Chiang Mai, January 9th 2026

The central temple complex in Chiang Mai holds several pagodas. After the sunrise trip this was a calm mid-day activity.

Chiang Mai is a calm town, especially away from the main streets.

The afternoon activity was a food tour with focus on northern thai dishes.

We started with a grilled fish dish with salad and dressing.

The second place was a very famous grilled pork and chicken restaurant.

The star of the third place was a water buffalo laab, but we also had a pork curry and grilled fermented pork.

The fourth stop was at a market were we started with trying the local sausages.

We also had lovely fruit as well as grilled insects and a sticky rice snack.

There were slso other stalls at the market with food that looked delicious.

For our last stop we went to the «Cowboy hat lady» which is a famous vendor in Chiang Mai.

All in all the food tour was full of great tastes and information on the influences of northern Thai cuisine.

Early next morning I witnessed the alms giving at the local temple.

The main temple also has a ruin of an older temple, which glowed in the sunrise.

Before heading back to Bangkok there was time for some more exploration.

A school had a parade – great costumes and big smiles. And some «6-7» as was the fad at the start of 2026…

The Chinese market in Chiang Mai was quite big, and the nearby local wet market was filled with stalls and smiling vendors.

Time to say goodbye to Chiang Mai. It is a great and bustling town. A bit touristy but not at all if you dare to wander of the beaten track…