Some favorites – Top row from left: A jade buddha at Doi Suthep, temple at Wat Pha Lat, buddha at Wat Pha Lat, Wat, Tham Pha Plong in Chiang Dao; Middle Row: Ancient Watchediluang, Wat Lok Moli, A small interesting temple on the grounds of Watchediluang; Bottom Row: Inside a temple at Watchediluang complex, Wat Buppharam lit up at night
The Chiang Mai Flower festival is an annual three day festival that occurs every February. The festival includes a parade with over 25 floral floats and an elaborately decorated park with a large variety of flowers on display. The park is definitely a must see at night when it is lit up with colored lights and fountains. We also had an opportunity to view the floats up close, which gave us even more appreciation for the artistry.
Chiang Dao is a district of the Chiang Mai Provence in northern Thailand. It is a small rural town and one of our favorite places to go for a quiet weekend away from the city. Apparently, Chiang Dao means “City of Stars” in Thai, which is so fitting. On our evening walks we are often blown away by all of the stars and planets we see . We usually rent a little rustic hut to stay for a night or two and enjoy some really good meals at the Nest and Nest 2. This past trip we visited the Chiang Dao caves. We stayed on the well lit path and avoided the more adventurous path, which requires a guide. While in Chiang Dao we always find time to climb the 510 steps to visit the Wat Tham Pha Plong temple. It’s a great place to enjoy the views of the jungle and take in the Buddhist proverbs posted along the way. We also took a short scooter ride to see the giant new white buddha that is under construction and enjoyed a latte at a cute cafe in the jungle.
