I realized I lived a hundred lives while in Chiang Mai and decided the daily sips needed their own spotlight! Before heading to the city, I did a bit of research and had a list of places I wanted to see because of the intricate architecture and vibes, and also found some jems by happenstance.
Akha Ama
I had seen this coffee shop posted about on some travel blog at some point. I wanted to go mostly for the aesthetics. It’s got this modern industrial look to it, high ceilings and a large u-shaped concrete coffee bar. I ordered an orange-coffee flavored drink and carrot cake pastry. I could have been in there all day—but it was NYE, and I needed to decompress and get ready for the night out. Akha Ama wins for industrial feel and tasty coffee.
Chiang Mai Cafe Culture
Fern Forest Cafe
The Fern Forest Café. This was the café of my dreams. Well, not exactly. It was better. It was the middle of December, and I was parked in the middle of a lush courtyard-style café, koi fish swimming excitedly next to my seat as I ordered matcha and a hearty breakfast. People watched. The café was nearly full; giant white cups of coffee or colorful fruit smoothies were passed to the patrons. I eavesdropped on two friends at the table to the left of me. “This has been the most epic trip ever.” I smiled, happy to hear they were having a good time. I was also a bit saddened not to have anyone to discuss the trip with. Oh well, I pulled out my printed manuscript and set of markers and began my review. Chiang Mai is known for having great coffee and interesting locations. This one wasn’t on my list, but I was thrilled I ended up there.
Fohhide
This place was on my list. After feeling a bit overstimulated I took a solo trip to this cafe with a notebook to journal about my experiences thus far. This is was a really cool find, nestled in the trendy Nimman neighborhood, Fohhide I enjoyed some reprieve from the social and desision making aspects of travel. What a sweet, slow morning. I spent the rest of the day shopping, and bought a cute pastel colored crochet coin purse in the shape of a rooster.
Sotto Matcha
I love me a thick green smooth matcha. Sometimes when you need a gentler caffeine fix, and green tea is the ticket! The barista took their time with this one, I stood by marveled at the slow pressing of the powdered green stuff stiffing into the round clay bowl and mixing until it’s a ninja turtle green. A pour of oat milk and all together into a plastic cup, ready for my turned-on tastebuds! If you’re a matcha lover, Sotta Matcha is the place.
I like to plan some of my must-do’s and then other days, get lost, and find hidden jems. Here are some final snaps of coffee and drinks from the trip!
If I return, I really want to visit the following cafes aswell:
I arrived in Chiang Mai exhausted by the liveliness of Bangkok. It was a quick flight to the city. At the airport, I had to purchase a second ticket because mine was written in the shortened version of my name. Damn autofill. The airline said they would have corrected it had I warned them at least 24 hours in advance. I call this the cost of ADHD. I had planned out my entire trip in one sitting, and even though I had printed out all the flight tickets and hotel locations to be safe, I didn’t bother reading them. Oops. Lesson learned. Maybe.
I chose to stay at The Social Club for two reasons. First off, the social aspect: I was in an apartment-style building meant for digital nomads. I envisioned myself joining them in the computer room furiously working away on my book. I also hoped to make some friends as I was staying over the Christmas and NYE break.
The second reason was the cost. The room was very affordable. Anyways, back to the first day. My flight was early in the morning, so I was unable to check in. I left my suitcase at the front desk and googled a nearby café. I have had the pleasure of being in so many neat coffee shops, I made a whole separate blog post about them! Which is linked here.
The Social Club Chiang Mai
The next morning, I woke up early to beat the heat and took a taxi to the university area, where there was a reservoir and a mountain view. And running paths that did not involve traffic. Ah, this would do. Oh, did I forget they drive and walk on the other side of the road? Of course I did. I corrected the course about halfway through. Soon I was soaring, sweating, and hopefully jet lag poured out of me. Conveniently, another beautiful café was at the end of my run where I had been dropped off. I ordered a green juice and waited for my ride. I spied on the people alone at their computers, wondering what they were working on, feeling a bit guilty I had lugged my laptop with me, but hadn’t used it to look at my manuscript.
Ang Kaew Reservoir
Back at the apartment, it was crowded; a new group of people had arrived. Even though I was not my freshest, I introduced myself to everyone. The staff was organizing an afternoon craft; would I like to join? I am terrible at drawing, but I wanted to spend more time with the friendly group of people in front of me. Sure.
