Before I visited Thailand for the first time in 2017, all I imagined was crystal waters and golden sand beaches. While this is most definitely true – see Phi Phi Island and Koh Tao – Northern Thailand holds its own with picturesque mountains and beautiful attractions. Near the border of both Myanmar and Laos, Chiang Rai sights are diverse and plenty. Of course the gorgeous ‘Wat Rong Khun’, or the ‘White Temple’ makes my must-see list, but Chiang Rai sights have much more to offer to those with time.

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All the sights I have decided to write about are easily reachable within two days of driving a scooter. My hostel organized the scooters through an affiliated company and they were delivered to our door within the hour.

 

Wat Huai Pla Kung Temple – “The Big Buddha”

Roughly a 45min drive from downtown Chiang Rai sits the massive, and at time of writing still under construction, temple complex ‘Jaomae Guan Im Buddha’. This temple complex was still under construction during my early 2018 visit. The majority of the complex is completed; the sheer size of the pure white Buddha is amazing! I had seen pictures, yet the towering pearl-looking statue still caught me off guard.

We drove out to this temple on some sort of school field day. As we drove past hundreds of school children some pointed and waved, while others snickered and laughed. I’m not sure why they found us so funny, maybe my scooter posture was humorous? No idea, but it seemed as if they were having a field day at our expense.

Side Tip – A lovely little coffee shop – Elisa Coffee House – was within sight of the temple was a great rest stop. The amazing owner corrected my Thai dialect. I had been saying “thank you” the feminine way, rather than the masculine version. No wonder I was getting quite a few confused stares… Also had amazing cake and coffee! For directions, check out the map at the bottom of this post.

 

Wat Rong Khun – “The White Temple”

Around 14km south of downtown sits one of the most well known Chiang Rai sights. Wat Rong Khun is literally a glittering iconic symbol of the Northern City of Thailand. I knew what to expect, however, it did still take my breath away.

We arrived after a decent drive from Wat Huai Pla Kung Temple, and while the majority of the highway was simple and straight, there were some sketchy narrow sections where the wind from passing trucks was intimidating.

Around 4 pm our motorbikes were parked and pictures were being taken, and a lot of them – it was a never-ending stream being written to my SD card. Poor thing. Most of my time spent photographing was trying to capture the ever-present, yet elusive reflections from the mosaic mirror-like walls. There were a lot of beautiful and unique photo opportunities to be had here.

While entrance to most of the complex is free, entrance to the main temple will set you back 50 Baht ($2 AUD), which in my mind was a small price to pay. A constant shuffle of tourists crossed the pure white and intricate bridge. On either side of the narrow path, pale hands of stone reach up, twisting around one another and looking rather ominous. For those familiar, the Lord of the Rings scene where Frodo is pulled underneath the swampy surface of the “Dead Marshes” comes to mind.

There is so much to take in and/or photograph here, it is a kind of sensory overload in a way. What only added to the feeling of being rushed was that at 4:30 pm the guards begin to hurry everyone through a little faster. 5 pm is the closing time of this temple, and I mean 5 pm sharp! I was the last to exit at 5:01 pm and the security guard became slightly impatient with me. A lot of complaints from various tourists were verbalized to them, which I’m sure by now they are used to hearing most days. In the end, they are only doing their job, so plan accordingly for how long you would like to spend in the lovely attraction.

 

Chiang Rai Sights – Night Bazaar

Another well-known attraction is Chiang Rai’s Night Bazaar. Although quite small, it is most definitely worth a look. Especially for dinner. My mate and I ate dinner there two of the three nights we visited Chiang Rai and would have even went back there given another night. Unique souvenirs are also plenty – I bought a 100% handmade cotton shirt that I love and wear in Canada all the time. It is, however, the choices of food that stole my heart.

After a couple of beers at the Night Bazaar, my friend and I conjured up a game. As leaving our table would cause it to be swooped up within seconds, one would mind the table while the other got food. Our game of eats eventually turned in to who could bring the best/strangest food back from any of the stalls.

Some of the highlights were Northern Thailand’s famous spicy style sausage, pork neck (my personal favourite), sour sausage, but also some stranger foods were available. Glow worms and beetles we on sale at a few of the vendors, if you’re game enough! I also recommend the hot pot, which everyone seemed to be having. A boiling broth is brought out to you in a clay pot and you then add whatever you would like to cook in it. The clay pot is heated by coals underneath, so be cautious where you put your fingers!  Ensure you cook the raw meat well, especially chicken and pork, as it is served to you raw. Once it’s all cooked, dish yourself a delicious meal! For dessert, sweet black rice pancake perhaps? I was too full to finish mine!

A secondary option for dinner is Khao Tom 1 Baht Restaurant. As the name suggests, a dish is available for 1 Baht, however only a watery rice style soup. While I didn’t have any of the soup, I was saving room for every other dish of theirs I could stuff into my belly. Their menu is quite extensive, and there wasn’t one dish I didn’t enjoy! Highly recommend the salted pork!

For other fantastic Northern Thailand night bazaar’s, check out the beautiful backpacker town of Pai.

 

Khun Korn Waterfall

Around 20km further south of the White Temple is Khun Korn Waterfall. From downtown Chiang Rai it is a decent drive. Once again the scenery along the way was beautiful. Rural roads led into Namtok Khun Kon National Park. The asphalt road was so well maintained I would go as far to say it’s one of the smoothest roads I’ve ever driven. We parked our motorbike inside the parking lot and set off for the small hike to Khun Korn Waterfall.

