I’m back again with another Chiang Mai instalment: Places To Eat! Finding good places to eat in a foreign country can be daunting to say the least, especially if you don’t speak the local language. So I figured I’d compile a little list of the best places I’ve found in Chiang Mai! If you ever decide to visit (which I highly recommend), be sure to check a couple of these out!
It’s Good Kitchen
This place boasts being the top-rated Chiang Mai eatery of 2018, and for good reason. It’s a simple, outdoor eatery and perfect for a quick, causal lunch. But seriously, the food here was out of this world. Hands down one of the best meals I have EVER eaten in my life. If you’re ever in Chiang Mai and looking for real, authentic Thai food, make sure to give this place a try.
Baan Landi
Okay, this place was seriously amazing. To be fair, by Thailand standards, it was a little expensive — but by Vancouver standards it compared to a regular somewhat fancy meal. The pineapple and minced pork starters were to DIE for, and the shrimp and fried noodles I had for dinner were exceptional. On top of all that, they served cocktails composed of wine, candle smoke and lychee juice, which were incredible. If you’re looking for a somewhat upscale dinner during your stay in Chiang Mai, be sure to check this place out!
Mind Over Matter Restaurant
This little cafe was super close to our hostel, so we ate here a whole lot over our time in Chiang Mai. Not only was it super cheap, the food was outstanding, and very fast. If you’re ever in the area and want a quick, delicious meal, this place offers a mix of Thai and Western food — so there’s guaranteed something for everyone.
See You Soon Cafe
We stopped in at this place on a whim but honestly me and Nylah were both super into this place. Not only was the decor super cute (as you can see), but the food was amazing. I got shrimp wonton soup, which was hands down the best wonton soup I’d ever had. I tried to take a picture of it for you all, but the lighting wasn’t fantastic and really didn’t do it justice. Regardless, this place was amazing and I’d absolutely recommend it!
And there you have it! The food in Chiang Mai was so amazing, I’m sad to leave but excited to see what our trip holds next. Stay tuned for my next post to follow me on my travels!
I’m back with my second instalment of my travel blog series: Things to see and do in Chiang Mai! We have a pretty jam packed few days here, but here’s a low down of my favourite things I’ve experienced in this beautiful city!
Visit the Old Town
All of Chiang Mai is lovely, but the Old Town in particular is beautiful! Not only is it full of adorable restaurants and plenty of tourist-friendly things, but it also has loads of culture and temples you can visit.
Visit The Temples!
This city is literally packed with more beautiful temples than you could count. When I came here a few years ago, I saw the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temples, which were absolutely stunning but also completely overrun with tourists. This time, I stuck to temples in the Old Town and saw the Wat Chedi Luang and Wat Phra Singh Waramahavihan temples, which were both so incredibly beautiful but even more importantly, not at all crowded. This made the overall experience like 200% better as me and Nylah actually got a chance to walk around and really take everything in peacefully, without having to mill through massive crowds. 10/10 would absolutely recommend checking out some of the smaller temples if you visit.
Visit An Elephant Sanctuary!
This was honestly one of the days best spent in my time in Chiang Mai. The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is in the business of rescuing elephants from tourist elephant ride attractions, circuses, and other areas that abuse these creatures. When you spend a day here, you get to feed, play with, and wash the animals in a space that keeps them safe and happy. It is so clear that they love these animals and put their needs first, and all the elephants were so friendly and gentle. When I came here a few years ago, sanctuaries like this did not exist and instead there were parks where you could ride the animals, such as the one this sanctuary rescues their elephants from. The difference in the happiness of the elephants is clear as day. I’m not even sure if you can ride elephants in Thailand anymore, however, if you’re considering it, please think about this instead. You still get to spend a whole day with the animals and it was honestly such a highlight of the trip for me.
Hit up the Night Market!
Chiang Mai offers two night markets, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. Me and Nylah went to the Sunday market, which was in the centre of the Old City and absolutely packed with hundreds of adorable little stalls. They offer art, clothes, food, desserts, fresh fruit, and more! Not only was it super fun to just walk and look around, they had all kinds of cool stuff to try. I had some durian for the first time, which was super interesting, and some sticky rice with mango which is hands down one of my favourite foods. Overall, it was a 10/10 experience.