The craft instructor was missing. A homeless man had been bitten by a dog, and she had taken him to the hospital to ensure she was looked after. I knew a girl from our group, whom I’d met earlier, was an artist and nominated her to take over. She was perfect for the job. A natural instructor, the best kind too. One that sets out a few narrow guidelines and gives you artistic freedom. We searched for something we’d like to copy, then traced it out onto a card. She brought down a set of her own paints and brushes in case we wanted to experiment with them, as well as the crayons provided. In a place like Thailand where consumption is easy and inexpensive, it felt good to slow down and create something. It also felt good to be surrounded by people with whom it was easy to bond. We all seemed to love traveling and meeting new people. I chose the perfect place.
As I continued making my handmade Christmas card, ideas filled my mind. There were so many things to see and do in Chiang Mai. The night markets, the elephant sanctuaries, the cooking classes, the lady-boy shows, the hikes, and the day trips. I liked the sounds of everything. All of a sudden, two weeks felt like there wasn’t enough time to do it all. I began taking down phone numbers, screenshots of restaurants, and things to do. My brain was making a schedule for the next few days, none of which included writing. At that point I gave up. I realized that I wasn’t sure I would ever come back to Chiang Mai. I would work on my book when I was back in my less stimulating hometown, where several feet of snow was currently piling up in my front yard.
I let myself off the hook; I accepted all the invitations to markets, dinners, and tours I could, but still squeezed in affordable massages, of course!
I enjoyed meeting everyone. A young girl, Oti, from Romania, had found a studio at Northlab Dance where she would take private hip-hop classes. Luckily, she allowed me to join in, and some of my greatest memories are driving on the back of a scooter while the sun faded to our hip-hop class where our Thai teacher Fern shouted “Let’s go” and “5,6,7,8!” and we danced like no one was watching. Because no one was, and it was awesome! Since returning to Edmonton, hip hop has become a regular part of my routine.
Then there is Daniel, who excelled at organizing group meals. Grab lunch orders or lead the way to highly rated dining spots. He is a foodie; his greatest pleasure is to excite his taste buds. He was also great at gathering people to play board games. He renewed my love of playing Splendor, and I also purchased a set of Blokus. As exciting as travel can be, it can also be exhausting, and it was nice to have time to slow down and play games instead of constantly absorbing new sights and stimulations. Dan, although claiming to be introverted, was constantly in the common area, curious about how people spent their days and wishing them well as they set out. He enjoyed waking up early to beat the heat and get lost in the streets, picking up a snack or two to bring on his journey back.
Sabina, a Hungarian girl with fiery red hair and cat-eye-lined green eyes, was always warm and sweet to be around, like a sister you’d always wished for. There was something whimsical in everything she did and said. She was a cool girl who practiced ballet back in London and frequented cafés with other artists, hiding behind shopping bags and sketching unknown patrons.
I was very spoiled with the unique individuals I’d met during my stay in Chiang Mai. I was not expecting to meet so many creative and open-minded individuals.
Here is us; we spent a lovely day starting off with brunch, a visit to the artists market followed by a two-hour massage, and of course more eating! Love these humans! PS: We are all Capricorns; the goats know how to spend a travel day!
We visited Baang Kan Wat, which was super busy; it has several unique places to buy or make handcrafted jewelry, pottery, or paintings. We didn’t make anything, but I bought a cute handmade book market and a sell coloring sheet. We stopped for dessert and a Thai Tea, a traditional black tea with spices and condensed milk. Oti was on a mission to find the best one in Thailand and highly rated the one in the artists’ village. I could have lived in this village, making arts and crafts all day long, sipping on Thai tea… might have to come back!
The Capricorns’ Day Out!
Here are some highlights from my two weeks:
Cooking class with the Passion Food Cooking School. We started the morning at a local market in Chinatown, going over the list of ingredients we would use for the recipes. Here I stocked up on spices and tea. I love a local market. We made 7 dishes that day; I was stuffed. My favorite was the Tom Yum Soup. A sweet-and-spicy combination of flavors I’m excited to make when I return home. Maybe. Or maybe it’s something I’ll order when I go for Thai food.
The Lady Boy Show at Ram Show Bar
These queens nailed it. Absolute Fire. The dancers had amazing costumes and an even better stage performance; they jumped into the crowd, kicking their legs in the air and hitting patrons. Their costumes and makeup were so immaculate, I was so impressed! This show was easily one of my favorite nights out in Chiang Mai.
Market Life is the Best Life!
The Night Markets- where I bought a zillion scarves and bookmarks for my book club! And a big highlight was waiting in line for the famous “Roti Lady,” who has a Michelin-starred roti-making stand. I got the chocolate, cheese, and banana one. Worth the wait! I also purchased a handcrafted notebook with my name inscribed on the cover, a handmade crochet doll, and a painting of a temple I visited on a hike. Oh, and not pictured here, but a woman told my fortune with a unique set of tarot cards that I’ve never seen before. I like to pull my own tarot cards. The fortune said my life would really be picking up speed this year; boy, was she on the nose!
