Chiang Rai Unveiled: Everything You Need to Know

My hat is from Asos, here is the link

If you were impressed by the architecture wait till you get inside!

Tip: If you want a photo like this you will need a wide angle camera or phone, we used a 12 mm lenses to get all the details. If you don’t have one try to lay down with your camera an sit on your knees to get the same effect 🙂

The blue temple is located 3km outside the center, you can come by bike or rent a tuk-tuk for 50-150THB (if you want to come at sunrise they may charge you more)

When to come? Use this tip for every temple, if you want to get good photos, you have to come at sunrise or sunset to get the best light and avoid all the crowds. It usually gets very busy after 9 am and mid day as it’s when the day trip buses arrive.White Temple

Probably the most famous temple in the area, it’s a combination of traditional with surrealistic architecture. If you are lucky and arrive on a sunny day you will find the reflection of the temple in the little lake next to it.

The temple opens from 8am to 5pm. People usually come at 7.30 and start queuing to get inside. Best time would be at 4.30-5pm when everyone is leaving or before opening so you can be the first one to enter.

Tip: There’s one person making sure you don’t spend to much time taking photos and once you enter the bridge you won’t be able to return therePhoto by Gypsea_Lust

How To Get Here, it’s located 15 km from the center, Uber/Taxi would be the best way to get here and not the tuk-tuk as it would take to long to get here.

Huay Pla Kang Temple.

Another beautiful temple, yet unknown for most of the people. We came at sunrise and we were the only ones for a few hours, it’s a very big area with different temples where you can easily spend a few hours around.

Above to the dragon steps you will find a very big Buda (90m), you can pay a small fee and climb all the way to the top where you will get an impressive view of all Chiang Rai.

Tip: Around mid day they serve free vegan food in the main restaurants.

Black Temple

Where to start about this temple..We decided not to go as some parts women are not allowed and the black temple is decorated with dead animals heads and lots and lots of animal skins, which we find horrible and it’s something we will never support and decided not go.

They say its a place you love or hate, if you care about animals I would recommend not to go as there are plenty of other things to do

Night Market

Every night the city becomes alive, all the streets close their roads to traffic and open their market, from clothes to souvenirs and a food market too. It’s very similar to Chiang Mai but less busy.

After sunset in the main area where the scenario is there will be different shows, from dancing to live music! It’s a perfect place for dinner or to enjoy the music with a drink.Chiang Rai city temples

-Wat Phra Kaew: It’s the most important sacred temple in the center. It used to host the famous Emeral, that can be found now in Bangkok Gran Palace

-Wat Phra Singh: One of the oldest temples, you will find a traditional building with Buda paintings, wood details, the big door and the library.

-Wat Klang Wiang: Buddhist temple full of decoration details with a white roof

Tip: Check our Chiang Mai Travel Itinerary for more things to do in this area.

Where To Eat (Vegan Friendly)

-Oasis Restaurant

Oasis was our favorite vegan restaurant during our stay. It’s owned by a thai family and they cook everything themselves. It’s the perfect place if you want to try real thai food because they use all meat substitutes and they are incredible!

It’s a buffet and you choose all the things you want to try and they give you a price depending on what you chose. We paid around 50-150Bth (1,40-4,5euros) between both of us for both times we went.

They also have a shop where you can find any vegan ingredients! We bought half a kilo of shiitake mushrooms to bring home 🙂

They open from 7am – 7pm.

-Green Vegetarian Restaurant

It’s the same vegan restaurant in Chiang Mai, you will find traditional food for a good price.

-Full Moon Wellness

Located outside the city, this vegan restaurant serves healthy traditional food

-Kunda Vegan Restaurant

– Imboonbaram

-Yoddoi Coffee Shop

How To Get Here from Chiang Mai

I’d recommend spend at least one night in Chiang Rai as it already takes a long time to get here from Chiang Mai and you will be able to enjoy the temples by yourself.

You will need to go to the Main Bus Station 15 mins outside the city center by songthaew, it is a red little bus (1.30$/person). I strongly recommend that you book the bus tickets online before you go and don’t make the mistake we did, as we got there hours in advanced and all the tickets where sold out and had to wait for 3 hours.

Here you can buy them. We paid around 15-20$ return but you can find them cheaper if you buy them in advanced for around 10$ in “economy class” or 16$ for “first class”. We bought first class as they were the only available ones, the only difference is that the bus is nicer, faster and you get complimentary water.

The journey takes around 3hours with no stops.

Important: Remember to get out at the 2 stop of Chiang Rai, not the first one (it’s an industrial stop)

Where To Stay

There are many options to stay in Chiang Rai. Best thing would be to stay in the center close to the night market so you can go back home walking at night and don’t need to get a taxi.

We booked a night on Booking at Suree House for 17$ a night, the room was nice, clean and quite new. Also very quiet. It was less than 2 mins walking to all the markets and the bus station and right outside we had some tuk tuks.

Tip: If you are planning on staying near the main attractions check for a quite room with no window or looking to the other side. I always pack with me a pair of air-plugs, you never know when you will need them!