Thailand is a place that’s on many people’s travel bucket list for a number of reasons. It’s affordable, the food is great, and the climate is tropical. Which is why I jumped at the chance to go when I found a flight deal for under $400. The trip was a total of ten days split into three parts, going first to Chiang Mai, then to Rayoung, and finally finishing up in Bangkok. In Chiang Mai, we stayed at the Le Meriden Chiang Mai. The hotel is walking distance from the famous Chiang Mai night market. On the first night, we had drinks at the hotel bar, then walked over to a nearby rooftop restaurant for dinner. After dinner, we walked over to the night market and shopped the local vendors. It was a great experience interacting with the local Thai people and learning more about the country.
On the second day, we did a half day trip to the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. This particular elephant sanctuary has a great reputation for taking great care of the elephants. At the sanctuary, they teach about the history of the elephants in Thailand before giving the opportunity to feed and pet them.
For our third and final day in Chiang Mai we planned a day of relaxation starting with breakfast at the Le Meriden Chiang Mai. Next, we went to the hotel pool to relax and soak in the amazing warm weather. After that, we went to Le Best Thai Massage. Our hour-long Thai massage only cost 300 Baht ($10).
