Chiang Mai (26-27 Jul25):
United Arab Emirates:
Abu Dhabi
Singapore:
Singapore
Malaysia:
Langkawi
Kuala Lumpur
Thailand:
Chiang Rai
Chiang Mai
Sukhothai
Bangkok
Vietnam:
Hanoi
Halong Bay
Phú Quoc
Chiang Mai history in a few lines:
Foundation:
Chiang Mai was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom in northern Thailand.
Golden Age:
For centuries it was the political, cultural and religious center of Lanna, with Buddhist temples and traditional architecture.
Regional influence:
Its strategic location made it an important trading hub between Burma, Laos, and China.
18th Century:
It was conquered by Burma and remained under its control for almost 200 years, until it became part of the Kingdom of Siam again.
Present:
Today it is a vibrant city that preserves its walled historic center, ancient temples and a strong cultural identity, being famous for festivals like Yi Peng (lanterns) and its northern cuisine.
Here we base our comments on conversations with other travelers because, due to our flight or the fact that the day we arrived was a holiday, we found all the temples already closed at 6pm.
Especially the one we first wanted to go to Wat Phra That Doi SutheNo and the furthest away, but dThanks to our wonderful taxi driver, he took us to another one that was also very large but completely different from this one, and to top it off, we also found it closed, so this is the only day we "lost." Be warned, there's no Wi-Fi in the temple, so you might be stuck if you don't find a kind soul like us to order a Grab for.
Don't be alarmed if you book a Grab in advance and they show up 30 seconds early; it's the norm in this country. We were nearly shocked when he texted us saying he was downstairs and that we shouldn't be too late because he had to leave—very politely, that gentleman. After three heart attacks in a row, we finally figured out that we hadn't woken up late, but rather that they were arriving way too early.
In Asia, shoes are usually left at the door, but in this case, we were surprised to find them on the stairs, having to go two more floors barefoot…
But if there's one thing that really fascinated me about Chiang Mai, it was their electrical infrastructure... 😅:
Keep in mind that around 7 pm in July, everything is already closed and the streets are deserted in this area, so you have to be quite flexible with the schedule. Since we couldn't see much in Chiang Mai and were tired, we wanted to have a nice dinner and came across this restaurant., LINK Cuisine, It was quite good, the service was perfect, and everything was delicious. We arrived just as the kitchen was closing. Inside, it has a very pretty and romantic patio/dining area.
We ordered a plate of roast chicken and another of fried rice with pineapple and prawns, plus two Cokes. The bill came to 565 baht, about €15 for both of us. We were able to pay by card.
Chiang Mai goes very well with Bangkok because it is the classic transition of the journey between the capital and the cultural north, with temples, nature and night markets, and with Chiang Rai because they form a very logical route towards the mountainous landscapes, the Golden Triangle and some of the most iconic temples in the country.
Flight: We flew from Kuala Lumpur 59€/person with AirAsia.
Hotel: Dozy Lamoon House €15 for two people, one day. The exterior was awful, but the interior was quite nice. The rooms were large, well-equipped, and fairly standard. You can't go upstairs or wear outdoor shoes in the rooms; we found it amusing and obviously followed that rule. The reception was open 24 hours and the staff were incredibly friendly. They can recommend places to eat.
Travel insurance: Heymondo (Tranquility trip, for 22 days): €80/person.
Information obtained from the web https://www.exteriores.gob.es
Passport: required with a minimum validity of 6 months.
Visa: No visa is required, but from May 1, 2025, the following document must be completed 3 days before arrival in Thailand: Thailand Digital Arrival Card – TDAC.
Travel insurance: It is recommended to have road insuranceHeh. The best known and most complete ones are Iati y Heymondo, if we don't need insuranceWe'll grab him with... oh fat Globalfine which is much cheaper.
Vaccines:
Mandatory: Yellow fever for those coming from areas affected by this disease. Check here. linkthe list of countries to which this requirement applies.
Recommended: Hepatitis A and B, rabies, Japanese encephalitis, tetanus and BCG (tuberculosis).
We didn't wear any, but that's the recommendation.
Badge: Baht (BAHT).
Payment card/currency exchange: we always go with Revolut y N26.
Roaming: NO Yes, so if you have data enabled, you might get a nice little gift in return. We recommend it. Airalo in Asia better than Holafly.
GPS: Maps.me Download the maps for Spain and they work great offline, whether you're on foot, by car, or on public transport.
Translator: It's gotten us out of a few tight spots; it's a translator that doesn't require an internet connection, just download the language before you leave and you're good to go. Offline translator.
International driving permit: It is necessary because it does not belong to the EU. It order through the website DGT. We remind you that they drive on the left because it was a British colony. The app GRAB It works very well and is very cheap.
The card costs €10.51. The good thing is you can order it online and pick it up without an appointment. It took a couple of days for ours, then you go to pick it up and it's a cardboard card like the ones they had 20 years ago.
Other destinations in Thailand: 
