We went to Chiang Mai first (which on hindsight was a good thing, or otherwise we would have finished all our moolahs in Bangkok ). First night we stayed at Chiang Mai Plaza.. which is just a short walk to the famous Chiang Mai night market. Got a good deal thru Asiarooms... the room was big and clean with nice decor around the hotel. After that we stayed at Sheraton Chiang Mai, which was further away from the city centre (I was attending a seminar there).
We had an excellent driver, Kamphan (thru Sargeant Kai), who took us around the city. We visited Doi Suthep, San Khamphaeng Road (handicraft district) and many more (I'm regretting not jotting down the names). Had a fabulous time shopping for thai silk, handicrafts and jewellery!! Chiang Mai ppl are very artistic and creative. Oh.. I also had this wonderful tomyam soup.. the best I've ever had.. in a small Muslim shop. Communication was a bit of a problem when Kamphan was not around.. but we managed.One night, I had dinner at this fabulous restaurant which was located within the Four Seasons resort. Too bad it was already dark... wanted to check out the surroundings as well bcoz the website photos were just breathtaking. The food there was also excellent and we were entertained by traditional musicians.
After a few days in Chiang Mai, we headed to Bangkok. Stayed at Indra Regent hotel which was located in the garments warehouse district... which was very convenient for Mama Bangkok was much, much, much more busier than Chiang Mai. It's a big city with elevated highways cutting through the city.. which can be quite a sore sight. In Bangkok, we did the obligatory.. shopping, Grand Palace, Wat Arun, Vinamnek Palace, Chao Phraya river boat, Jim Thomson's house, Chatuchak Market... I even managed to squeeze in the National Museum.
Took a ride on the tuk-tuk... not something for someone with asthma problems. Mama didn't like it either because it was quite difficult for her to get on and off. So we took mostly taxis.. but I did a bit of an adventure ride on my own on the public bus and light rail.
Again... the desserts in Bangkok we plentiful and interesting. Had wonderful, colourful stuff.. which helped cool us off from the heat. We bought so many things.. bags were filled to the max. Fortunately the hotel had weighing scales to help make sure that we didn't go overweight. Bangkok is definitely a shoppers' heaven, especially for clothes, shoes, handbags.. unfortunately they don't have XL sizes nor size 10 shoes. But I personally prefer Chiang Mai for it's culture and artistic highlights. The ppl there were friendlier, things (slightly) cheaper and less frenzied.
Maybe one day I'll do a return visit...
