sukhothai. The eager Dhammaraja made offerings and hosted a ceremony when Sumanathera arrived. However, the relic displayed no abnormal characteristics, and the king, doubtful of the relic's authenticity, told Sumanathera to keep it.

King Nu Naone of Lanna heard of the relic and bade the monk to bring it to him. In 1368, with Dharmmaraja's permission, Sumanathera took the relic to what is now Lamphun, in northern Thailand. Once there, the relic broke into two pieces. The smaller piece was enshrined at a temple in Suandok. The other piece was placed by the king on the back of a white elephant which was released into the jungle. The elephant is said to have climbed up Doi Suthep, at that time called Doi Aoy Chang (Sugar Elephant Mountain), stopped, trumpeted three times, then dropped dead. This was interpreted as an omen. King Nu Naone immediately ordered the construction of a temple at the site. 

After driving for around 40 minutes from the safari, we arrived at the carpark, only to be greeted with 306 steps which were built in 1557 and are guarded by giant snakes or nagas statues. If the steps are too daunting for you, there is a nearby tram that can shuttle you to the top for 20 Baht.


As you go into the entrance and pass through the main Wiharn, your first view of the Golden Pagoda will be jaw dropping.  The gold leaf on the large Pagoda and large parasols on each of its four corners, glisten in the sun.



The Pagoda was originally 26 feet and built tall to house the Relic, but was expanded to the current 52 foot tall Golden Pagoda in the 1400s. The crowning five-tiered umbrella marks the city's independence from Burma and its union with Thailand. Pilgrims normally queue to leave lotus blossoms and other offerings at the shrines surrounding the chedi, which are studded with Buddha statues in an amazing variety of poses and material.



We were supposed to pay 30 Baht for the entrance fee, but somehow we missed the ticketing counter as we stormed off to the temple in lightning speed, fearing that we would have been too late. We climbed the stairs in such a quick pace that we didn’t see any ticketing counter. Neither was there anyone stopping us from entering.

Once there, I took out my shawl and got my lower body wrapped, to adhere to their dress code. Always remember to wear conservative clothes with long pants and covered shoulders. Otherwise, always bring a shawl or sarong with you. And don't forget to remove your footwear!

The best time to visit Wat Doi Suthep is during sunset as the temple is beautifully lit by the golden sunset. Thankfully, we managed to reach the inner terrace before the sun started setting.



Satisfied with the photos we took, we also joined the local pilgrims in circumnavigating the gleaming golden chedi while praying, before bidding goodbye to this beautiful place.

Address: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Road Tambon Su Thep, Chiang Mai Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Opening hours: 5.30am to 7.30pm, daily

Admission: 30 Baht for foreigner, 20 Baht (optional) for tram

Dress code: Conservative with long pants and covered shoulders.

Rustic & Blue

For dinner, we decided to check out this artsy cafe in Nimmana Soi 7. The decor is rustic and oozes warmth, and there's a large backyard with outdoor seating. The place was kinda empty when we went, and we were the few customers in the café. We chose indoor seating as opposed to the outdoor ones as the weather was hot and we need air-con.

 

There's a whole wall of various kind of fragrant tea blends, created by the owner of the cafe. Food were served in absolutely beautiful presentation, the ambience was great, the décor was stunning, and food seemed to be made from fresh and excellent quality ingredients. That’s perhaps why the price was at the high side, so we didn’t order much. We only ordered a slice of carrot cake and Siracha Maple Chicken and Cheddar Cheese Waffle. Our total bill came up to 685 Baht (217.5 Baht per person / SGD 7.01 / RM 21.78)

Address: 2/1 Nimmana Haeminda Rd Lane 7, Tambon Su Thep, Amphoe Mueang Chiang Mai, Chang Wat Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand

Opening hours: 8.30am to 10pm, daily

Street Food

Since we didn’t order much at the café and we wanted to try more of local Thai food, we roamed around the street and stumbled across some street food.


We bought 2 skewers of sausages with glass noodle filling for 60 Baht (15 Baht per person / SGD 0.61 / RM 1.91) and ended the night with a bowl of spicy mixed pork noodle soup for 50 Baht (12.50 Baht per person / SGD 0.51 / RM 1.59). We then headed back to the hotel and called it a day.

Day 6 (11/10/2017) : Huay Tung Tao Lake – Ristr8to – Rustic & Blue – Chiang Mai International Airport – KLIA2

Huay Tung Tao Lake

As usual with our style of venturing off the beaten path, we always try to visit places not overly commercialised, somewhere only the locals know. And we found exactly the kind of place – Huay Tung Tao Lake, which is approximately 20 minutes north of Chiang Mai City.

 

According to sources online, this is a local frequent mostly by the locals, where the kids and students play in the water fully clothed, Thai families relax in bamboo huts and enjoy platters of food and cold beverages, and couples enjoying the walk or bicycle ride on the paved road around the lake.



