On our last night in Chiang Mai, we were treated to a traditional khantoke dinner at a local cultural centre. Khantoke refers to a traditional Northern Thai (Lanna) dining experience and was named after the toke , the round, wooden (or sometimes, rattan) serving tray in which several small dishes are laid out. We had a long, low table set up in front of a stage and as we dined seated on floor mats with small pillows, we watched a show featuring local and indigenous dances.

On our last full day in Chiang Mai, I felt as royal as I did the previous night when we had our “Thai Royal Family” photo shoot with the whole tour group. At breakfast, my journalist tour mate asked me if I was interested in tagging along with him again to another private excursion while the rest of the group went shopping. This time, he wanted to visit the Queen Sirikit Botanical Gardens located in the outskirts of the city for another feature article on the lifestyle sectio

On our walk back to the hotel from the night market, my tour mate and I passed by a photo studio that was still open. We saw people in colourful northern Thai costumes right by the door. Curious, we moved closer and noticed a gallery displayed by the window. It featured photos of tourists wearing traditional Lanna regalia and posing like royalties against different Thai-inspired backdrops. That caught our attention. We exchanged one look and knew we were thinking of the same

Chiang Mai is known for several arts and crafts that have been passed on from generation to generation and have survived and thrived, even after the golden age of the Lanna Kingdom withered. This is evident everywhere you go in Chiang Mai, but concentrated along San Kamphaeng Road, dubbed as the “handicraft highway.” Here, you will see stores and workshops showcasing a mix of artistic traditions – wood carving, umbrella-making, silk weaving, lacquerware, and Celadon pottery m

The next day, we went to the famous Mae Sa Elephant Camp, located in a lush, tropical jungle in Mae Rim, around half-an-hour from Chiang Mai, where the largest assembly of elephants in northern Thailand lives side-by-side with their mahouts (elephant caretakers). We watched a very endearing elephant show. The star performers, the elephants, paraded, “danced,” and played music. If this was not enough to impress us, they also showcased other talents such as painting (not just

We had a short domestic flight from Bangkok to the north of Thailand to our next destination – Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is a completely different world from Bangkok, so different that it was almost like being in another country. This is partially true, for Chiang Mai was the capital of a once prosperous self-ruling kingdom in the north, the Kingdom of Lanna, which was the powerbase of the northern territory and completely independent from the central Thai kingdoms. Due to its p

I met my fellow travellers only on the day of our departure. A cocktail party was thrown for us by the tour sponsors at the airport lounge hours before our flight. We met representatives from the Thailand Incentive and Convention Association, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Thai Airways International, and the various travel agencies that brought us there. There were fifteen of us joining this tour. The Marketing Manager from Thai Airways, who would be travelling with us, w

In my early years in Canada, Thailand was the most popular Southeast Asian tourist destination for North Americans. Travel agencies specializing in Asian travel had Thailand as the front-runner in their advertisements, brochures, and window displays. Majority of my Canadian friends who had visited or were intending to visit Asia had Thailand at the top of their list. Its tropical climate, long stretches of pristine beaches and azure waters, rich culture, colourful traditions,