Chiang Mai

I'm not going to lie, one of the main reasons I was so adamant about going to Chiang Mai was because I really, really, really, wanted to see the tigers.

Tigers? What tigers?

Chiang Mai is one of the few places in the world where you can frolic, play, pet, and get your photos taken with real live tigers. Yup. Real tigers. As terrifying as it sounds, visiting Tiger Kingdom was probably the top experience I had during my six weeks in South East Asia. There's a lot of controversy surrounding whether or not the tigers here are drugged in order to be calm and placated for the tourists. I don't have any surefire evidence of whether or not they are, but the tigers we saw were alert, active, and playful.

The trainers specifically tell you not to play with the baby tigers so that they grow up realizing humans are not playmates. Could you imagine a grown tiger play fighting with a human?! It would be quite an uneven match.

There was a trainer constantly with us and specific rules we had to follow with the tigers, such as never approaching them from straight on and never petting their heads. Looking back at these photos, they still seem as surreal as actually being there in person.

On our second day in Chiang Mai we decided to walk around the city and check out some temples. The first one we stopped at was Wat Chedi Luang, which gleamed with millions of jewels and a huge golden Buddha seated inside. The highlight of this temple was their "Speak to a Monk" program. Monks make themselves available to tourists and guests for answering any questions you may have about Buddhism or their lifestyle. You gain knowledge, and the monks get to practice their English.

The monk was very eager and happy to answer all the questions we threw at him. We learned many important beliefs and central tenets of Buddhism. Forgiving is good, but forgetting is better. Live in the moment and don't think about the past or the future; otherwise you will miss the here and now. Positive thoughts equal a positive life. And the lesson that stuck with me the most: never worry, because worrying can't change a single thing.

Conversing with the monk was an enlightening and calming experience. It was incredible to just sit in his presence and soak up the calm and relaxed state that he was in.

Feeling that we couldn't possibly benefit any further from more temples after such an experience, we spent the rest of the day wandering the streets and visiting the shops and cafes of Chiang Mai. There was a wonderful paper-making store, a t-shirt store where every shirt was a mere $3, and a delicious outdoor smoothie bar where we stopped for refreshments.

Highs: Tiger Kingdom, conversing with a monk, the beautiful temple complex at Wat Chedi Luang

Lows: Busier and more westernized than Chiang Rai, but overall, none of us could find much wrong with this city 

Chiang Rai

Our main reason for wanting to visit Chiang Rai was to see the infamous White Temple, Wat Rong Khun, often listed as one of the most beautiful temples in the world. When we arrived in the city, however, we heard rumours that it was closed because of an earthquake in the area a month earlier. Apparently, it had suffered architectural damage and was unsafe for tourists to visit. Since we couldn't find any concrete information on whether it was open or not, we took our chances and headed to Wat Rong Khun anyways.

When we arrived, we realized just how lucky we were -- the temple had been reopened just the day before! Construction and repair work were still going on, but the public was now allowed back inside the grounds.

Wat Rong Khun is different from other temples in South East Asia. For one, it's relatively young, being built in 1997 with work still ongoing. Secondly, it's not considered a true temple, but rather a privately owned art exhibit. Thirdly, the architecture and style of the White Temple are rather interesting and downright scary at times (note the statues of grasping hands above).

The entire complex of Wat Rong Khun is quite an experience. The interior of the main building is filled with a mural that displays contemporary figures as the "dark side" and the glorious and bright figure of Buddha as the "light". Strangely, some of these evil figures are famous pop culture icons such as Harry Potter and Superman.

There are many other things you can do at the Temple complex, such as write a message on a metallic charm, throw a coin down the wishing well, and of course, visit the washrooms. The three of us explored the area for hours, mostly basking in the dazzling brilliance of all the buildings and enjoying the calm and pristine grounds.

Chiang Rai is a popular jumping-off point to many famous surrounding areas. To get the most out of our few days there, we hired a driver for our second day. Our first stop was the Black House, a series of strange buildings filled with animal skins and other animal pieces such as horns and teeth. It was an eerie and spooky place, and I almost felt like some sort of black magic had once been practiced there.

Our next stop was called "Monkey Cave", but it was more like a wide open area filled with wild monkeys that would quickly gather around you if you had any sort of food. We bought a bucket of bananas to feed them, but it was more scary than fun because of how aggressive and competitive the monkeys would get.

The Long Neck Karen village was a great little area to buy handmade goods from the women who live and work there. Everyone was very friendly and enjoyed having their photos taken. The younger women were some of the most beautiful I have ever seen, and the children were precious and rambunctious (as all children are.)