These markets are so fun; you can spend all night shopping and eating. There was also a whole street dedicated to people getting back and shoulder massages, while still having the ability to people watch, or scroll their phones, to each their own.
The Coconut Day Market
The Coconut Market- where I had the best coconut icecream and a cheesy baked potato with corn and dumplings. This market is only open Friday through Sunday, so plan ahead. Ther
Yoga, where I was taught to do my first headstand. Also, the yoga instructors were top-notch. I could tell they were so passionate about teaching. One of them kept yelling at me, “Seesta, Seesta, you strong, come every day you get better, I promise!” And then she slapped my shoulder. I love Thai people; they treat you like family. For me, travel can be overstimulating, so getting a yoga session in helps ground me and stretch from the long travel days 🙂 The yoga instructors really had a passion for teaching; they had an Indian man teach them to become instructors, and the way they led the classes, well, let’s just say, yoga in North America is very commercialized, and I was fortunate enough to find this place. It was recommended by a Brazilian couple I met at the Coconut Market (thanks, friends!).
The Monk’s trail hike. We assembled most of our apartment peeps and headed to the straight-uphill 5 KM jaunt. This hike was amazing, super sweaty and we were met with a beautiful view of the town and a shiny gold temple at the top. So fricken cool! (I ended up buying a beautiful painting at the night market of the gold temple).
I booked a Reiki session at a nearby Spa. A luxurious slice of downtime before the evening festivities began. The spa range from cheap, $40 CAD for a 2-hour massage or $230 for 4 hours of massage, facial, body scrub, and body mud mask! Oh, and they also have several massage places where female ex-prisoners provide massages at an affordable rate. I went and was not disappointed. The bed was a bit stiff, but the lady did a good job.
NYE in Chiang Mai was unreal. We started the night by ordering pizzas, the perfect base for a few cocktails. We started walking towards the downtown square, stopping into a bar for a drink and playing a round of darts. By the time we were downtown, the streets were full of people; it was incredible, from babies to the elderly, everyone was out to celebrate the new year. It was a vibe. After a large display of glistening fireworks, a DJ took the stage, and we headed over to dance. When the crowds began to clear away, we headed to Niman and found a local bar where we danced. I really like the street-style mix. I saw a lot of girls wearing sneakers and jeans; they made casual look cool.
Screenshot
The elephants at Chai Lai Orchid. I might need another post to describe just this! It’s an ethical elephant sanctuary where you spend the entire day, feeding, hiking, and bathing with elephants. I have a tattoo of an elephant on my foot; it’s a good luck charm!
I regret that I only spent two weeks here. I could have easily been here for a month; in fact, I might come back. There are still interesting coffee shops I’d like to visit, and the yoga classes and street markets are too good to pass up. There is cheap accommodation to book and tons of expat meet-up groups. In fact, friends I made might be going back this winter, so there’s still a chance to return and knock off the rest of Chiang Mai’s hidden treasures.
It’s common to hire a driver in Thailand for the entire day. A girl I met at the TSC, Nicole, had already done some research, and we chose to see the highest point in Chiang Mai (note: it was cold! Bring a sweater), visit a temple, and stop for a waterfall lunch.
Final Thoughts on Chiang Mai
Creating this post made me eager to return; I could repeat each market, massage, and food or coffee stop and still be impressed. Chiang Mai overdelivered on everything; the pictures don’t do the city justice. It’s an experience I promise you need to have!
I’m pretty impulsive, I see something on social media or hear someone rave about a new travel destination, restaurant, or activity, and I want to try it too! Once I noticed the social media post that the Vancouver Marathon was having its 50th anniversary, I could not miss it! I probably run 1-2 times a week, but I never seriously took the time to train for one. When I twisted my co-worker’s arm into signing up for the run with me, he promptly sent over a spreadsheet with a run schedule. Ooh, structure, I have never had a system before.
Monday: Rest Day Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday: 5-10 km Runs Days Friday: Rest Day Saturday: Long Run 10-15 km Runs Sunday: Cross-training day (Bike, yoga, weight training, etc.)
This training schedule was adapted from this popular running site.
This schedule was so important to me; I followed about 80% of it. Sometimes work or social events got in the way, and I skipped some of the runs. But the consistency of completing the running made me feel like a superhero. Committing to the runs even when I didn’t feel like it made me realize I could push myself. That, coupled with the runner’s high, seemed to flow into my day-to-day life. Whether it was cold, windy, or if I was sore or tired, I was still pushing myself to get the miles in. I feel like that training reflects how actual life flows; you’re not going to be the best version of yourself daily, but if you keep showing up, that consistent discipline adds up and makes you physically and mentally stronger.