Chiang Rai sights are well documented online, but I think most seem to miss the journey, and rather focus on the destination. Sorry for the clichés, but it’s true. Along the half hour hike to Khun Korn Waterfall, the path weaved through the bamboo forest. With very few people here it felt like being alone in a wonderland full of sturdy yet so flexible warriors. Softly arching from one side of the trail to the other, the resilience of bamboo astounded me.

Khun Korn Waterfall can be heard well before it is seen. While at the waterfall, my estimation of its height was very far off this 70-meter high giant! With such ferocious power, a constant breeze of mist dampened everything it came into contact with.

We decided a swim was in order, and while there were no regrets, it was incredibly cold! Don’t underestimate this behemoth’s power. Getting under the vertical water was impossible; it was too much pressure for my shoulders to handle. Trying to climbing back over large boulders to reach my now damp clothes was difficult with numb toes. Also, be more prepared than I was, I didn’t bring a towel – at least it was warm and sunny outside of the waterfall’s mist. All up, Khun Korn Waterfall was a beautiful Chiang Rai sight.

Once back on our bikes, not too far back along the jungle road, we stopped at a little café for lunch. Fresh salad rolls with a Northern Thailand drink specialty made from the sour hibiscus flower. The drink does sound a little unappealing, and in all honesty, my first one was a little hard to finish; it was so tart. However, I did have another three while in Northern Thailand. It quickly became an acquired taste, and I quite enjoyed my last drink.

 

The Random Stops Along The Way

Driving around Chiang Rai was so much fun, and random spots along the way provided some unexpected beauty. Travel, to me, should be about the journey, rather than the destination. Cheesy. I know. But I think it’s completely true. That’s why some of my favorite Chiang Rai sights I can’t give directions to, as I don’t know where to direct. I want to share these three bonus attractions around Chiang Rai to emphasize you can find amazing gems all around you – all you need to do is look for them.

 

Random Sunset Spot

My friend and I decided to drive into the rural streets and escape the crowds for sunset. We found a lovely spot to end the first day of visiting Chiang Rai. While Chiang Rai has many beautiful locations for sunset – I witnessed another beautiful one just walking down the street! – we opted for a unique place.

Judging by the stares of every driver by, and the locals popping wheelies on their much more powerful motorcycles, I think it’s safe to say we were one of the first tourists to stop at this wonderful viewpoint.

 

A Thailand Pineapple Farm

A sudden turn onto a dusty, pothole-filled road found us at an unusual Chiang Rai attraction. It was not on any tourist list, and I’m not too sure if we would have been in trouble if caught – probably.

Walking through the rows and rows of pineapple plants I realized I don’t think I’ve ever seen a growing pineapple. I also didn’t realise the thorns would hurt as much as they did either!

 

The Road To Uy Keaw Waterfall

My last Chiang Rai sight isn’t like the rest, as we never actually laid eyes on Uy Keaw Waterfall – only the fun rural road to drive and lush northern Thailand jungle. The road to these falls from Khun Korn Waterfall does count as a beautiful sight in itself as the drive is extremely scenic. However, this road was much more time consuming than we anticipated. Taking us over steep mountainous hills on my 125cc scooter did give me moments of anxiety. At one point my speed fell below 15 km/hr at full throttle. There were a few moments when I thought I was about to roll backwards.

While there are tiny towns along this mountainous road with guesthouses that accommodate trekkers, our time limit was much too thin to properly explore the area. As the sun set the temperature plummeted within the mountains. It got quite cold, be prepared if you’re out in the evening.

All in all, a lovely drive, just a little longer than expected, even being directed by Google Maps. Plus a bit more powerful bike wouldn’t be a bad idea either.

 

Chiang Rai Sights Map

 

Chiang Rai Sights Info

We hired a hostel affiliated company scooter for two days, around 250 Baht each. While we spent most of the two days driving, we accomplished all these attractions (minus the mythical Uy Keaw Waterfalls) with ease. The scenic views along random sections of road outside Chiang Rai are stunning.

Most hostels are able to organize cheap and reliable bikes. They were even delivered to us within the hour!

Even though a hostel affiliated company rented us our bikes, always check your bike thoroughly. It helps deter scams and makes it a lot safer for you in general. Driving in Thailand isn’t as chaotic as other South East Asian cities – looking at you there, Hue. While you’re still driving on the left-hand side of the road the rules are a little more “relaxed” than Australia’s definite rules.

Long hours on the bike, with the sun reflecting from the asphalt can cause burns and dehydration very quickly. So plan accordingly – bring water, sunscreen, shade and appropriate clothes.

There are plenty of amazing hostels in Chiang Rai, Bed and Bike is one of the highest recommended out of this small city in northern Thailand.

 

Chiang Rai Sights Highlights

• The White Temple, or Wat Rong Khun is a beautiful icon and stands out amount all of Chiang Rai sights.
• Khun Korn Waterfall – go swimming in this chilly water – if you dare!
• Beautiful sunsets over flat fields and rolling green mountains in the distance can be found easily.

For other Thailand adventures, check out diving on the stunning Phi Phi Island or the amazing day trip to Tham Lod Cave, near the Northern Thailand backpacker town of Pai.

What was your favorite Chiang Rai sight? Questions? Leave me a comment! 

 

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