A bright and early start as we set off on a day trip to visit the village of Mae Kampong which is about an hour's drive from downtown Chiang Mai. The first stop was a small morning market called ChamCha Market which is open every Saturday and Sunday morning from 9 am to 2 pm. It could be best described as a cozy craft market. If you enjoy locally handcrafted products this is the place for you. Highly recommended!
The next stop was probably one of the more interesting places I have visited in a while. The Baan Jang Nak Museum is a museum full of elephants and not the real ones of course. The name literally means "house of a lot of elephants". The museum is open daily from 08.00 to 17.00. Admission, when we went, was free however we did leave a donation on departure. They also have a lovely coffee shop if you are in the need of a nice cup of coffee.
Next on the trail was the sleepy village of Mae Kampong, nestled in the hills surrounding Chiang Mai. Quiet, fresh, breezy, serene are all words I would use to describe this place. Back to nature and better times. Don't forget to take a selfie at the famous Chomnok Chommai Coffee House and also enjoy some yummy Chiang Mai sausage.
Sam Khamphaeng Hotspring
Our final stop was at a beautiful temple called Wat Umong, the tunnel temple. It is situated at the base of Doi Suthep and about twenty minutes from downtown Chiang Mai. It is surrounded by forrrest where the sighting of bears ad other wild animals is a common site. But don't worry the temple is fenced of so you wont be in any danger. At the top of a large beautiful pagoda. I witnessed many couples holdingvhands while walking around the pagoda many times. I asked our guide but he was unable to shed light on this practice but i am sure it is a tradition dating back many years. Admission to the temple and grounds is free of charge. Donations are accepted of course for water and electric etc.