Running Q&A
While I was training, I was asked these questions:
Do you train with anyone?
Immediately I thought I didn’t want to run with anyone, and I didn’t want to hold anyone back; I needed to run at my own pace. There’s no point; I have my headphones, and we won’t be able to talk to each other anyways. However, the curious part of me thought, why not try it and see? So, I asked my co-worker, Michael, to join me for our weekend-long runs. Training with someone was incredible; it always seems easier to suffer from someone than alone! His pace always started faster but ended slower, while I did the opposite, picking up speed near the end of the run, squeezing the last bit of energy left. So, our running dynamic probably balanced and pushed us to be better runners. Also, Michael introduced me to the famous guided run coach from the Nike Run Club, coach Bennett. The free app allows you to choose your running time or distance and have someone chime into “coach” or pump you up during your run. I found this helpful as the encouragement from this virtual coach helped push me to run longer or distract me from running pains.
Training in Edmonton
Are you on a special diet?
No, I ate more carbs (I love baking pastries) during training and drank more water, but I never tracked what I ate. Now that I’m training for yet another run and trying to assess nutrition a bit more. Whether or not fasted runs or eating certain foods before help. I find that running has leveled out my hormones, and I’m not as hungry when I’m consistently running. It’s weird; the lazier I am, the more I feel like eating, maybe because I associate snaking with watching tv, and that habit has been replaced by running! Does anyone sit down to watch a movie or show without eating a snack, or is it just me?
How do you stay motivated?
Honestly, I prefer to take the path of least resistance; I think most of us are. But if someone were going to hand me a pill and say swallow this and that I will be marathon ready in 8 weeks, I wouldn’t want to take it. The most grueling part for me is always just putting on my shoes and going outside. My overactive brain says several things like I’m too tired, busy, sore, hungry, full, etc., to run; however, the reality is that my body is the one doing the work. Your brain doesn’t do the heavy lifting, and nine times out of ten, the days my mind told me I would probably have a bad run because of some narrative that kept me spiraling and procrastinating the runs till the last minute usually turned out to be the best ones. After this pattern repeated itself repeatedly, I just started going out with less trying to analyze whether I should. So shut up, brain. Do your quads burn? Is your breath panting? I didn’t think so. Running is a roller coaster ride; there are up and downs, and the ride will feel different every time you embark on it. I’m addicted to the runner’s high, but my brain often forgets this when getting started. Here is the playlist I made when I was training.
Vancouver Running Playlist
Pre-Marathon
Michael and I arrived three days before the run and didn’t do any more training and chose to eat and bike our way around the city instead. We stayed at the Sutton Place Hotel. It’s a few blocks from the train and a great central location for exploring the city. Also, running the BMO Vancouver Marathon in the spring is the perfect time to see the cherry blossoms blooming all over the city.
Vancouver Food
Here are the restaurants we went to, and I highly recommend them!
Delayed an hour due to a mysterious package on the course, we stood cold and anxious at Elizabeth Park to get started. But once we did, what a race. The weather was cool and mild, slightly overcast with no wind, the ideal temperature for a long-distance run. The city horizon and a calm harbor came into view. We charged across the bridge with several other yellow coral runners (hoping to make it in 2:20 min). Supporters ran bells, cameras clicked, and posters of Ryan Gosling (who else would you want in your cheering squad) brought a smile to my face as I was finally in it. All the training added to that moment. While cruising through China town, a man meagerly pulled his dog through the course while smoking his joint. While the scent wafted through the air in front of me, it caused me to burst out laughing; British Columbia is known for its solid and good weed. The course blended oceanside air, lush greenery, and urban building. Other sights I remember were seniors who had met for their morning coffee and pastries at what looked like a local bakery; others stood in line for what must have been a trending breakfast spot, all while we runners clapped our feet on the pavement past them. In the race’s final leg, I felt entirely warmed up to the run; the crowd’s perfect weather, scenery, and energy made me want to pick up my pace. Soon I could see the 2:20 pace bunny and knew I would beat my un-trained Sea wheeze run. As I began to charge ahead, I knew the work I had done allowed me to be running as a better version of myself. I ended up coming in a 2:08, twelve minutes faster than my previous race!