On the day trip, we had the opportunity to cross over into Myanmar (Burma) if we so desired. Unfortunately, I was the only one out of my friends to bring my passport along, so I had to cross over all alone. The little market town that's popped up on the Myanmar side is full of cigarettes, knock-off purses, DVDs,  and strange medicines promising miracle cures. There truly isn't that much to see (or buy) but it's worth the few extra minutes to cross over and get an extra stamp in your passport!

I wasn't allowed to take any photos inside of the Opium Museum, so you'll just have to take my word for it that it's worth the visit. Carved into a mountain that used to be one of the main opium distributing centres, the museum is modern and informative, albeit somewhat preachy about the dangers of drugs. Nevertheless, the stunning architecture and high-tech exhibits are impressive.

Our final stop of the day was the Golden Triangle, the area where Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand meet. By this time of the day, we were quite tired, so we hopped out of the car to take a few pictures and hopped right back in, napping the rest of the way back to Chiang Rai.

Each city, however small it may be, has a night market, and we weren't about to leave Chiang Rai without exploring what its own night market had to offer. Just like in every other city, the market was full of cheap t-shirts, strange foods, and touristy tokens.

Highs: The White Temple, Long Neck Karen village, our hostel Baan Bua with its wonderful garden area

Lows: Getting (almost) attacked by monkeys at the Monkey Cave, the utter chaos of Myanmar's market

Luang Prabang

A charming, idyllic town in Northern Laos, Luang Prabang is often considered the jewel of South East Asia. The iconic images of monks in orange robes, night markets filled with handmade goods, and steaming delicious noodles can all be derived from this lovely little place.

Luang Prabang is perfect to explore by bike. There are some hills here and there, but most of the attractions and sights are within a close distance of one another so it’s not too much work to get from one place to the next.

Our first stop was the Royal Palace, which cost $3.75 to explore. The grounds are fairly large and fun to explore – there’s a pond full of large ravenous fish that you can feed, as well as a royal car exhibition.

The next two places we visited were Wat Xieng Thong and Wat Wisunarat. Both wats were stunning, but Wat Xieng Thong was unique in the sparkly and colourful mosaics that covered the buildings. There were many friendly monks who were interested in chatting with us as best as they could. At one point, we even helped some young monks collect a couple hard-to-reach mangoes.

  

Throughout our time in Asia, we visited every single city’s night market. After a bit of time, these night markets got boring and predictable, with most markets having the same type of products. My faith was restored upon meandering amongst the lanes and allies of Luang Prabang’s market. The handicrafts were so unique, and the market was just the right size to explore. The best part of the market was stopping by an elderly lady’s stall who was selling various liquers and wines, and was quite willing to give us as many samples as we wanted!

Our second day in Luang Prabang was spent at the Kuang Si Waterfall, a one hour ride from our hotel through twists, turns, and awe-inspiring sights. We were lucky to be travelling in a group of 6 at this point, since the tuk-tuk cost a $20 flat rate to get to the falls and back.

What surprised me most was that there was more than one waterfall – there were many! The main waterfall at the very end of the path doesn’t lead into a river, but into many smaller levels of waterfalls. The smaller levels create four or five lagoons that you can swim in, relaxing in the clear turquoise waters. The water was very cold, and there are tiny fishes that love biting at your dead skin, but the surroundings were too beautiful for me to mind too much.

There’s an option to climb to the top of the falls, but there isn’t much to see from there. I was expecting a jaw-dropping view of the waterfall from the top, but there was only a small lagoon and some peek-a-boo views of the surrounding landscape.

Highs: Atmoshpere, night market, bicycling through the town

Lows: More tourists which means slightly marked-up prices for transportation and admission  

Vang Vieng

The peace and quiet that one often associates with Laos is not immediately apparent in the city of Vang Vieng. On the road between Vientiane and Luang Prabang, it has become a backpacker mecca known for its crazy parties and easy availability of drugs. 

A few years ago, however, the Laotian government cracked down hard on the antics going on in Vang Vieng. Tubing, a popular activity where you sit on a tube and float down the river stopping at bars, is now nearly impossible with only 4 bars left along the riverside. Apparently, there used to be over a hundred of these bars, offering liquor, beer, and even “happy” pizzas. 

Once popular for tubing, now the river is filled with local kids playing instead of tourists. 

Vang Vieng seems like a sad shadow of its former self. Backpackers still flock here looking for those party days of old. Many businesses have been forced to close down, and locals are bitter about it. 