Take A Tour Of Doi Inthanon National Park!
Oh my GOD was this place ever magical. If you’re going to go, I would highly suggest taking a tour as it’s both likely cheaper and easier than making your way there yourself. We stopped at two waterfalls, a textile village, and a lunch break on our way to the peak of Thailand’s tallest mountain, where we did a nature walk through the rare habitat of the cloud forests. On our way back down, we visited the two Chedis pictured above, which were honestly two of the most beautiful temples I have ever seen in my life. This was honestly one of my favourite places on our trip so far, and if you’re ever in Chiang Mai it’s 100% a must see.
Check Out The Street Markets!
The street markets, or anywhere in Chiang Mai really, have the most AMAZING fruits you will ever eat in your life. Seriously. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried some. If you’re ever in Thailand, be sure to stop by your local market and pick some up. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.
So that’s all for now! I hope you’re all having a lovely week and enjoying my little travel series. Be sure to keep checking in for adventures, recommendations, updates and more!
Soooooo to kick off our South East Asia trip, me and my best friend Nylah arrived in Bangkok, Thailand for a quick first stop before we get going. We’ve mostly just been getting our bearings and acclimating to the time difference, especially since we’re going to come back to Bangkok later on for the bulk of exploring this city. Also, this is my first time blogging from my phone so please bear with me through whatever technological struggles I encounter!
B Story Cafe
This cafe was honestly one of the best little places I’ve ever discovered travelling. Not only was it ADORABLE, but the food was amazing (and not just because it was my first meal in like twelve hours). The fried rice I got was honestly out of this world, plus the Thai Tea I ordered with it was quite possibly the most refreshing drink I’ve had in my life. If you’re ever in Bangkok and need a quick, easy, casual place to stop in for food check this place out, seriously. 10/10 would recommend. They have so many food options as well, both Thai and Western, so there’s something for everyone here.
Hungry Nerd Restaurant
For dinner we followed a recommendation and tried out the Hungry Nerd restaurant. It was kind of nice as all the food was pretty Western influenced so it wasn’t too hard on our stomachs as we get used to the sudden dietary changes, however it was all almost 100% meat and therefore not vegetarian friendly. However, it was still great and exactly what we needed after a long day.
Sights
We didn’t have much planned for today as we’re heading back to Bangkok later on in our trip; we figured it would be good to take some time to relax and get ready for our next stop, so we kept it simple and just did a little on-foot exploring. Walking the streets of a new city is one of the easiest ways to take in a new culture, as a lot of culture is made up in the little things. Some of my favourite little differences were the fruit stalls, the tuck tucks, the motorbikes and most of all, the street cats! Everyone who knows me knows that I’m a sucker for cats and the area around our hostel in Bangkok literally had unlimited cats. It was amazing.
Anyway, that’s more a less it! We’ve already left for Chaing Mai and have a jam-packed few days so the next post will certainly be more exciting. Be sure to check back for more travels and reviews over the next month!
I’m back with another review for you guys! As some of you know, I’m leaving next week on a backpacking trip across South East Asia (which I’m very excited to share with you all!) and have been facing the challenge of fitting everything I need for a month in one backpack. As someone who is admittedly rather high-maintenance, packing light has never been my forte. Furthermore, there’s the whole issue of a full face of makeup likely not holding up super well to the climate where I’m travelling. This gave me the perfect opportunity to try out some of Glossier’s products I’ve been eyeing, as they are usually cream based (no brushes required) as well as supposedly super light. I’ve purchased from Glossier once before, and have a Tuesday Favourites coming up detailing how much I love their Balm DotCom lip products, so I’ve been looking for a while to try out some more of their products.
