Travel Information of Chiang Mai, Thailand - Sept 2013

Chiang Mai is a relatively cheap place to visit comparing with Bangkok. It is also safe. Nobody actually attempted to con travelers as in Vietnam. The 3 important thing to remember is bargain, bargain and bargain for anything you need to pay for except accommodation.

The cost of the trip from Chiang Mai Airport to Seriwongse Hotel was about 120 baht by legal cab that you could pay at the airport. The journey was probably less than 30 minutes. Very convenient indeed.

Throughout my trip I was staying in Seriwongse Hotel (somehow the locals called it "Seriwong" by eliminating the "se"). Don't ask me what is the meaning of "se". The hotel was located near the famous nightly night market. The carpet in the room was slightly old but I had no issue with that. The room was generally good and the service was good as well. The staff were friendly and helpful. When my mobile phone failed to reach a local cab driver's mobile phone, one of the female staff even called him on her personal mobile phone for me without charging me any fee.

It was a relaxing slow pace trip for me. So, the first day, I basically did nothing except for exploring the night market.

On the second day I went to the following places:

Tiger Kingdom - you have the option to choose big tigers, medium tigers and small tigers to hang around with. I decided to pick big tigers as it was cheaper but higher risk I supposed. Anyway, I am still alive today. It costs 420 baht per person.

Maesa Elephant Camp - Entrance fee was 120 baht. 800 baht for 30 minutes elephant ride. 1200 baht for an hour elephant ride. 

Note:
The above 2 places are nearby. So you could take a half day trip there by cab. I took the risk by taking illegal cab which cost me about 150 baht. He took me to some factories which was not part of then plan but I didn't mind. It was a norm for illegal cab drivers to do so in Thailand to obtain some sponsorship I supposed.

The following 2 places which I visited near Measa should be avoided especially the long neck Karen village:

Long neck village - It cost 500 baht to see some Karen vendors. Yes, vendors! There was no village. I personally think it's a rip-off. Yes, the dressed up in their native costumes but you would be very disappointed if you expected a village. I am still wondering where is the actual village.

Mae Rim Monkey School - It cost 200 baht. I was not that amazed as it was nothing unusual for me to watch a monkey show.

On  the third day, I went to the white temple which was about 3 hours drive from Chiang Mai. You can skip the hot spring on the way there as it's just a resting place. The white temple was amazing though. There was no entrance fee. The journey cost me about 460 baht for two way by van. The driver took us to a honey factory which was not part of my plan but again I didn't mind.


On the forth day, I went to Doi Suthep which was relatively far from the town. There was Wat Phra That Doi Suthep which was located on a hill. It was the same temple that my grandparents visited decades ago as I could recall the photo I saw when I was a kid. The climb was very pleasant comparing to other temples I had visited in Laos and Cambodia. It was not too high. So forget about taking the cable car unless you are too old or have heart problem. There were some food, clothes and art vendors nearby. The prices were surprisingly not too costly unlike many tourism spots that rip off tourists. The journey cost around 200 baht. The old man (cab driver) didn't take me to any places I did not plan to go. The trip was about 1 hour plus from town.

The rest of the days, I was just loitering around the old city of Chiang Mai by walking from the hotel. The places I visited were:

Three Kings Monument

Wat Phra Chao Mengrai

Wat Chedi Luang

Wat Phan Tao

Wat Chiang Man

Wat Phra Singh

There are 2 walking streets that are worth checking out if you're into shopping:

Saturday walking street - also called Wualai Walking Street which occurs on every Saturday night.

Sunday walking street - it ran along Ratchadamnoen Road at the old town.

The following markets are also worth visiting if you are curious about local markets:

Somphet Market - It's located in the old city near Tha Phae Gate. Basically, you can purchase some local food, fruits, vegetables, etc.

Warorot Market - It's located near Seriwongse Hotel. You could purchase local food, fruits, clothes, etc here.

The following are some prices of various items for budget purpose:

Fried rice - I managed to find a food stall with good food near Night Bazaar. It cost around 30 baht for fried rice.

Fried chicken wing - It cost around 10 baht for a fried chicken wing. You must try fried chicken/pork in Chiang Mai as they are delicious. Forget about KFC which sucks!

Khao soi - It looks like curry noodle served with pork or chicken in Chiang Mai style. It cost me around 30 baht.

Shorts - It cost me around 150 baht for a pair of military shorts.

T-shirt - It cost me around 140 - 150 baht for a t-shirt. 140 baht one was located in Night Bazaar not far from the place I had my fried rice.

Additional Info added on 22 March 2015:
Based on information I have gathered in 2015 after 2 years of my previous trip, the prices do not seem to have hiked. So, it is still a good place to visit comparing with Krabi which I won't go back again. In fact I got some information from my friends who are familiar with Thailand to avoid places like Phuket & Krabi which are too commercialised. 

