Visit to Chiang Mai & Yeepeng Lanna Festival!

This post is a bit delayed - sorry! Wrote it in November last year and found it hiding in my drafts - eek! I'm off to CM again tomorrow  - so stay tuned for CM Take 2!

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So after the super fun overnight train ride to Chiang Mai (see post on overnight train to Chiang Mai!) - we arrived in the city bright and early and well rested after our lovely sleeper train experience! We got a tuk-tuk to our hotel and had breakfast while we planned our day excursions while the rest of CM woke up. We stayed at Le Naview Hotel in the heart of CM which was just fab...besides a comfy bed, air-con and the little elephant sculptured towels....it had a pool - and after walking around a super hot CM - the pool was the best place to be!

Le Naview Hotel - Chiang Mai 

First stop was Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan, which was a 3 min walk from our Hotel. It's one of the most popular Wats in CM and after visiting...you can see why! It's just beautiful. Golden Buddhas fill the Wat, and behind it is a massive golden temple adorned with golden elephants. There we met an artist (with no fingers) who drawers Buddha images on leaves - they were truly exquisite and we bought one as a memory of CM. She was so inspiring and kept us entertained with interesting tales of CM and gave us the low down on where to go.

Wat Phra Singh Woramahawihan

Out next Wat stop was Wat Chedi Luang, it's built around an old temple ruin that was once the tallest in ancient CM.  This Wat also offers 'Monk Chat' - this a chance for tourists to chat to Monks about life, religion, culture or just say hi! This gives the monks a chance to practice their English and a fantastic way for foreigners to learn more about Thai culture. You are requested to be polite to the Monks, not to argue with them or push your views at them. Women must cover shoulders, not sit next to or pass anything directly to the Monks. There was a long queue, so we thought we'd save our chat for another day!

Wat Chedi Luang Worawihan

After our morning of viewing Wat's, we headed back to the hotel pool for a much needed cool-off swim and a few ice-cold beers! Later, a spot of dinner - Papaya Salad and Chicken Larb (Thai chicken salad thing) we hit the Saturday Market - OMG -I love a market but this was insanely busy! Not sure if CM is always that busy or if it was just crazy busy due to the Festivals - but it was too busy! We couldn't even move...so we surrendered and head to the night bazaar that was less busy, I was so over shopping by then (very unusual for me), so we found a quirky little bar that had beer and a live band! Great night!

The next day we attended the Yeepeng Lanna Festival (YLF) - the YFL happens once a year, it usually coincides with Loi Krathong and is part of the festival of lights in Northern Thailand that shows respect to Buddha.  This year it also coincided with the Super moon...so it was set to be a spectacular evening! Tickets to the event cost 3,500 baht (£80.00) and was worth every penny! The festival is a controlled event as in the past lanterns got in the way of flight paths and caused fires, so now they are held in designated safe areas. The Lanterns are also almost 100% eco friendly...so what doesn't burn away is bio-degradable.

We arrived at the meeting point to register and collect our tickets, then hopped onto the bus for the 40 min journey to the festival. Our tickets included 1 souvenir voucher (a branded bag with water, Thai dessert snacks and funky elephant travel pillow!) 5 snack vouchers (you could choose from pad thai, pork and rice, dim sung, noodles, fruit salad, ice-cream and loads more!) the food was super yummy and after we stuffed our faces we headed to our designated seats and waited for the festival to begin.

  

The festival started with a mediation session and we were given very strict instructions on how to set-up and light our lantern - one lantern between 3 people. Once dark enough, we had the go ahead and the festival of lights began! We were asked to wait and release them all together - but some bright sparks set theirs off before time (eye roll) - holding the lantern was hot work i tell ya! The lantern is much bigger than it looks and filled with a giant fame and hot air! You really gotta hold on!

Its getting hot in here...

Up...up...and away!

And go...!

Once the lanterns were all up in the sky - the view was just spectacular! We watched for ages as they floated away in the night sky! I lost track of our one, but sure it was way up there getting us good wishes for the year ahead! YLF was a truly awesome experience, hopefully we'll be lucky enough to experience one again!

Until next time CM xx

My most favourite place in the World - Koh Lipe!

As if we haven't had enough beach holidays lately - we decided to spend the long weekend in Koh Lipe!

Koh Lipe is a small island southwest of Bangers, close to the Malaysian border. From Bangers we got a 30 min taxi to the airport, a 1.5 hr flight to Hat Yai, a 2 hr minibus to Pakbara Pier in Satun, then a 1.5 hr speedy boat trip to Koh Lipe!  It was worth every min of the journey as Lipe is my favourite place in the world! Kev and I visited it 6 years ago and it's always had a special place in my heart! Not only did we have an amazing time there way back when, but the white beaches and breathtaking beauty of the island has always stayed with me. Since moving to Bangers I've been dying to return to have a a top-up - it did not disappoint!