Vancouver BMO 1/2 MarathonVancouver Marathon Finish LineVancouver BMO 21.5 RunVancouver BMO Run
Final Thoughts
If you’ve never trained for a race, I highly recommend it, regardless of distance or experience. The best part is the journey, the good runs, and even the horrible ones you are most proud of enduring. One time I ran through 40 km wind gusts, and I still laugh when I remember that moment. The most crucial part is that you are moving towards a goal that encourages you to be present while training to get there; enjoy the ride! Vancouver is a beautiful city, and the BMO marathon is such an incredible event; I’m so glad I passed the finish line and recommend this race to anyone looking to run an epic marathon. Vancouver is a beautiful city that is easily walkable and runnable!
For those planning your post-pandemic vacation, also being described as the revenge vacation, I have a simple hack that will make it easier for you to narrow it down. If you’re anything like me, the multitude of social media images and blog posts has scrambled my brain and made my ability to decide on only one travel destination a challenging feat.
When it comes to vacation planning, I needed to create something to stop me from getting overwhelmed, so I constructed a spreadsheet that lined up my values and interests, which was the fastest way for me to put a bullseye on where to buy my next ticket. Some of you may have different values or factors to consider (ie, children, distance, and duration) that you may add to your count.
For myself, the following elements to consider are essential:
How much to spend on a vacation is a personal choice, lifestyle factors like home ownership, debt, or children can deter you from staying at t Ritz and flying first class, but even on a lower budget, traveling can be affordable. Knowing I will always want to plan another vacation when I get home, I tend to spend less on accommodations and splurge on activities.
What do you want to do when you get to your destination? For me, swimming is number one on a summer vacation list. Getting into a refreshing body of water feels amazing, and bonus points if I can rent a nearby paddleboard.
Sometimes I want to escape with no make-up, do strenuous physical activity, and hang out with a book at my hotel. However, when I’m on a long flight, I want to transpose myself into a much more unique world than I’m currently in. Less time at the hotel, more time out and about. Seeing and being seen, I want to hear other languages, see people dressed in fabulous clothing, and taste delicious food.
Lately, my trips have consisted of me packing sandwiches, beef jerky, and baked goods. When traveling abroad, I love hunting down must-try restaurants. I like to experience the variety of new flavors a country offers and adopt a “see food” diet; I eat anything I see that looks good. Then, back home, I can go back to more short staples. Cities with food I wouldn’t typically see in restaurants in Edmonton, Canada, must be explored!
When I travel, I want to have as stress-free a trip as possible; this means the place I’m visiting has a robust transportation system. Renting a car in an unknown city is far from ideal—driving on the left-hand side of the road, or a stand, and traffic, no thanks. If I can take a train, uber, bus, or use the “heel, toe” express to get around, it makes the destination much more favorable.
Put all these factors together, and this is what my sheet looks like:
I used this spreadsheet to help me narrow my decision down to Spain. As a solo traveler, it seems like an accessible country to navigate for a shorter time frame. I can’t wait to see how much fun traveling in Spain will be! I hope you can use this as a template when you are scratching your head for your next getaway.
The juxtaposition of the view is remarkable. First, you may feel the melancholy, fires destroyed approximately 30,000 hectares of land in 2017, but now there is an influx of fresh greenery popping throughout; hope sprouts post-tragedy.
The small town is charming with souvenir shops and restaurants that only span two blocks of the street and a beautiful lake on the other to enjoy pre or post-meal stroll. For me, walkable destinations on vacation are favorable. One, I’m lazy, and two, I want to drink a beer and not worry about the stress of driving, traffic, parking, etc. From the center of Waterton, you can walk to beaches, restaurants, hikes, or rent bicycles to cruise around with.
Bear’s Hump Hike
Crypt Lake Hike
Our first hike was to the famous Crypt lake. This trail is only accessible by boat, and can often be fully booked, so plan ahead. It’s a long hike that requires a lot of water and sunscreen as we attempted it in the middle of summer. Crypt is the Greek word for “secret” as the hike reaches its end, the secret is revealed beyond a tunnel and steep hill. This last part terrified my mother, so this “secret” lake remains as such for me. Oh well, perhaps just an incentive to return and do it again? Book the shuttle here:
Bertha Lake is an excellent medium-intensity 8 km hike; you walk from town to the base near the campground.
Bertha Lake
Red Rock Canyon
Red Rock Canyon
Paddleboard or kayak: I brought an inflatable paddle board that was the perfect break from sweaty days of hiking. A lot of people out on kayaks too. (You can easily rent these in town if you don’t have your own). The water was on the cooler side but still suitable for a quick swim.
Bike- rent or BYOB 😊
Eats
Pearls is my favorite breakfast food; this café had terrific coffee and delicious food. Pearls
UNANCHORED EVE 