The Time-Turner Series || Our Favourite and The Paradoxical Chiang Mai in Thailand

 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.




 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.


The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.

 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related Blogpost - Food, Flowers, and the endless Night Market at Chiang Mai || 10-day Vacation in Thailand 

And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking


 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related Blogposts - Doi Suthep - Best place in Chiang Mai to explore Thai Temple, Aerial views of the City and some Hiking

I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better. 

Related Blogpost - Top 10 things to do & Travel Hacks for Chiang Mai City of Thailand


 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related Blogpost - Three Kings Monument, Chiang Mai, Thailand

Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely. 

Related Blogpost - Chiang Mai Nightlife - Some of the best & diverse experiences in Thailand


 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related Blogpost - Wat Chiang Man - One of the main temples to visit in Chiang Mai, Thailand

The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric. 

Related Blogpost - Chiang Mai Travel Guide - Top places to explore, places to stay, commute options & lot of Travel Hacks


 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related blogpost - Wat Saen Muang - A hidden gem among Chiang Mai Temples in Thailand

Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't. 

Related blogpost - Train Journey from Bangkok to Aayutthaya in Thailand


 We visited Thailand in December 2018 and decided to start our tour from the northern part of the country. We zeroed in on Chiang Mai and the place turned out to be beyond all expectations. In this post, we turn time to those three days in Chiang Mai, our most favorite place in Thailand.     The Time-Turner series is my opportunity to pen down the lingering memories and impressions of a place I have visited. It helps me relive the experience a bit and also reflect upon the aspects of the place that stood out the most to me. For more Time-Turner posts, follow this link: The Time-Turner Series.    And Chiang Mai will forever be etched in my memories. When I think back at that time, we had reached there after several hours on flight, another few hours in the queue for Visa on Arrival and then been through a mess-up in our booking when we arrived in Chiang Mai. You can read about all this here: Visa on Arrival Mayhem and Mystery of the Missing Hotel Booking.     I remember the first meal we had in Chiang Mai. We chose a comparatively upscale restaurant. When I say comparatively, I mean compared to how we ate during the rest of our stay in Thailand, relying upon street food and loads of fluids. This meal was Khao Soi, a North Thailand specialty, and Pad Thai with shrimps. Pad Thai happens to be my most favorite dish in Thai cuisine, and I remember thinking that Indian version was better.     Another aspect I remember about the stay was the long and tiring walks we undertook every day and how wonderful foot massages felt after that. I was especially tired on day 1 when we didn't want to waste a day even after super-tiring journey. And the middle-aged lady who gave me a foot massage was very thorough and skilled. It refreshed me completely.     The other vivid memory is that of the endless night market, the Christmas spirit, and our first exposure to nightlife that kind of challenged our senses. I remember lights, open air restaurants, Sushi stalls, coffee vans that did not want to be photographed, God knows why. There were lights and colors everywhere, and there were little kids who were performing English songs to a huge audience on the streets. There was even a procession of kids singing Christmas carols walking through all this. It was amazing. It was electric.     Another aspect that I have a vague memory of is all the Wats. One particular wat was almost in ruins, but to me it was the most beautiful Wat of all. It was the Wat Chiang Man. There were a hundred other Wats, some we visited, others we didn't.     And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand.

Related Blogpost - Wat Phra Singh - Important Temple among 300 temples in Chiang Mai, Thailand

And this brings me to the reason why I chose the title. This is indeed a paradoxical place, with wild nightlife right outside the holiest of Wats, with people offering prayers and those getting drunk and indulging in other pleasures existing within a few feet of each other, neither judging the other. And yet there was an abundance of joy and happiness. What more can you ask for? This is why this was my most favorite place in the whole of Thailand. 

Related blogpost - Wat Chedi Luang - A must visit temple of Chiang Mai, Thailand

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