En route to Koh Lipe!

We arrived just in time for lunch and a Leo on the beach and checked into our resort. We stayed at Castaway - same one as 6 years ago  - it was fantastic back then and just as good time around. We had a little wooden cabin on the beach, the staff are super friendly, the restaurant created some super yummy dishes and cocktail o'clock did not disappoint! 

Castaway Resort - Koh Lipe

Koh Lipe hasn't changed much since our last visit 6 years ago - although it now has an ATM - super bonus! (Last time Kev lost some of our THB when snorkeling and I was deprived of my Thai Massage!) It also has not one but two 7 elevens - double the price of the mainland - but very handy! Koh Lipe is also super environmentally conscious and work towards ridding their island of the evil nature killers - plastic bottles! Most places offer free water top-ups and are big on recycling! Lipe is also home to hundreds of stray dogs, although stray they are well cared for by the locals, vaccinated and love attention from the tourists!

Chilling in Lipe!

Our main agenda was to chill, enjoy what Lipe had to offer and to just enjoy being in our favourite place. We spend all day everyday on the beach, walking to little secret beaches, swimming in the clear warm water and taking in the spectacular views! Before we left we had already made plans to go back again next year!

Sunrise Beach - Koh Lipe

You never really leave a place you love, you take a part of it with you...and leave a part of you behind.

- Anonymous

Bali Baby!

After our little stint in East Timor we headed to Bali - Indonesia!

I was particularly excited to get to Bali, not only cause it's somewhere I have always wanted to go (even before Eat, Pray Love came out!) - but my buddy Helen was meeting us there for an Indonesian adventure. I was so excited all the way there and couldn't wait to see her - the taxi pulled in the hotel and voila - reunited with my buddy! So there I was in Bali with 2 of my favourite people - coudn't be happier! We reunited over Bintang's (local beer), dinner on the beach and a celebratory bottle of Prosecco!

The next morning we were up bright and early for to travel to Gili Air! We were collected from the hotel and travelled 1 hr to the pier, then after a 2 hr boat ride (complete with a screening of the Fast & Furious 7!) we arrived in paradise!  The Gili Islands are a group of 3 ridiculously beautiful tiny islands west of Bali - Gili Trawangan (party island), Gili Meno (honeymoon central) and Gili Air (mixture of both - where we stayed). It takes about 2 hrs (my speed) to walk around Gili Air, there are no cars on the island and a taxi is a horse and cart!

Gili Air

We arrived and immediately posed for an 'eat your heart out - we are in Gili' pic in the beautiful crystal clear water! Then had a lovely lunch and Bintang at our hotels restaurant and headed to the beach to soak up some rays! We stayed at Unzipped - it's pretty central and the bar restaurant is right on the beach. The rooms were just gorgeous (complete with air-con, outside shower and well needed mozzie net) and the pool was an added bonus for our afternoon Bintang session! That evening we had cocktails on the beach watching the sunset and delicious Indonesian meal at one of the quirky restaurants nearby. Indonesia is one of the few places you can be a millionaire - for £57 you can get 1 Million Indonesian Rupia! It's a bit crazy when you are literally spending thousands on a cocktail!

Unzipped - Gili Air

Day two on Gili island paradise we signed up for a snorkel trip - stopping at both Gili Trawangan and Gili Mano! We left at 9am and headed to the clear blue for a non stop snorkel adventure! We saw loads of pretty fishy friends, starfish, eels and a few turtles! Oh - and i got stung by a baby jelly fish too! Ouch! (I am ok!) We stopped at various 'snorkel spots' long the way including an old shipwreck, then lunched at Gili Mano and had some time to explore the tiny honeymoon paradise.. We were back at our hotel by 3.30 pm and ready for 2 4 1 cocktails on the beach at 4 pm!

Snorkel Selfie!

Day 3 of island paradise we bummed around on the beach all day - literally! We hired a sunbed in a prime sunny location for 20 000 Rupiah (£1.50) and stayed there all day. Between napping, tanning, reading, lunching, Bintang-ing we also managed to do a little sarong shopping from the beach vendors! That evening we had a local meal and yet more delicious cocktails!

I heart Gili!

Day 4 we sadly had to leave island paradise! After breakfast we headed back to Bali and onto Kuta! Kuta is probably the best known tourist area in Bali - filled with loads of restaurants, pubs, clubs, shops and markets! It's also a great surfing spot for those that like to ride the waves! After a quick pit stop at the hotel we were off to shop, then chilled at Monkey Bar on Kuta beach enjoying out last Bintangs while watching the surfers and sunset! The next morning we were up at stupid o' clock, headed to the airport and made our way back to Bangers!

Kuta Beach Sunset.

Bali - I am so not done with you yet! I have had just a taste (beside Bintang!) of what you have to offer and promise I will return one day! Until then....see you in my dreams!