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint
Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint Shade #G8
Soooo, the first product I tried was the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint. I had some hesitations with this one as I’ve seen a lot of reviews saying it made no difference in their skin, as well as having the consistency of water. However, adding this to a set with the concealer (which I was going to purchase anyway) came for $44 with the concealer being $22, and it seemed smart to pack something super light for my trip. The moment I poured it out of the bottle though, I could tell the reviews were correct — I usually only use tinted moisturizer, which is light coverage, but this stuff really redefines light coverage. On the bright side, it blended into my skin super easily — but whether that was because it’s a good product or because it simply made no changes to my skin at all is up for debate. I’m still going to bring it on my trip and will be sure to update y’all if I change my mind, but for now the verdict is unfortunately: leave it.
Glosser Stretch Concealer
Glossier Stretch Concealer Shade #G8
Okay, so I have a bit of a mixed review on this one. On the plus side, its super compact and light, and doesn’t seem to have creased since I applied it. However, at the same time, I felt when I was applying it that it didn’t really conceal my dark circles. I notoriously have permanent bags and circles under my eyes, which is one of the things I’m most insecure about and use makeup for the most. However, afterwards when I was taking photos for this post, it seemed to have done a better than I first thought. I guess I’m just gonna have to see how it holds up to day to day life, and if y’all are interested I can share updates later on. However, the verdict for now is: we’ll have to wait and see.
Glossier Cloud Paint
Glossier Cloud Paint in Shade Beam
Okay, I won’t lie, this one really took me by surprise. When I first opened it, I was super spooked by how bright the colour was, and I figured there was absolutely no way this would look good on me, or anyone, really. However, after blending it into my skin, it actually turned from less of a bright peach and more into a natural pink flush. I’ve never used cream blush before, and we’ll see how it goes over the next month, but honestly? I could be down to use this product in my daily routine when I’m back. It looked SO natural and dewey, it was honestly unreal. Plus, it was only $22! Verdict: LOVE IT.
Glossier Haloscope Highlighter
Glossier Haloscope Highlighter in Shade Quartz
I’ve been seeing ads for this product forever and I’ve always been super curious. In reviews of Glossier products I’ve seen before, people often rave about this stuff, but note that it gives a natural finish (versus a blinding highlight). However, since I’m used to Vancouver weather and am probably going to melt in Asia, I figured that would be more than enough as I’m sure I’ll already have that #naturalglow going for me (aka sweat). This stuff didn’t 100% blow me away like the blush did, but it does have a lovely natural finish and I think I’m really going to love the simplicity of applying it. It still feels a little oily on my skin a few hours later, if that’s the best way to describe it, but it is rather balmy with a built-in moisturizer so it’s not quite greasy (if that makes any sense). So, the verdict for now is: Love It!
Glossier Lidstar Duo
Glossier Lidstar Duo in Shades Cub and Slip
Last but not least, we have Glossier’s Liquid Eyeshadows, called Lidstar. I was pretty excited to try these as a) I haven’t really tried liquid eyeshadow before and b) the simplicity of being able to wear eyeshadow without using a brush sounded amazing. I’ve seen reviews before where people were disappointed with the pigmentation of the product, however I think they expected it to look like a foil, which I didn’t expect. These eyeshadows, amazingly, feel super soft on your skin, as well as blend out like a dream. The only issue I had was that they kind of seemed to crease a little when I first applied them; but that could have just been because I applied them too soon after my primer. I blended it out with my finger quickly and they haven’t creased at all since. They are super light in colour, however I feel that makes them perfect for an everyday eyeshadow as I don’t love wearing heavy eyeshadow in the day but often have trouble finding light colours that look good. Honestly, I’m probably gonna invest in more of these in the future. So, overall, the verdict is: LOVE IT!
So, there you have it! After I completed the look, I finished up with a couple of my normal non-Glossier products — mascara, brow pencil and brow mascara, as well as bronzer. I will say, I was a little disappointed Glossier didn’t carry their own bronzer, as liquid/cream bronzer would have been a godsend on my travels. However, I’m pretty impressed by the products I did try and can’t wait to rock them in my future travel blogs! You can see how the finished look turned out in the photo below, but I’m pretty satisfied with it. If you’re interested in trying out Glossier’s products, be sure to do so here!
Sincerely, Meredith 