【Editor's Recommendation】Step into Chiang Mai and Return to Simple Nature

Originally published in the December 17, 2015 issue of the Sing Tao Daily under "World Travel"

Known as the “Rose of the North,” Chiang Mai, Thailand’s first independent kingdom — the capital of the Lanna Kingdom in Thai history — this ancient mountain city exudes a different vibe from the glitzy modern capital Bangkok. At Chiang Mai Airport, you won’t see flashy luxury brand stores, but rather shops selling the region’s famous Northern Thai sausages.

While also home to luxurious five-star hotels, why not come to Chiang Mai, nestled at the foot of Thailand’s highest peak, and enjoy the tranquility embraced by mountains, feel the rumble of elephants walking by, listen to the roar of cascading waterfalls, and experience its natural beauty?

Traditional Lanna Houses

It takes about an hour by car from Chiang Mai Airport to the mountainous Mae Rim area. Along the way, you can stop at the Mon Tawan viewpoint to gaze at the mountain ranges surrounding Chiang Mai. Though the sun is just as bright, the high-altitude view offers a wide, breezy panorama, and every breath of air feels fresher. Many Thai tourists even camp here. The journey to the lodge isn’t far, but the path into the deep mountains transitions from smooth asphalt roads to steep, rugged trails — about a thirty-minute drive that’s nothing short of thrilling.

The Mon Tawan viewpoint in Chiang Mai offers a wide, open view of the terraced fields in Mae Rim, all embraced by surrounding mountains.

Upon arriving at the campsite, our guide Nid took the time to explain: “For environmental reasons and due to limited supplies on the mountain, we use solar power sparingly. There’s no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning, no hot water for showers, and temperatures vary greatly between day and night — it can drop to as low as ten degrees Celsius at night in winter. Welcome to the mountains!” Used to the fast pace of city life, I was initially a bit worried about this primitive lifestyle. But seeing the lovely, simple traditional Lanna wooden houses scattered across the lush hills of Mae Rim filled us with curiosity instead of concern. We explored every detail of these cabins, trying to understand rural Thai life and culture. Visitors usually share a cabin with two or three others, but in reality, many rural Thai families of ten or more often squeeze into spaces as small as 200 square feet or even less. No ocean views, no living rooms or suites — but you can lie on a Thai-style bamboo mat on the balcony at dawn and listen to the rooster’s crow, or lie in a hammock at sunset and gaze at the starry sky. Perhaps this is the secret to the Thai people’s optimistic outlook on life?

The stilted wooden cabins built into the mountainsides showcase the wisdom of traditional snake-proof design.

Elephant Conservation Experience

In the past, transportation between Bangkok and Chiang Mai wasn’t as developed as it is today, and elephants served as both transport and beasts of burden for the Thai people. Also symbolizing wealth and peace, elephants hold a special place in Thai culture. At the elephant conservation center, there are no gimmicky “performances” like elephants painting or playing soccer. Our activity only involved riding elephants. Since our task was to accompany them to bathe — not to mindlessly circle around on their backs — I believe this is the most humane form of tourism. After all, elephants need to bathe once or twice a day anyway. There were no heavy saddles putting unnecessary strain on them, and the mahouts didn’t ride too close. The feeling of actually riding on the neck of an elephant is quite unique. They may seem to move slowly, but once you’re on their back, you can truly feel their liveliness. Not long into the ride, the elephant reached its trunk toward me where I sat on its neck, and I handed it a banana that the mahout had prepared in advance. After it finished eating and flapped its ears, I gently patted its head, almost sensing its joy.

As the evening sun cast its glow, the mahouts led the elephants to the river to play and bathe.

As we neared the river, the elephants quickened their pace. The already bumpy ride grew even more jolting, and the elephants eagerly plunged straight into their natural bathtub — the thrill reminded me of a roller coaster at a theme park. There was plenty of elephant dung in the river, and I realized why they were in such a hurry... Since elephants are herbivores, their dung isn’t very smelly. We climbed off the elephants’ backs and jumped into the river to help wash them. They seemed delighted, trumpeting happily and spraying us with water from their trunks. Perhaps humans, known as the “wisest of creatures,” can still live in harmony with nature when we let go of our worries and aggression. Once the elephants had had enough fun in the water, we got back on their backs to return to camp. They seemed more energetic than before their bath, while we were utterly exhausted from the effort of staying balanced on their backs — not to mention the half-hour walk back to camp. But under the golden glow of the setting sun, with a gentle breeze blowing and the picturesque mountain scenery of Chiang Mai unfolding before us, it was the perfect antidote for urbanites looking to leave their worries behind.

Mountain Hiking

On the second day in the mountains, we set out at 8:00 AM for a roughly six-hour hiking trip. With not many entertainment options on the mountain, a good night’s sleep the previous evening left us feeling refreshed, and we started off at a brisk pace at the front of the group. Nid pulled me back and said, “Jaiyanyan” (which means “calm down” in Thai), “Do Hong Kong people always walk so fast? Try slowing down and taking in the scenery along the way.” Perhaps it’s the nature of their contented lifestyle, but Thais generally don’t walk fast. The people of Chiang Mai, living in the cooler mountain climate, move at an even more leisurely pace... Along the way, Nid introduced us to wild fruits and plants, and brought us to a village of the Hmong hill tribe — an ethnic minority who migrated from China to the Thai mountains in the 18th century and have their own dialect. We learned about their culture.

The Thai Hmong people make a living primarily by selling handmade traditional clothing, and they’re used to seeing visitors from outside.

By noon, after four hours of hiking and utterly exhausted, we arrived at a waterfall restaurant — not a fancy one, but a small wooden eatery built next to a waterfall by locals. After a simple meal, under the blazing sun, the best way to cool off was to step into a cave beneath the waterfall and soak our feet in the icy water while listening to the thunderous roar of the falls. Finding inner calm brings a sense of coolness, and the brief moment of meditation helped us recharge before continuing our journey. On the way back to the camp, we passed by the Mae Rim terraces. Though not as grand as the Longji Terraces in Guilin, simply being in the quiet mountains and crossing paths with the local farmers’ free-range white cows was enough to cleanse our minds and lift our spirits.

A fallen tree trunk lodged perfectly in the waterfall is a masterpiece of nature.

Thai people have a strong sense of community, and young guide Nid even helped cook during lunch at the restaurant.

The distance between people has always been both close and far. Ironically, in this age of information overload, when we came to experience traditional Thai mountain life in Chiang Mai, everyone lost interest in scrolling through their phones. Instead, we went back to basics — flashlight in hand, we headed to the main building of the camp, gathered together to boil water, cook meals, chat, sing songs, and rediscover the beauty of simplicity and nature.

Links:Chiang Mai Area Local Tours