Chances that you are the only foreigner there is unsurprisingly high. 

As it is a popular place on weekends, we decided to visit early so that we could secure a table. There are about twenty restaurants surrounding the lake that serve food and drinks in bamboo huts by the lake, and we picked stall no. 2 due to recommendation from a blog we read.

The restaurant’s menus are written in both Thai and English, but they staffs don’t speak much English. Fret not, as we can always rely on our body language.

We ended up having early lunch with a stunning view of Huay Tung Tao Lake - still waters backed by nearby mountains and lined with picturesque bamboo huts.





As we were the only customers at that hour, the whole place was quiet and it feel so amazing to be absorbed in the tranquility.  

We ordered thai mango salad, seafood tomyum soup, spicy steamed fish, steamed squid, steamed fish with vegetables and thai-style shrimp sashimi. Our lunch bill came up to 910 Baht (227 Baht per person / SGD 9.32 / RM 28.94) albeit ordering so much seafood, and I must say it's the best meal we had throughout the entire trip.



The tomyum was the best I had in Chiang Mai and every now and then I still miss the shrimp sashimi. 

 

Address: 283 moo 3 Don Kaeo, Amphoe Maerim, Chiang Mai 50180, Thailand

Opening hours: 8am to 6pm

Admission: 50 Baht per foreigner and 20 Baht per Thai person

Return rented car

As we had already checked out in the morning, and had our bags all packed, we made an arrangement with the car rental personnel to return the car at Maya Shopping Center, which is only 4 minutes away from a cafe we planned on visiting next – Ristr8to. We then walked to the cafe with our backpacks on our back ala true backpacker style.

Ristr8to 

Among the many cafes in the hip neighbourhood of Nimmanhaemin Road, Ristr8to stood out to us due to its award-winning owner and barista - Arnon Thitiprasert, has won the Thailand National Latte Art Championship three years in a row. And in 2011, 2015 and 2016, he represented Thailand at the World Latte Art Championship, placing sixth, fifth and 11th respectively. In 2017, he won the champion and became the 2017 World Latte Art Champion.

Fun fact: The addition of 8 into the name "Ristr8to" has got to do with Arabica coffee having 44 chromosomes, therefore doppie ristretto must have double of that. Note also that "Ristr8to" has exactly 8 letters and the cafe is opened from 8:08am to 11:08pm.

We order 4 coffees from its signature coffees which are the Grandmother Mocha (strength 4/8) THB88, Satan Latte (Strength 2/8) THB 98, Cigar8to (Strenghth 6/8) THB88 and Ficardie (Strength 5/8) THB88. Notice that the pricing also ends with 8? Our bill came up to 362 Baht (90 Baht per person / SGD 3.71 / RM 11.51) in total. 

As I'm not a coffee person, I can't comment on the taste and quality of the cafe, but I'll give point to its presentation and latte art. If you are not a coffee person, you can certainly give this place a miss. Apart from selling coffee, they don't serve other food and the place isn't exactly cosy. 

Address: 15/3 Nimmanhemin Road, Suthep, Muang, Chiangmai, Thailand 50200

Opening hours: 8:08am to 11:08pm

Rustic & Blue (again)

As we received an email from Air Asia notifying us of our flight delay, we had time to spare before heading to the airport, so we decided to return to Rustic & Blue again, which is just around the corner.



This time around, we splurge with our remaining budget and ordered a slice of lemon cheese cake, French toasts, scones set and fish and chips. The total bill came out to 913 Baht (228 Baht per person / SGD 9.35 / RM 29.03). 

The cafe also sells breads and pastries, although we only ordered scones.

Back to Malaysia

We spend our last remaining hours in Chiang Mai in Rustic & Blue before we finally booked Grab to the airport for 135 Baht (34 Baht per person / SGD 1.38 / RM 4.29).





Now that I think about it, we could have checked out other cafes in the vicinity as well, but I guess we were lazy. Perhaps, next time? Though it’s quite unlikely that we would revisit the same city in the short run.

The check in process in the airport went smoothly and off we went, flying back to Malaysia, after spending our last pennies on souvenirs in the airport. Very very bad move, as the prices there are pretty expensive. Get your souvenirs at the Sunday Night Market! It’s so much cheaper. 

Epilogue

And that sums up our 6D5N Pai and Chiang Mai trip. Mj has always been the hardcore backpacker, and this is the first time that she's been this laid-back. We didn't wake up at the wee hours of the morning or take any overnight buses or train. This isn't her typical backpacking style. It's more like flash-packing. We didn't get to cover much, but we did have fun. I guess, Chiang Mai really has too much to offer, and 6 days just ain't enough. Not to mentioned that we also covered Pai. I'll be back Northern Thailand! Someday I will.

Related entries:

➣Summary itinerary

➣Chiang Mai (Part 1/2)