Chiang Mai and Pai, From My Point of View... (#1 Thailand Travel Series)

in #travel7 years ago (edited)

This is my first edition of the Travel Series...

Travel for me is a spiritual experience. To be able to get out from my little box and see other cultures helps to expand my perspective and have a greater appreciation for the little box where I mostly spend my time at, as well as a better understanding of myself and my own culture.

This starts with my honeymoon trip to Thailand in 2016...

The photos are taken, directed and edited by me and mostly taken by my husband. I hope you enjoy the photos and my random train of thoughts, and I also hope that this will inspire you to just - as my favorite Youtuber Damon and Jo said - 'shut up and go'...

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Wat Phabong, Chiang Mai. King Bhuminol Adulyadej had passed away right before I went to Thailand. Spending only 4 hours strolling around this beautiful quaint little town, I've come to realize how he is dearly loved by his people. His image and influence are sprawled all across town, subtly enhancing the sacredness of Thai monarchy. It's only fair to pay respect for the man whose heart is felt by the everyday people in Chiang Mai, and who was a symbol of both national unity and modernity.

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The rally against Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (my fellow Indonesians will relate to this) and Trump election were going on at this time. Being there, seeing all these wonders made me contemplate human values. They are such an emotional subject. If they come from the right place, it can create peace. Or a piece of art. Like many of the temples I visited in Chiang Mai, or how Buddhism is practiced here. But when misplaced, it is heartbreaking to see the chaos that they are able to create.

IMG_0583.JPGFrom Chiang Mai, we took a 3 hours bus ride to Pai. Pai was once a quiet market village just 146 km northwest of Chiang Mai. Today, tourists from all over the world flock to Pai. Once there, we rented a motorbike (150 Baht a day, around $5 CAD) and headed to Phupai Art Resort, where we stayed for 3 nights. The resort is surrounded by beautiful views of hills and rice fields. This actually reminds me of Ubud, Bali.

IMG_0585.JPGAbout an hour from Pai, there's this beautiful natural hot spring, Sai Ngam Hot Spring, a.k.a. The Secret Hot Spring (not so secret anymore). We floated and let nature embrace us in its warmth for a couple of hours. It was truly a magical experience.

LRG_DSC02829.JPGWe took a break on the way back because of this 🙌🏼. No explanation needed...

IMG_0584.JPGAnother thing I love about traveling is FOOD. I LOVE trying different, even weird, cuisine from all over the world. This is at Pai night market. There are tons of amazing foods to try here. I was actually looking for a scorpion, but couldn't find it, so I decided to try this grilled squid with 'magic sauce' instead. So delicious and fresh...

I'm trying not to make this a long post. So I will make several posts on Thailand itself. Thank you for reading my first one. I hope you enjoyed or are even inspired by what you see... See you in my next post!

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I ❤️ reading your post Nia!! I just realized again how beautiful Asia is. Warm and cozy and so far away from here... Please keep on writing 😘

the back of my bald head is almost as shiny as that golden buddha. lol.

ah, Chiang Mai... such a soul-soothing vibe... 💗

I see your hair continues to be as lush as ever. :D

The fresh, love-packed Thai food and spiritual vibe in those mountains sure did give it that extra radiance, didn’t it...? :-D

btw... heard Thai women had a deep voice :P True?
jhehehe

mmm... you might be thinking of the ladyboys. lol.

nice photos, the most beautiful one is landscape with you in it.. i would call her All the world is green :)
i would like to share my traveling experience with new steem friends :)
my wish is to go to Tibet

Thank you... Tibet is on my bucket list also. Hope to see what you think about it on Steemit soon I hope :)

You mean the bathing suit one? That was my favorite :P

maybe, but it could be pic above :)

Beautiful post, beautiful photos! Your story for me is like salt on a wound. I really love the Thai cuisine and the culture of this people, but unfortunately I was not in Thailand. A long flight causes difficulty with us as we travel with children. But we will definitely go to this beautiful country, when the youngest daughter grows up a little.

Yeap, that squid does look tasty, plus I've seen Thai street food being referred to in lovely terms in tv shows related and not related to cuisine, and that definitely opens up the appetite.

Oh man, those sauces that come with ‘em!!

Please stop talking about it. I choke on saliva)))

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Your post brought me right back to Northern Thaialnd - upvoted. Check out my blog for some photography from my last trip there.

I love your photos!

Good photos, I am a photographer, it passes for my blog and sees my content, I hope that it should be of your taste :D greetings

A woman is a piece of art :)

Hehehe, you believed it was squid?
That is clearly "Rat on a Stick" :P
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