Thailand - Former Capital of the Lanna Kingdom

Back to Chiang Mai: Cicadas, Silver Nights, and Familiar Faces.

Going back to Chiang Mai always feels a little different.

It's not the kind of city that jumps up and screams for your attention.

It just does its own thing.

Slow. Warm. Slightly chaotic in all the right places.

And somehow, no matter how many times I visit, it's always easy to come back.

This trip, we stayed at Shangri-La Chiang Mai.

As usual, it was excellent.

The service was great, the location was convenient, and the comfort level was exactly what you'd expect.

The only difference this time? We got a slightly smaller room than on my previous stay.

But let's be honest.

"Smaller" at Shangri-La is still bigger than a lot of hotel rooms I've stayed in.

There was still more than enough space to throw luggage everywhere, disappear into the bed, and pretend life was completely under control for a few days.

One of the places we visited was Wat Umong.

Tucked away from the city noise, it felt like stepping into a different pace altogether.

Old tunnels. Giant trees. Moss-covered corners.

And everywhere, the sound of cicadas.

You could hear them constantly in the background.

It made the whole place feel alive while somehow making it even more peaceful at the same time.

The kind of place where you naturally slow down without even realizing it.

That evening, we had mookata at On The Rock Namphrae.

I'll be honest.

The food itself was pretty average.

Not bad.

Not amazing.

Definitely not the kind of meal that changes your life.

But that's not really why you go.

You go for the view.

You go for the vibe.

You go because sitting around a grill with smoke drifting through the air, friends around the table, and a beautiful view in front of you is already half the meal.

Sometimes the setting does all the heavy lifting.

The next day, we wandered around Coconut Market.

Nothing intense.

Just a relaxed stroll through food stalls, drinks, snacks, and that easy Chiang Mai weekend energy.

The kind of place where you show up without a plan and somehow spend longer than expected.

Lunch was with PK at Big Tree, a family-run local Thai restaurant by the river.

Nothing fancy.

No trendy concept.

No Instagram gimmicks.

Just good local food, a laid-back atmosphere, and the kind of place that feels even better because a local friend brought you there.

Nicky was supposed to join us.

But he overslept.

Which, honestly, surprised absolutely nobody.

After lunch, we headed over to Ban Dong View Doi for coffee.

One of those classic Chiang Mai afternoons.

Coffee.

Views.

Slow conversations.

No rush to be anywhere.

No urgent plans.

Just existing for a while.

That night, we visited Wat Sri Suphan, also known as the Silver Temple.

Seeing it after dark was something else.

The silver details reflected the lights beautifully, and the whole temple seemed to glow against the night sky.

It almost looked unreal.

The funny part?

I got mistaken for a local Thai.

The guard didn't even ask for my ticket at first and started speaking to me in Thai.

For context, foreigners need to buy a ticket to enter.

I still bought mine, of course.

I may have accidentally passed the local vibe check, but I wasn't about to test my luck with temple security.

Probably the most touristy stop of the trip was Mae Kampong.

It's an old mountain village sitting about 1,300 metres above sea level, known for its cool weather, waterfalls, coffee, and miang — fermented tea leaves that are grown throughout the area.

You can try some there or bring some home if that's your thing.

The village itself was nice.

But definitely touristy.

Lots of people taking photos.

Lots of people café hopping.

Lots of people enjoying the whole mountain-village-slow-life experience.

And honestly, I get it.

The weather was cooler.

The scenery was beautiful.

The village had plenty of charm.

But out of everything we did in Chiang Mai, Mae Kampong felt the most "on the itinerary."

Still worth visiting.

Just don't arrive expecting some untouched hidden village that nobody knows about.

Of course, no Chiang Mai trip is complete without food.

This time, I brought some friends to try their first-ever laab Isaan.

For the uninitiated, it's a minced meat salad loaded with herbs, lime, spice, and enough flavour to immediately wake up every taste bud you have.

Watching someone try laab for the first time is always entertaining.

It's not exactly a gentle introduction to Thai food.

But it's definitely a proper one.

Almost every night ended the same way.

A nightcap at Hard Cocktail Bar in Anusarn Market.

The dangerous part?

It was only about ten minutes from the hotel.

Close enough that "just one drink" somehow became a recurring theme.

Hard Cocktail Bar has become one of those places I naturally return to whenever I'm in Chiang Mai.

Good drinks.

Easy atmosphere.

Familiar faces.

And this trip, I got to catch up with PK, the owner, and Nicky, a local guide and friend.

As usual, they invited me to hang out with their friends too.

Moments like that always make the trip feel less like tourism and more like returning to people you actually know.

And that's probably what I enjoy most about Chiang Mai.

It's not just the temples.

It's not just the food.

It's not just the markets or the mountain views.

It's the rhythm of the place.

A day can start with cicadas echoing through the trees at Wat Umong, turn into mookata with a view, continue with lunch by the river, and end with cocktails, local friends, and conversations you never planned to have.

This trip wasn't about rushing between attractions or ticking boxes.

It was about coming back.

Bringing friends along.

Revisiting old favourites.

Finding a few new moments along the way.

And remembering why Chiang Mai always manages to pull me back.

As usual, Chiang Mai didn't disappoint.