We booked a Chinese speaking tour guide because my parents only understand Chinese.
We need a driver as my parents are not really good at walking. This is more of trip catering to senior citizens.
Actually if you book direct which means you call up the guide, the price is cheaper.
We booked kind of late so we could not get a driver cum tour guide directly.
Hence, we booked through an agency. We paid 3000 baht.
My tour guide is quite good but he is not those chatty kind so if you prefer someone who liven up the atmosphere, then is not suitable. We are not really chatty so we don't mind and he can speak chinese quite well as he worked in Taiwan for a couple of years.
His car is a MPV so it is quite comfortable and the car is very clean.
We were lucky that we booked a private guide so the itinerary is flexible.
It started raining very heavily in the morning.
Instead of visiting temples, we switched to visiting the handicrafts places as that is the only sheltered places.
He was quite flexible, we asked him to drop us at a market and when we decided not to go shopping near chiangmai university, he bought us to one or two temples to make up for the time difference.
I booked by tour packages through this website. I chatted with them in chinese via QQ.
http://www.fuchiangmaitravel.com/
He drove us to a market selling fresh fruits as my parents are interested in markets and fruits.
We bought some fruits back to try in our hotel.
Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
Can either climb a flight of stairs or take the cable car. The steps are still manageable.
They charge an entrance fee for foreigners only. My guide explained that is because locals will donate when they entered the temple so that is their entrance fee. For foreigners, sometimes we don't know how to donate so they just charge as the entrance fees.
Beautiful skies. BEautiful photo.
Can catch the beautiful view of chiangmai at the back of the temple.
Bells, bells, bells...
Look carefully, donation from a Singaporean.
After all the walking, is time to snack.
If you are not into roadside food, which includes corns, hotdogs and fruits
can buy chips or icecream from a provision shop.
There are various stalls selling clothes and accessories, remember to bargain.
Near to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is the Chiangmai University. Beautiful lake.
Coffee break at Coffee Man at Chiangmai University.
He bought us to 2 more temples. I did not get the name but I did get some beautiful photos.
I did enjoy my temple visit because the temples looks very beautiful and also they do not look alike.
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