What's up guys! We're here in Chiang Rai, Thailand,
and in this video we're going to show you the best things to do in and around the city,
including this beautiful temple behind us so hope you enjoy it.
Chiang Rai is the northernmost province in Thailand. Filled with lush hills, fine local food,
an abundance of temples, and cultural sites, this is one of the country's most fascinating regions.
And although it's located right next to the well-trodden Chiang Mai, this province doesn't
receive as many tourists. In fact, most people visit Chiang Rai as a day trip from Chiang Mai,
but we recommend spending at least a few days here to fully soak in the unique culture. Chiang
Rai City is the main hub to explore the hidden corners of the region from. But the city itself
also has a wide variety of attractions. In this video, we highlight the best things to do inside
the city of Chiang Rai as well as excursions to its surrounding area. Now let's dive in!
We're Zac and Ine. We make helpful videos about
destinations around the world so you can easily plan your own adventures.
Perched on a hill on the southern edge of Chiang Rai City, Wat Phrathat Doi Khao Kwai
has some of the most beautiful sunset views of the city and mountains to the north.
We could even see all the way to the huge Guan Yin statue about 11 kilometers or 7 miles away.
The temple itself is quite unique as well.
Every weekend the streets in the heart of Chiang Rai come alive. On Saturday evenings, Thanalai
Road becomes a walking street filled with hundreds of stalls that offer street food, handmade goods,
and other souvenirs. When we visited, there was also live music in the park as well as
a beautiful art display of flowers and lights. And if you can't make it on Saturday night, you
can also go to the Sunday market on Sankhongnoi Road a bit outside the city center. Both street
markets are a great opportunity to mingle with the locals and understand their customs.
Located on the outskirts of the city, Singha Park is a great place to relax and get close to nature.
It's actually owned by one of Thailand's prime beer producers; the Singha Beer Company,
and you can find a big statue of its lion logo at the entrance to the park.
Inside the park, you can find a variety of walking and cycling routes as well as lakes,
fruit orchards, restaurants, a recreation and sports center, and much more.
As the park is quite big, it's best to get around by electric golf cart or scooter. You
can rent these from a shop at the entrance. An hour drive to the north of Chiang Rai City,
you can find Mae Salong, a mountainous region that is home to many beautiful tea plantations.
The best way to discover this area is by driving route 1130, which is an experience in itself.
But besides just looking at the views, you should also visit a tea plantation for yourself.
We did a tasting at Tea Plantation 101, which was free of charge.
Being high up in the mountains, this plantation was very scenic.
It's best to do this as a day trip from Chiang Rai and you can also combine it with a visit
to the Tham Luang Cave and Golden Triangle, which we'll highlight later in this video.
Another fun thing to do just outside the city of Chiang Rai is to visit
the eccentric Baan Dam Museum, which translates to Black House.
Often mistaken as a temple, this museum houses a series of buildings created by Thawan Duchanee,
a Thai painter, architect, and sculptor with an international reputation. Inside the structures,
you can find collections of paintings, sculptures, animal bones, skins, horns, silver and gold items.
Something a lot of people don't know is that it's actually more than one black house.
There's 40 of these black houses scattered across the property, so a lot to explore.
The landscapes around Chiang Rai are home to multiple waterfalls, some of which are more
accessible than others. We went to the Khun Kon waterfall, the highest and most popular one in
the region, which is located about 30 kilometers or 18.5 miles to the west of Chiang Rai City.
It's also possible to swim in the falls, so make sure to bring the proper attire.
Visible from parts of Chiang Rai City,
the huge Guan Yin statue is another attraction you can't miss. After walking a set of stairs,
you can take an elevator to access the inside of the Guan Yin image, rising all the way to the top.
Peek out of the windows for panoramic views of Chiang Rai and the surrounding countryside and
mountains. And right next to the statue, there's also a pagoda and another white-colored temple.
The Night Bazaar is located in the heart of Chiang Rai City. From 6 PM until midnight there
are a range of stalls that offer typical market goods, such as food, clothing, and souvenirs.
It's a good nighttime spot for local food, cold beer, and live music. And one of the popular
dishes you can find here is called a "hot pot". This is a steaming metal pot with one or more soup
bases which is delivered to your table along with baskets of vegetables, meats, or seafood. You then
cook the ingredients yourself in the boiling soup. It's a super popular dish in northern Thailand.
The Tham Luang Cave became a more popular place to visit after a soccer team and their coach got
stuck here for over two weeks in 2018. Heavy rainfall partially flooded the cave, blocking
their way out and trapping them deep within. The rescue operation involved more than 10,000 people,
including over a hundred divers. Today, you can only enter a small section of the cave
but the area around the cave has more details on the rescue, with detailed maps, a recreated
tunnel section, and a memorial statue. At the time of our visit, it was free to go into the cave,
but we did have to take a short shuttle. More developments in the area seem to be underway.
The most popular thing to do in Chiang Rai is to visit the White Temple,
located about 13 kilometers or 8 miles to the south of the city. This sparkling white modern
Temple was designed and constructed by a local Thai artist in the late 90s. The incredible
architecture and art is like something out of a fairy tale. But apart from the famous temple
itself, there are other buildings, artsy objects, and even a golden temple that you can walk around.
So if you want to visit the White Temple, it's best to come very early in the morning
right after the opening time or right before closing because you will see a lot less people.
As if Chiang Rai isn't colorful enough, a new temple opened its doors in 2016, known as the
Blue Temple. This incredible modern temple has vibrant colors, both on the inside and outside.
At the time of our visit it was also free to enter here, which was an added bonus.
Since it's only three kilometers or 1.8 miles from the Clock Tower in the center of Chiang Rai,
it's possible to get here by a long walk or a bike ride. And similar to the White Temple,
you should make sure to visit earlier or later in the day because it can get crowded.
Finally, you can't leave Chiang Rai without visiting the famous Golden Triangle,
located a one-hour drive to the north. This is the area where Thailand, Laos,
and Myanmar meet, as well as where the Mekong and Ruak Rivers intersect.
From the Golden Triangle Park, you can look out at the rivers and land below.
The area also features a beautiful Buddha as well as the Hall of Opium Museum,
which are both worth a visit. And if you want to get even closer,
it's also possible to do a small boat tour on the Mekong River.
There are a few things to do in Chiang Rai that we didn't mention and we've included
a list of those on the screen here for you. If you're planning your Thailand trip, we recommend
keeping things organized with our interactive travel planner, find a discount code below. We
also included important links that you'll need for your Chiang Rai trip in the description,
such as a blog post with places to stay and eat as well as an interactive map so you can
get to each place that we mentioned. We'll catch you on the next adventure!