The Thoughtful Travel Podcast

Ah, finally, I've made it to Chiang Rai! I've wanted to visit this most northern part of Thailand my whole life, as my dear late aunty came from Chiang Rai. Spending a few days up there was delightful, and full of really fascinating experiences, but I've narrowed it down to my three favourites for this podcast episode. First: the White Temple. It's a very new temple, built on the site of an old one, and is almost more art and architecture than temple, designed and funded by well-known Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat. I try to describe it - but you really do have to see it to believe it. My second highlight was our day at Ahsa Farmstay, a little further north of Chiang Rai city. In this episode I explain what I loved about it and also share an interview with one of the women who run it, Aun Wannamala. Finally, I explain my day at the Ban Pang Ha village right up in the northern tip of Thailand in Mae Sai. This is another excellent community-based tourism initiative and we enjoyed massages, facials, paper-ma