How Chiang Mai melted my heart

At six in the morning in Chiang Mai, capital of the province of the same name, the air is cool and city slowly stirs itself to life. Abroad, in the streets, like me are mynah birds flitting from tree to tree and orange-clad monks, the only other denizens that seem to be awake at this hour.

We have been sleeping late due to a packed schedule, but I am a creature of habit, up before sunrise. When in another country I love early morning walks to explore the roads and what these have to offer.

This morning, the road brings a 12-year-old monk my way, and did he melt my heart!

Between  6 and 7 a.m., the Buddhist monks walk the streets to receive food from the Thais and to bestow prayers on them in return. I am unprepared and have no food to offer this child, but am told I can give him money, so I give him 50 baht. He removes the cap on his shaved head, which keeps the chill away, when I ask if we can have our photo taken.

My heart is moved by this young monk, who must rely on the kindness of strangers.

But this is Chiang Mai where strangers are kind. I cannot picture any of my children doing this, yet in Thailand, it is an honor and believed to bring their families good karma.

“He prayed for you,” I am told. The monks chant their prayers, asking for you to have good health and other blessings. I, in turn, pray for them, that they would be blessed with happiness.

Cebu Pacific, the leading carrier that makes travel affordable for every Juan, recently inaugurated a direct flight to Chiang Mai, the Thai city located in the mountainous north. It is a historical place whose old walls date back to the 13th century, and has more than a hundred temples.

Chiang Mai has a small town vibe, but don’t let this deceive you. The city and its environs have many sophisticated offerings such as upscale weekend markets, glittering malls and Michelin-starred restaurants.

Short drives outside the city will bring you to a range of uniquely Chiang Mai experiences. The second time I find my heart has completely melted is when we visit the elephants to the north. The moment I spy these gentle giants from afar, I have fallen in love. How much more am I enamored  when we enter the Hug Change Elephant Sanctuary and they quietly saunter up to us, eyeing us calmly and extending their trunks to check us out.

We gladly learn how to hide medicine, to aid their digestion, in tamarind balls, give the command “bonbon!” so they will open their mouths to receive bananas and sugarcane sticks from our hands. We create a soap out of a bark-like material they call sabon, bathe them in the river and laugh when they mischievously splash us with water from their trunks.

The third time my heart melted was when we visited the Lanna Resort where we were clad in beautiful traditional Thai costumes and jewelry, and learned to make our own krathong (arrangements of banana leaves and orchids) to float down the river. Before we set them assail, we have to apologize to the river for the pollution we have caused it, and make wishes.

Chiang Mai is full of these sweet charms that steal your heart before you are aware of what is happening.

We visit the old walls of the city, built in the 13th century, before a moat and have our photos taken with pigeons. We tour the old city on tuktuks and find our jaws dropping at the magnificent temples. Mind you, this is a city with a temple on every street. On another day, I take the zigzag roads up the mountain of  Doi Suthep and climb hundreds of steps to view the dazzling golden temple there.

Our hosts, Cebu Pacific aided by TAT (Travel Association of Thailand), are determined to feed us, and then some. After a morning making herbal massage balls at Ontai, we have a scrumptious lunch at  Mhiang Kham and are taught how to assemble Thai appetizers. This is followed by a visit to the L Love Flower farm, where we are served flower-like jellies after posing in fields of flowers. Then, our home base, the Melia Hotel, serves us a delicious spread of appetizers as we watch the sun set from their roofdeck bar Mai Sky. There’s dinner still to follow, by Chidlom by the Ping river where we have our first serving of mango sticky rice.

The next day is no less forgiving because our elephant activities are followed by a walk in the beautiful gardens of Angel Café and an equally yummy lunch of Thai specialties. From here, a 45-minute drive takes us to the Firefly Café for yet another meal! This is a Team Lab sort of place with digital art on the walls. Stuffed as I am, I cannot resist the pizza after one bite (pizza?? in Thailand???) because it is tom yang goon flavored. I am determined to recreate this delicious dish the moment I land back in Manila.

After two meals, we are still off to another! This is a sophisticated and beautiful afternoon tea spread at Ni Nirand Romantic Boutique Resort, which I can only describe as your dream honeymoon destination. Then it’s off to another sunset viewing at the newly renovated Intercontinental Hotel before dinner at The House by Ginger, a charming restaurant serving fusion Thai food amid walls of art. The Intercontinental Hotel is also a standout because of its stunning displays of traditional Northern art in its lobby, bars and rooms.

The popular night markets are, to me, like tiangges, though they sell only Thai-made clothes and other inexpensive buys. But if you want to experience a truly quality market, head for Jiang Jia, a morning market where lovely clothes of pure Thai cotton are sold alongside tempting food, art, all kinds of Thai crafts. 

The night food markets focus on a range of Asian cuisines that are inexpensive yet delicious, and one of the best is right behind the parking lot of the Melia Hotel. On Friday mornings, it becomes the site of an organic market.

I have a special interest in visiting Shinawatra, an almost century-old institution that weaves and sells pure Thai silk. I leave with 20 meters of silk and other beautiful merchandise after the staff takes me on a brief tour of the weaving process involving yellow Thai cocoons. They burn a swatch so I can tell pure Thai silk from adulterated versions. There are many other purveyors of silk in Chiang Mai, but as with our pina, the genuine item is not inexpensive.

No matter how else you spend your time, do not miss the trendy Nimman area and One Nimman for an upscale and elevated Thai shopping experience. I had delicious roast duck there for only 70 baht! The street is full of cafes, coffee shops and unusual boutiques that are IG perfect.

My takeaways from this unforgettable first visit to Chinag Mai? Eating for wellness as well as for flavor. The Thais have eaten and used herbs and vegetables traditionally for their healing properties. We ought to do the same!

Kindness is  a commodity that never goes out of fashion and which pays itself back a thousandfold. 

At the Hug Change Elephant camp, I had left the group to fetch my power bank from the locker and encountered that same small elephant that had kissed me with its trunk earlier, still asking for a hug. 

“Hug” in the northern Lanna language means “love.”

As our group prepared to part ways it seems everybody can use a hug, elephant or human, in Chiang Mai, or elsewhere.