Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 1

Date of Travel: 10-13 May 2014

At Doi Suthep Temple, Chiangmai

12 adults and 4 children flew to Chiangmai for a fun-filled holiday. AirAsia had a promotion which included the Royal Princess Chiangmai hotel, airfare + 3 nights hotel at RM635 per person. We started out with just 4 persons, and our group size grew really fast. We needed the help of a tour guide to help us move around more easily, and I selected Sutthi Hampitak +66899534407 thihampitak@yahoo.com. He charged us THB15,000 for 3 days in 2 x 12-seater vans, based on my itinerary.



Day 1
Arrived Chiangmai at 8:40am. Sutthi came with 2 x 12-seater vans, and boy were they comfortable. I asked him to bring us to a local market first, then up to Doi Suthep temple. You can climb 309 steps to the top, or pay THB50 for a tram car ride, to and fro. Everyone was already tired from waking up at 4am that morning, so we had a relaxing lunch and back to the hotel. Some of us chose to sleep, others went for a massage at Let's Relax just across the road from our hotel. For dinner, I had reserved a table at a very popular French restaurant in Chiangmai called Chez Marco 15/7 Loi Kroh Road, +6653207032. After dinner, all 16 of us squeezed into a truck to Wualai Road night market, a.k.a. Saturday Night Market.

"Papa, why is it so smelly in here?"

"Papa, why is it still smelly outside?"

Riding the tram to the top of Doi Suthep

The view from the top of Doi Suthep temple

Lunch at a local restaurant nearby

This isn't a tour, so up to us to order what we wanted. Everyone was super hungry!

Let's Relax Spa - Time for a massage!

I chose THB800 for 2 hours Thai Massage

Free Mango & Sticky Rice and tea after the 2-hour massage. So yummy!

Royal Princess Hotel Chiangmai

Breakfast Area of the Royal Princess Hotel, Chiangmai

Free shuttle to Central Plaza from Hotel

Free shuttle to Night Bazaar Road from Hotel

Dinner at Chez Marco french restaurant

Duck Confit, outstanding! Tastes just as good as when we had it in 2011.

At Wualai Road Night Market

Note: This Wualai Road market turned out to be a nightmare for us organizers. We did not know that it was at least 2km long. Our group soon split apart into several small groups, and HH and I had to keep running up and down the stretch looking for people. Some reached the end fairly quickly, and were tired and wanted to go home. So we had to send people off on tuk-tuk's to go home separately. Thankfully our hotel is pretty old and famous, and all drivers knew where to go. Conclusion is, if you're coming to this market, everyone should take a hotel name card and make their own way home!

Continue reading at:
Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 1
Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 2
Chiangmai 4D/3N with a big group - Day 3 & 4