To those who are keen to know when is the right time to visit Chiang Mai, I was told to avoid the months of February, March, April & May due to the haze caused by burning of paddy fields during dry season. 

Between May to October which is the rainy season, it's not too bad to visit because it normally does not rain the entire day. You can always rest in the hotel when it rains and go out when the rain stops. The weather is cooler with the rain. More often you will get rain at night which is very pleasant to sleep. It's not so crowded and everything could be cheaper because it's not peak season. My trip to Chiang Mai in 2013 was during this season and I don't mind the rainy season at all. Based on my experience, sometimes it rained pretty heavy in the late afternoon but the rain took only about 30 minutes. I would encourage you to have a rain coat ready, wearing shorts and sandals if you're traveling during rainy season - you may get a bit wet and flash flood may occur.

November, December and January are the winter months. I have been told that the weather is colder. Temperature may drop to 10 degree Celsius. This is the peak season when price of everything is likely to hike and you are likely to compete with the crowded tourists wherever you go. Probably this is the season I wish to experience in the future but I dislike that it is the peak season.

If I ever visit Chiang Mai again, I would really love to spend more time at Chiang Rai. I would be interested to spend some time at the villages of the hill tribes such as Karen, Hmong, etc. Mae Hong Son & Pai are some of the places I hope to visit.

Travel Information of Laos in June 2013

Laos is a safe country. I personally feel that it's safer than Malaysia/Thailand/Vietnam although I've heard about a German lady being a victim of attempted robbery at Luang Prabang. Everyone seems to be not in a rush. There's a joke that Laos PDR actually stands for Laos Please Don't Rush. Food is not cheap in this country comparing with other South-East Asian countries. Each meal costs minimum about 15,000 kip (about RM6) without any drinks. If you are worried about flies, you will be starving in Laos. So far I have never fallen sick by eating their street food despite of the flies. The Laotians are generally friendly although there are some not so friendly ones too - the unfriendly ones are minorities anyway. I encountered more beggars than my previous trip - it kept me wondering whether they were parts of the syndicates seen in Malaysia as well. It is a country that you can easily travel on your own without any tourist guide especially you don't mind hot sun and walking long distance. The waterfalls and Hmong Village are reachable by tuk tuk. Remember to negotiate for the price before spending your money in Laos, especially taxi/tuktuk and during shopping.

Places of Interest

Vientiane

Chao Anouvong (statue)
King Srisavangvong statue
Wat Sisaket - not so impressive in my opinion
Ho Pra Keo (old temple)
Chao Fa Ngum statue
Patouxay monument - must visit
That Dam stupa
That Luang stupa - must visit
Revolutionary monument
National Museum (near That Luang stupa)
Wat That Foun
Night market at river side at night (varieties are less than Luang Prabang but sometimes cheaper)

Luang Phrabang

Wat Visoun
Wat Aham
Royal Palace Museum
Phousi Hill/That Chomsi (wat)
Night market
Wat Xiengthong
Wat Sene
Kuang Si waterfall
Hmong Village (on the way to Kuang Si waterfall)
Tad Sae waterfall (rainy season only - best time is August to September) - I missed it due to lack of water at the waterfall
Pak Ou Cave - I didn't visit this due to lack of personal interest
 

Language

The language of Laotian is very similar to Thai with minor differences. The following are some useful Laotian words:

hello - sabaidee
thank you - kwop jai
how are you? - sabaidee baw?
yes - maen leeo
no - baw
goodbye & take care - sohk dee deuh
how much is this? - anee tor dai?
expensive -phaeng
cheap - tuke
soap - saabuu
shampoo - saapom
pen - bik
writing paper - jiia
0 - soon
1 - neung
2 - song
3 - saam
4 - sii
5 - haa
6 - huk
7 - chit
8 - paet
9 - kao
10 - sip
11 - sip et
12 - sip song
20 - sao
21 - sao et
22 - sao song
30 - saam sip
40 - sii sip
50 - haa sip
100 - loi
200 - song loi
300 - saam loi
1000 - phan
2000 - song phan
10,000 - meun OR sip phan
100,000 - saen OR loi phan
1,000,000 - laan
1,000,000,000 - teu OR phan laan
1,000,000,000,000 - laan laan
number (train, bus, etc) - nam boe
half - kheung
less - nawy kwaa
more - iik
now - diow nee
later - lai gon
morning - dthawn sao
afternoon - ton tang
evening - ton lang
night - kaang keun
today - meuh nii
yesterday - meuh wan nii
tomorrow - meuh euhn
this week - aa thit nii
last week - thit laeow
next week - thit naa
sunday - wan aa thit
monday - wan jan
tuesday - wan ang khaan
wednesday - wan phuut
thursday - wan pha hat
friday - wan suk
saturday - wan sao
red - sii daeng
orange (colour) - sii som
yellow - sii lueang
green - sii khiao
blue - sii faa
purple - sii muang
brown - sii nam taan
gray - sii ke thao
black - sii dum
white - sii khao
pink - sii bua
chicken - gai
pork - moo
fish - bpaa
naam - water
warm water - naam yen
eggs - khai
rice - khao
bread - khao jii
rice noodle - pho
wheat noodle - ba mii
coffee - khaa feh
hot tea - saa hawn
juice - naam mak mai



