30 January 2026 – Day 78 — Lions, Flowers, Wrong Turns & Lights on the Old Airport
After a good night’s sleep in Chiang Rai, it was time to head out exploring. First stop was Singha Park, where the big gold Singha lion sits proudly on its green hill. We decided to take a walk around the park — and quickly discovered just how huge this place really is. At one point we took a wrong turn and were gently chased down by security. Only us.
Inside the park we found a pretty little temple, Wihan Phra Phutta Sri Chayanti, tucked away among the gardens. Peaceful, colourful, and a nice surprise.
Next we headed to the Chiang Rai Flower Festival, set right along the Kok River. The festival has been running for weeks now, so some of the flowers were looking a little tired, but the venue was still beautiful — bright colours, river breezes, and plenty to look at. We walked through the displays, including a set of giant beetles decorated entirely in flowers. Quirky, colourful, and very Chiang Rai. Definitely worth seeing again another year when everything is fresh.
From there it was back to Big C for lunch, before heading home for a nap. A well‑earned one.
In the evening we wandered up to the Chiang Rai Night Markets for a light dinner — just enough to keep us going — before taking a quick tour of the festival lights set up on the old Chiang Rai airport. The whole area was glowing, full of colour and movement, and very much in full swing.
To finish the night, we made a quick trip to Robinsons for dessert, a sweet little end to the day, before calling it an evening.
31 January 2026 – Day 79 — Northern Borders, Hazy Views & A Quiet Chiang Rai Evening
Today we felt like a change of scene, so we headed north to Mae Sai for a drive. The road took us through a string of checkpoints — police smiling and waving us through every time. Still no idea what they’re looking for, but they seemed happy enough to see us.
We arrived in Mae Sai and walked up to the most northern point of Thailand, a spot we’ve visited before but always enjoy. From there we climbed the many steps up to Wat Phra That Doi Wao.
This temple has an incredible view straight into Myanmar. Sadly the visibility wasn’t great today — the smoke is settling in everywhere — but even through the haze, the view was worth the climb.
Afterwards we headed to Lotus’s for lunch, a familiar and easy stop, before making our way back to Chiang Rai.
The afternoon was a restful one at the hotel — a good chance to recharge after the morning’s outing.
In the evening we wandered over to Robinsons for dinner, keeping things relaxed and close by. A gentle end to a day spent exploring Thailand’s northern edge.
1 February 2026 – Day 80 — Repacking, Wandering & A Blessedly Quiet Night
Today was an easy day, the kind you need every now and then. First job on the list was to repack the bags and get everything organised for returning the hire car the following day in Chiang Mai. Not the most exciting task, but satisfying once it’s done.
Feeling hungry, we headed down to Robinsons for lunch and a wander through the shops. A gentle outing, nothing rushed, just stretching the legs and grabbing a bite before heading back.
Back at the hotel, we finished off the repacking and settled in for a quiet afternoon rest. A good chance to reset before tomorrow’s travel.
At 6pm, we walked over to Big C for dinner, keeping the evening nice and relaxed before calling it an early night.
A bonus surprise — the local festival has finally wrapped up, which means no thump‑thump music echoing across the city tonight. Just peaceful silence. A perfect end to a simple, tidy‑up kind of day.
2 February 2026 – Day 81 — Fog, Returns, Old Favourites & A Full Chiang Mai Day
We left Chiang Rai early this morning — 6:40am — for the three‑hour drive to Chiang Mai. The first 100 kilometres were a real test of patience: roadworks, thick fog, and visibility that came and went in patches. Hard work behind the wheel, but we eventually pushed through.
We reached our Airbnb just before 10am, unloaded the car, and then headed straight off to Budget to return our trusty Fortuner.
Thank you Tikky for looking after us so well — she always makes the process easy.
With the car sorted, it was time to stretch the legs. We walked off to get our steps for the day and dropped into Inthanin Coffee for a cappuccino. A good one too.
It had been far too long since we’d had a Pad Thai as good as our little café in Suan Dok, so we kept walking. We reached it just in time for lunch and enjoyed every bite — still the best Pad Thai around.
After lunch we continued on to visit our little school, the one we love so much. It was great to catch up for the year, though also a bit sad to think how much we missed everyone over Christmas. Our old Suan Dok hotel, right next door to our friends, has skyrocketed in price — such a shame, because we really did love staying there.
On the walk back we came across something unusual: a car with a wheel lock fitted by the local police for parking in the wrong place. Ouch. Not a cheap mistake.
We grabbed an INDrive back to the condo for a restful afternoon.
At 5pm, it was time to head out again — more walking, then another INDrive to Kadmanee Markets for dinner. The café staff welcomed us back warmly; it’s been around three months since we were last here. It felt good to return. We ate, drank, and enjoyed the easy market atmosphere. Even managed to score some cheesecakes for dessert.
Around 8pm, we INDrived back to the condo, happy after a full, fun, very Chiang Mai kind of day.
3 February 2026 – Day 82 — Jets, Bananas & Butter Chicken by Bike
After a restful start to the day, we decided on a local walk and headed towards Ruamchok Mall.
Along the way we stumbled across something unexpected — a Thai Airways 747 sitting right there on the grounds, currently being transformed into… something. Possibly a coffee shop, possibly an attraction, possibly both. Whatever it becomes, they’ve clearly spent a lot of time on the details — the engines look incredibly realistic, polished and positioned like they’re ready for take‑off.
From there we continued on to HomePro, then across to Lotus’s, and finally over to the mall itself. It was here that Alison found some Cavendish bananas, perfectly ripe, and we happily enjoyed them for morning tea. A small win, but a good one.
In HomePro Alison fell in love with a puppy lamp – sadly it stayed put and didn’t follow her home.
After fully exploring the area, we grabbed an INDrive back to the condo for a quiet afternoon.
Later in the day we headed out for another walk before returning to the condo to order dinner via Grab. Tonight’s choice: Indian — butter chicken with naan. Delivered by bike in about 45 minutes, still warm, still delicious. A cosy end to a gentle day.
4 February 2026 – Day 83 — Cappuccinos, New Friends & A Light Evening Wander
We started the day with a mid‑morning walk to Lotus’s for lunch. We arrived early enough to enjoy a cappuccino first at Curry Puff Coffee shop, and while we were sitting there we met a lovely Swedish couple. It was great hearing about their experiences travelling through Thailand, comparing notes, and chatting about the places we’ve all enjoyed. Hopefully our paths cross again on a future trip.
After coffee, we headed into the Food Park for lunch, then made the walk back to the condo under a warm Chiang Mai sky.
Dinner was a gentle wander around the local area, just a light meal to end the day. Nothing rushed, nothing complicated — just an easy evening after a relaxed morning and a pleasant little encounter with fellow travellers.