Chiang Mai 2024
A Love Letter to Chiang Mai
When we first came back (this time with kids in tow) we weren’t expecting to still love this place so much. Six years on, it was sure to have lost its charm to tourism and we were sure not to have as much fun now we were encumbered with the needs of small people. But, we did and this last four months have been wonderful.
Of course I love the weather and the warmth, the way the light shines through the tropical plants and the tuktuks making everything gleam. And how could we not adore the food - virtually impossible to have a bad Thai meal and for a fraction of the price of anywhere else. I love the landscape of the city, a mashup of modern buildings nestled between ancient walls and temples, the old and new harmoniously coexisting. I LOVE the vibrant markets filled with noise and smells and forge in fruits and things I can’t and don’t want to know what they are. I love the plethora of incredible playgrounds making children not just feel tolerated but welcome, I love the Thai massage shops that are dotted on every street, I love that weed is legal (even if I rarely partake) I love the tuk tuks (especially the electric non smelly ones) cruising around the city. I love hopping on the back of a motorbike to get from A to B, in day and then in night when the city comes alive with lights. But honestly and really, it’s the Thai people who are without doubt the kindness and most welcoming nation of anywhere I have been. Their culture is based on respect, kindness and community - They stop to say hi to the kids at any opportunity, they are so eager to help for no other reason than they are kind, they are welcoming to westerners and when things were tricky and we needed support there was many people who cared.
So long Chiang Mai; we will most definitely, definitely be back.
