Thursday morning early I took a flight out of Phuket city to Chiang Rai city, it was going to be a business and pleasure trip to enjoy a little sightseeing, I was going to be there for only the one day and one night, it is a city I have been longing to see and wished I could stay longer as this beautiful city of Chiang Rai has a lot to offer but unfortunately I was not going to be here long enough to see everything I would love to see, still it was just the thought of been in a different city of Thailand that excited me the flight was 2 hours and it cost me $85 US (2,800 Baht) round trip.
Landing at Chiang Rai airport I then had to take a small bus to the Chiang Rai bus terminal which was about 10km away heading towards the city costing me $1.50 US (50 Baht) from the Chiang Rai airport to the Chiang Rai bus terminal once there I had to take another bigger bus to a province about 60km out from the city where I was going to meet my client and this bus ticket cost me $3 US (100 Baht) I had a one hour before the bus was to leave so I decided to take a walk around the bus terminal as I had noticed there were some amazing colorful Thai traditional culture murals all around the bus terminal inside and out and I just had to take a look at these murals never had I seen such detailed and colorful murals these were spectacular.
I almost missed the bus I was that impressed and taken in by the beauty of all these murals around this bus terminal anyways so here I was on another bus heading out of the city to meet my client and the one other thing that I was happy about besides meeting my client was that I was heading in the direction of the Elephant Nature Park and it was still early morning and I deciding been here and so close I would take the opportunity to visit these majestic elephants after my meeting.
Arriving at Mae Taeng District, I met with my client all when well with him I closed up the deal and it was still only just going on to mid-day so of I when to visit the Elephant camp which was only like 20 minutes away from were I was standing, I negotiated with Tuk-Tuk driver and of we when to the Elephant Nature Camp and I got the Tuk-Tuk's phone number to call him up to come pick me up when I was done because I was out in the middle of a jungle with no way of getting back from here unless you were with a tour group or had your own car so it was a done deal with the Tuk-Tuk driver and of I when to enjoy the afternoon and maybe a swim in the river with these majestic Elephants.
This Elephant Nature Park also takes part in animal rescue services they not only take care of sick, hurt or distressed elephants but also dogs, cats, buffaloes, goats, cows and even rabbits, they seem to care for all on this huge 250 acre property.
It was really a experience and a delight afternoon to be around these beautiful happy elephants you could see the smiles on there faces been on this huge property free to do what they wanted and at the same time been feed and taken care of. I learned that this elephant nature park has about 200 elephants that they rescued from the tourism and logging industries since it open up in the early 1990's and took action in bringing these majestic elephant back home where they belong free again to roam the jungle do what they liked.
It was really rewarding and very relaxing to see these beautiful elephants roaming around free and the other rescued animals also but what I enjoyed most was to be able to walk with these elephants and able to touch these majestic elephants there is a small fee for the short visit into the park, it will cost you $6 US (200 Baht) for about 3 hours which is more then enough time but if you like the day tour pickup from airport or hotel, lunch provided and trekking along the river up into the jungle with the elephants watching them play splashing around in the river but not riding them they don't allow that, then taken back to your hotel, this will cost you $75 US (2,500 Baht) a worthwhile day with these big guys.
It was definitely a enjoyable 3 hours spent with these big guys and it was time to head back to Chiang Mai city center I had planned to go and visit some temples which apparently look great at night when all lit up getting back to my hotel I showed up had some dinner and was ready to rock and roll again my first stop was going to be the the Wat Huay Pla Kung known as the Big Buddha of Chiang Rai, extraordinary beautiful from the outside and equally as stunning on the inside with all it's sculpture carvings and the tall Pagoda Temple another masterpiece of the city.
A little further up the main road of Chiang Mai city was this other beautiful temple called the Wat Ming Meuang, which is apparently known or believed to shelter all the good spirits of the city. I loved the design of this temple and the way it changed colors.
It was a real delight to see these temples of the night Chiang Rai city, is known for the colorful Temples and they certainly did look very impressive now it was time to head back to my hotel it had been a long day and the next day I wanted to be up early to visit the Wat Rong Suea Ten know as the Blue Temple before heading back to Phuket on a afternoon flight. I took another Tuk-Tuk through Chiang Rai city, the city of Chiang Rai, it's quite a beautiful and big city with only a population of 200,000 people I was surprised I thought there would more people living in this amazing city. That Golden Clock Tower, in the center of Chiang Rai city was something else a real eye opener.
The next morning I was up early with the excitement of another beautiful day in this beautiful city the sunrise was looking awesome and I couldn't wait to get out there I took a walk through this park that I could see from my hotel room and getting across the other side of the park was a main road I got myself some breakfast at one of the local restaurants before heading out to the Blue Temple.
After that one kilometer walk from my hotel through this park having breakfast I was ready for my next adventure to the Blue Temple which was about 3km out of the city area while most temples in Thailand are mostly all in gold they decided to do this one in blue the walls, roof, and surrounding statues are all covered in this gorgeous blue, it really looked apart from other temples, it's why Chiang Rai, is also know as the Temples of Color.
This beautiful Blue Temple masterpiece commenced construction in 2005 and opened it's doors as the new additions of temples in 2015 it was near a village not far from Chiang Rai city center on the grounds that use to house an older temple which had been abandoned for over a century and now is one of the most visited temple in the city. Inside the temple is just breathtaking with it's shades of rich sapphire and extraordinary paintings completely covering every surface and the seated big Buddha statue made of shiny white porcelain was just mind blowing I always say to myself it can't get better but it just does I was absolutely in awe seeing this Blue Temple no wonder I left it to last because it sent me home with a big smile.