Accommodation

In Vientiane, I stayed in:

• Family Hotel at 39, Pang Kham Road - Friendly & helpful employees. Free wifi in the room. The breakfast is reasonably good - even noodle is served. Nearer to Patouxay Monument but further from night market. This hotel has improved a lot since my last visit. It has an elevator now. Pain in the ass to climb the stairs at the entrance of the hotel if you have a heavy luggage.
• Sinnakhone Hotel, Francois Ngin Road - Not so friendly & helpful employees. Free wifi in the room but my netbook failed to connect to their wifi. Breakfast is nothing to shout about - just 2 slices of toast with margarine & jam with self prepared Boh tea or coffee. The room is larger than Family Hotel.

In Luang Prabang, I stayed in:

• Villa Suan Maak, 92, Noradeth Road, Ban That Luang - Very friendly & helpful employees. It's a family run guesthouse. They treated visitors like family members if you're not stuck-up. The staff even turned my sister into a model and used their office as a photo studio. I am amazed! The chicken crowing in the neighbourhood at 4am may annoy you. It may be further from the town centre and you may be concern about the windows in the toilet that can be seen from a coconut tree/rooftop if someone climbs up but this is a typical village life that I miss in my own country. Breakfast is simple baguette with butter & jam, egg (scrambled, fried, boiled or omelette) with green tea, Boh tea or coffee.

Expenses

It is advisable to look out for banks for exchanging currency as the rate is better. You may change the currency at the airport too as the rate is better than private currency exchange companies. You can only exchange to Laotian currency in Laos. Exchange the currency as you see the need to use them. You will get better rate for the notes of USD50 and USD100. Dirty and old notes are not acceptable. The currency rate was between 7681 kip to 7692 kip per USD during my visit.

Currency conversion rate as of 09 June 2013:

USD1 = 7681 kip = RM4.04

The following are some hints to assist you with your expenses estimation when traveling to Laos - to be more specific Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The information provided is dated June 2013.

Vientiane

• Airport to hotel in Vientiane (purchase taxi coupon at the airport)  - 60,000 kip (4 persons)
• Hotel in Vientiane to airport (got a tuk tuk/taxi at the roadside by negotiating the price) -  50,000 kip (4 persons)
• Admission fee to Sisaket Museum - 5,000 kip
• Admission fee to Ho Phra Keo Museum - 5,000 kip
• Admission fee to Phra That Laung Museum - 5,000 kip
• Rice with chicken/pork - 15,000 kip
• Woman's silk scarf - 40,000 kip 
• Tigerhead drinking water 1.5 litre - 5,000 kip
• Tigerhead drinking water small bottle - 300 kip
• Cheap t-shirt - 15,000 kip
• Places I missed out:  Buddha Park, National Museum near That Luang Museum (Note: there are 2 national museums), King Srisavangvong Statue

 
Luang Prabang

• Airport to hotel in Luang Prabang (purchase taxi coupon at the airport) - USD6.50 (4 persons)
• Hotel in Luang Prabang to airport (got a tuk tuk at the roadside by negotiating the price) - 50,000kip (4 persons)
• Hand made queen sized blanket (took 8-10 months to make 1 blanket. Purchased at the night market from a friendly couple in their late 20s or early 30s at a stall facing a massage parlour at the right hand side [2nd row on the right side]) - 400,000 kip
• Less complicated queen sized blanket (Purchased at the night market from two ladies at the left side [2nd row]) - 160,000 kip 
• Tuk tuk to Kuang Si Falls & Hmong Village - 170,000 kip (4 persons, 2 ways + 3 hours at the waterfalls [exclude traveling time])
• Admission fee to Kuang Si waterfall - 20,000 kip
• Admission fee to Phousi Hill - 20,000 kip
• Tuk tuk to Tak Sae waterfall (best time is August - September) - 150,000 kip (I didn't go due to lack of water at the waterfall)
• Tigerhead drinking water 1.5 litre - 5,000 kip
• Fried rice 20,000 kip
• Cheap t-shirt - 15,000 kip 
• Woman's simple bag - 3 for 80,000 kip
• Native's purse (medium size) - 3 for 40,000 kip, 1 for 15,000 kip
• Native's purse (small size - not the super small one) - 1 for 10,000 kip
• Vegetarian dinner buffet style at Night Food Street - 10,000 kip regardless of the amount you take to fill up a plate
• Laotian rice noodle with pork floss, peanuts, lots of vegetables (similar to laksa) at Night Food Street during lunch hour - 7,000 kip

 

• Tiny packet of shampoo at the end of Night Food Street - 1,000 kip
• Place I missed out: Tad Sae Waterfall