If you can overlook the sad present state of Vang Vieng, you will be rewarded with some beautiful Laotian nature. Steep rolling hills, bright blue lagoons, interesting caves to explore… these are only some of the things Vang Vieng has to offer. 

Instead of lounging in a restaurant and watching TV shows you can just as easily watch at home, rent a bike and head out to the Blue Lagoon. Many tourists opt out of biking and take a tuk-tuk to the lagoon instead, avoiding the incredibly bumpy 7 km road, but missing out on the nature first hand. It was incredibly nice being able to stop on the road at any point to take pictures, purchase goods from the roadside stalls, or pop by a restaurant (all three of which we did!).

TIP: If you do decide to bike, make sure you make it to real Blue Lagoon. There are many “fake” signs along the way that try and lead you to the wrong place. Just keep biking along the path for around an hour (we used the GPS on our phones to make sure we were in the right spot!)

The scenery was beautiful — a mix of rolling forested hills and jagged limestone cliffs. The vegetation around us was a vibrant green, giving no hint to the daily scorching sun and heat. We reached the lagoon after an hour, and took a little break before starting the hike up to Poukham Cave. 

The cave was unimpressive in my eyes, especially after the arduous and almost impossible climb to get to it. At some points, you are crawling on your hands and knees up a ladder-like structure. It’s slippery, too, so you have to be careful!

The lagoon where all the locals and tourists swim is so, so, SO cold. It was lucky that we were sweaty and hot from trekking to the cave — it was easier to jump in! The atmosphere of the place is energetic and happy, with locals swimming in the river, jumping off trees into the water, and swinging on ropes. 

After the Blue Lagoon, the three of us went to a restaurant that is actually part of a volunteer organization called Sae Lao. Most of the food on their menu is from their very own garden, and the rest is purchased from farmers close by. The organization strives to help the residents of Vang Vieng by educating them about sustainability and striving to make Laos a more sustainable country. I definitely recommend stopping by here for some food, or if you have more time, even volunteering for a few weeks.

Highs: The beautiful nature, Blue Lagoon, Sae Lao Project’s restaurant 

Lows: Hordes of tourists (not the nice kind), the bumpy road to Blue Lagoon, the almost-impossible hike up to Poukham Cave which turned out to be unimpressive 

Vientiane

Laos is tranquil, peaceful, and quiet, and its capital city, Vientiane, is no exception. Although it claims to have over 700,000 residents, the streets, temples, and sidewalks were sparsely populated, with barely a tourist to be seen. No one honks their horns. No one rushes or speeds or runs. It is lazy. Languid. Refreshing. 

There are temples — huge ones — on what seems like every corner. If we had more time, I would have enjoyed just strolling down the street and popping into a temple every so often. But since our time was limited, we grabbed a tuk-tuk and narrowed it down to three of the most popular sights: Phra That Luang, Sisaket Museum, and the Ho Phra Keo Museum. Admission to each of these was only 5,000 kip (approximately 60 cents), and it was delightful to walk around and explore each of these with no one there but the four of us. 

In the evening, when the heat of the day started to fade, we went for a stroll along the riverside. There aren’t many nightclubs or stores next to the waterfront, so we opted for a few drinks and a delicious dinner in a restaurant filled with locals. Vientiane doesn’t have a huge night life (I didn’t see a party scene at all, actually) so it was nice to just relax and refresh after the constant hustle and bustle of Vietnam.

A popular tourist destination just outside of Vientiane is Buddha Park. Tip: do not travel there by anything other than a vehicle (car/truck!). The road is only partly finished, and there are tons of potholes and bumps on the way there. We saw some people in a tuk-tuk and it looked like they were in danger of some brain damage with how much the tuk-tuk was shaking. Thank goodness we decided on taking the shuttle from our hostel!

We had no idea what the Buddha Park was when we got there (but apparently it’s someone’s private collection of sculptures). Despite our ignorance, we really enjoyed walking around the park and admiring the strange, and sometimes downright scary, sculptures. At the entrance of the park, there’s a huge orb-like structure that you can actually climb into and to the top of! Be warned: the staircases are super steep and it’s quite dark inside!

Vientiane isn’t a city where there is lots to do or many sights to see — it’s more of a place to take a deep breath and enjoy the hospitality and kindness of the Laotian people (and a place to get your energy up before you hit up Vang Vieng, once the party capital of Southeast Asia!).

Highs: Lack of tourists, Buddha Park, temples dotting the street, the overall ambience of the city

Lows: The bumpy roads!