Landing at Chiang Rai airport I then had to take a small bus to the Chiang Rai bus terminal which was about 10km away heading towards the city costing me $1.50 US (50 Baht) from the Chiang Rai airport to the Chiang Rai bus terminal once there I had to take another bigger bus to a province about 60km out from the city where I was going to meet my client and this bus ticket cost me $3 US (100 Baht) I had a one hour before the bus was to leave so I decided to take a walk around the bus terminal as I had noticed there were some amazing colorful Thai traditional culture murals all around the bus terminal inside and out and I just had to take a look at these murals never had I seen such detailed and colorful murals these were spectacular.
I almost missed the bus I was that impressed and taken in by the beauty of all these murals around this bus terminal anyways so here I was on another bus heading out of the city to meet my client and the one other thing that I was happy about besides meeting my client was that I was heading in the direction of the Elephant Nature Park and it was still early morning and I deciding been here and so close I would take the opportunity to visit these majestic elephants after my meeting.
Arriving at Mae Taeng District, I met with my client all when well with him I closed up the deal and it was still only just going on to mid-day so of I when to visit the Elephant camp which was only like 20 minutes away from were I was standing, I negotiated with Tuk-Tuk driver and of we when to the Elephant Nature Camp and I got the Tuk-Tuk's phone number to call him up to come pick me up when I was done because I was out in the middle of a jungle with no way of getting back from here unless you were with a tour group or had your own car so it was a done deal with the Tuk-Tuk driver and of I when to enjoy the afternoon and maybe a swim in the river with these majestic Elephants.
This Elephant Nature Park also takes part in animal rescue services they not only take care of sick, hurt or distressed elephants but also dogs, cats, buffaloes, goats, cows and even rabbits, they seem to care for all on this huge 250 acre property.
It was really a experience and a delight afternoon to be around these beautiful happy elephants you could see the smiles on there faces been on this huge property free to do what they wanted and at the same time been feed and taken care of. I learned that this elephant nature park has about 200 elephants that they rescued from the tourism and logging industries since it open up in the early 1990's and took action in bringing these majestic elephant back home where they belong free again to roam the jungle do what they liked.
It was really rewarding and very relaxing to see these beautiful elephants roaming around free and the other rescued animals also but what I enjoyed most was to be able to walk with these elephants and able to touch these majestic elephants there is a small fee for the short visit into the park, it will cost you $6 US (200 Baht) for about 3 hours which is more then enough time but if you like the day tour pickup from airport or hotel, lunch provided and trekking along the river up into the jungle with the elephants watching them play splashing around in the river but not riding them they don't allow that, then taken back to your hotel, this will cost you $75 US (2,500 Baht) a worthwhile day with these big guys.
It was definitely a enjoyable 3 hours spent with these big guys and it was time to head back to Chiang Mai city center I had planned to go and visit some temples which apparently look great at night when all lit up getting back to my hotel I showed up had some dinner and was ready to rock and roll again my first stop was going to be the the Wat Huay Pla Kung known as the Big Buddha of Chiang Rai, extraordinary beautiful from the outside and equally as stunning on the inside with all it's sculpture carvings and the tall Pagoda Temple another masterpiece of the city.
A little further up the main road of Chiang Mai city was this other beautiful temple called the Wat Ming Meuang, which is apparently known or believed to shelter all the good spirits of the city. I loved the design of this temple and the way it changed colors.
It was a real delight to see these temples of the night Chiang Rai city, is known for the colorful Temples and they certainly did look very impressive now it was time to head back to my hotel it had been a long day and the next day I wanted to be up early to visit the Wat Rong Suea Ten know as the Blue Temple before heading back to Phuket on a afternoon flight. I took another Tuk-Tuk through Chiang Rai city, the city of Chiang Rai, it's quite a beautiful and big city with only a population of 200,000 people I was surprised I thought there would more people living in this amazing city. That Golden Clock Tower, in the center of Chiang Rai city was something else a real eye opener.
The next morning I was up early with the excitement of another beautiful day in this beautiful city the sunrise was looking awesome and I couldn't wait to get out there I took a walk through this park that I could see from my hotel room and getting across the other side of the park was a main road I got myself some breakfast at one of the local restaurants before heading out to the Blue Temple.
After that one kilometer walk from my hotel through this park having breakfast I was ready for my next adventure to the Blue Temple which was about 3km out of the city area while most temples in Thailand are mostly all in gold they decided to do this one in blue the walls, roof, and surrounding statues are all covered in this gorgeous blue, it really looked apart from other temples, it's why Chiang Rai, is also know as the Temples of Color.
This beautiful Blue Temple masterpiece commenced construction in 2005 and opened it's doors as the new additions of temples in 2015 it was near a village not far from Chiang Rai city center on the grounds that use to house an older temple which had been abandoned for over a century and now is one of the most visited temple in the city. Inside the temple is just breathtaking with it's shades of rich sapphire and extraordinary paintings completely covering every surface and the seated big Buddha statue made of shiny white porcelain was just mind blowing I always say to myself it can't get better but it just does I was absolutely in awe seeing this Blue Temple no wonder I left it to last because it sent me home with a big smile.