My First Impressions of Chiang Mai Thailand

After a long travel day, once I arrived at my Airbnb, I went straight to bed. When I awoke the next morning, I went looking for food, water, and drink for my new flat. Here are my first impressions of Chiang Mai Thailand, my first ever trip to this country!

Beautiful

Wow, I’m blown away. The colours surrounding me ever where I look are bright, vibrant and happy. This culture is not afraid to use colour! I am located near the old walled city and I see temples or remnants of them everywhere. They are absolutely gorgeous and I can’t wait to explore further.

Busy

There is a lot of traffic here both vehicular and pedestrian. I am surprised at the number of tourists around being such a huge city. Of course, they are all centered near old town for its rich history and local vibes. There is a fairly even mix of bikes and cars, definitely different than Vietnam where I would say there are many more bikes.

Friendly

All of the people I have met thus far have been friendly but not overly so. They are hard workers and look tired. I would be too living around and interacting with so many tourists. Sometimes I get a smile back when I offer a greeting but not always. Interesting. The people also seem hardened in a way that the Vietnamese were gentle.

Commerce Driven

Everything where I am located is thick with commerce. By that I mean there is not a lot of green space, open squares or public places to rest. Street after street is lined with shop after shop. Even the side streets and alleys are filled with people selling things out front of their homes. I love the initiative and that they have the freedom to do this.

So far, I am really enjoying Chiang Mai. I cannot wait to delve into the history and start visiting the temples. I know there are some good markets around too, I am so excited to see what I am going to discover over the next few weeks.