Life in Thailand: Chiang Rai: International Balloon Fiesta in Singha Park and Doi Tung

[International Balloon Fiesta] [Doi Tung]

Tea plantation in Singha Park, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Bangkok is a land of eternal summer. It's hot! Temperatures hover around 30°C (90°F) most days of the year. Winter will typically arrive in late November and remain through early February. During this time, temperatures drop to a comfortable 20°C (68°F) - even lower still at night - in the northern reaches of the country. In contrast to Central Thailand (ie Bangkok) and in the South, the upper provinces of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are quite rugged with mountains shrouded in thick vegetation hugging lush, rolling hills and steep valleys. The weather is cooler year round, leading the locals to grow coffea, tea shrubs, strawberries, and other varieties of plants better-suited to this more temperate environment.

The uppermost province of Chiang Rai borders Myanmar and Laos, and is only 100 miles from the southern border of China's Yunan province. As such, here occurs a mixing of cultures, with significant influence from Chinese immigrants (especially on local cuisine!). Chinese tourists are a regular source of income, which means the locals are familiar with basic Chinese and English words. The area is also home to many various hill tribes who largely maintain their own culture and lifestyle. Unlike the pictures often shown on travel sites, traditional dress - while very beautiful with bright colors, is largely preserved for ceremonial or tourist purposes. These days everyone has moved on to a dress style that is more Western in appearance.

But enough information! Chiang Rai is full of natural beauty, a delightfully rustic and sabai sabai (relaxing) place to visit. Therefore, one warm (hot!), sunny day in Bangkok, Tiger and Bird decided to forsake the concrete jungle and make a spontaneous trip up north.

International Balloon Fiesta

Upon arriving in the rather small, but delightfully decorated airport in the early afternoon, we - and the other passengers - were greeted by local Thai schoolchildren playing traditional instruments on a stage set up in the arrival hall (for this small airport, the area doubles as the place to picke up checked luggage). Car rental booths were easily found in the main hallway outside.

Travel Tip: Chiang Rai is a big place, and unlike Bangkok, taxis and public transport can be difficult to arrange and navigate (read: expensive, relative to normal Bangkok prices), so renting a vehicle for the duration of your stay can be helpful! We passed many tourists at various places around Chiang Rai who looked rather stranded, unable to fully enjoy all of the adventures that could be had for lack of a vehicle.

We saw an advertisement for the International Balloon Fiesta at the airport, and headed down to Singha Park (Singha is pronounced like "sing"-"ah") to see what it was all about. The drive was an easy 40 minutes from the airport, before we hit traffic from hundreds of cars also headed to the festival. Seriously, it felt as if all of Chiang Rai was also in attendance. After driving slowly in line (queue, as they say in England and Thailand) to get to the parking lot (see "1" below) - located quite far from the festival grounds - we stood in another queue to grab a free Songthaew (covered pickup truck with two rows of benches in the back for passengers). Many people gave up on waiting in line and instead started the two kilometer walk (see "2" and "3" below). Not recommended. The distance along the dusty road is further than it appeared. I took these pictures from the Songthaew.

Everyone got excited when the balloons came into view, rising above a low-lying hill covered in purple flowers (photo below).

Unfortunately, in the excitement of the moment, we neglected to get photos of the balloons in-flight. As something of a competition, there were balloon teams from around the world with balloons shaped as various animals and objects. Our favorite was the large, oversized bumblebee seen in the center of "1" below, followed by either the dinosaur breaking out of the egg or the "king kong" monkey (also seen below). In photo "2", the giant eye of the deflated dinosaur fascinates some Thai children.

The balloons were varied in shapes, sizes, and styles. Animal balloons met their match in hearts-shaped balloons, as well as regular shaped-balloons covered in varying designs. Totally worth the sight.

Quick Fact: Singha Park consists of 12.8 square kilometers (4.9 square miles) of grounds that are home to a tea plantation, flower gardens, regular park grounds, and various entertainment options (restaurant, petting zoo). Singha Park is owned by the Singha Corporationa, a beverage/snack company that is a subsidiary to Boon Rawd Brewery Co Ltd. The company's logo is a Singha, a Thai mythical creature with the body of a lion.

Huge crowds milled around - arriving primarily in the afternoon after the sun had peaked - with a very large outdoor food and entertainment venue opposite the main balloon festival grounds. The atmosphere was festive, although arrays of loudspeakers blasting music and commentary from several MCs became rather obnoxious over time. Once our favorite balloons had landed and as dusk began to set, we wandered over to the food area. A centralized seating area was ringed with food vendors and a stage with performers on the far side. Hundreds of people had lined up by this point in time, and it took about twenty minutes to sample any of the fare. We opted for traditional barbecue meats (our personal favorite): suckling pig and grilled intestines. It sounds terrible in print, but believe me, when done right it is incredibly tender. Throw in some sticky rice and you have something that I'd be willing to eat every day (just a side note, the suckling pig was delicious but the intestines too gristly- a symptom of not being boiled for long enough)! Overall, a sanook (fun) day.

Doi Tung

Tree Top Walk | Royal Villa | Mae Fah Luang Gardens
Doi Tung rises nearly 1,400m (4,600ft) and is located in the western edge of the Golden Triangle, the area at which Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar share a connecting border. In Thai, the word "Doi" is the same as "mountain", with the name of the mountain following. Doi Tung is located about a one hour drive from Chiang Rai Airport and is located near the Myanmar border.

We had decided to travel to Doi Tung specifically to see the Mae Fah Luang Gardens. Various combinations of tickets are available to see one, some, or all the attractions on Doi Tung and we took some time deciding what exactly we wanted to do. Since we had arrived in the afternoon hours, we decided on the gardens, the tree top walk, and the Royal Villa since they were more or less in the same area (Tree Top Walk within the gardens, which are located below the Royal Villa).

Doi Tung Tree Top Walk
At first, I'd imagined that the tree top walk would be similar to a high ropes course through the trees, but later - to Bird's relief - the actual layout was similar to a walking path through the treetops. Still impressive, and very safe and family friendly. Only a set number of people are allowed to go on the Tree Top Walk at any given time, so when we bought the tickets, we also had to select a time. This is typically fairly flexible, with guided tours every 15 minutes, but the times get solidly booked very quickly. We chose a time slot in the mid-afternoon and were not disappointed.

For the trek, all participants must wear a harness with two carabiners, so that at any point you are always connected to a cable. Netting around the walkways and transfer points on the platforms in trees ensure that nothing is going to fall into the jungle below.

For us, and for most semi-active people, the trip would not be strenuous at all. We took our time moving along the path, looking around for animals and birds and pausing to take pictures of the scenery around us. We were worried that the group would move quickly through the trees, but as it turned out, most of the others came to take selfies and photos (see "1"), and so the path was very leisurely (see "2"). In addition to the guide in front was another guide in back, and she was forced to frequently remind the group to keep moving.

Doi Tung Royal Villa
The final residence of the Princess Mother of King Bhumibol was built overlooking the beautiful Mae Fah Luang Gardens. The villa's design is influenced by the traditional Swiss chateau combined with aspects of Lanna architectural style. The palace is quite beautiful and has a quaint rustic feel to it. We had recently returned from a trip touring Switzerland and we briefly felt like we had returned to the slopes of Grindelwald in the summertime.

Travel Tip: When visiting the Royal Villa, proper attire must be worn by both men and women. This usually just means long pants - no shorts (or semi-transparent clothing). Denim clothing is available for people who wish to visit but are not wearing proper attire. Shoes must also be removed before walking through the villa. Visitors are not allowed to take photographs within the villa.

Before entering the villa, we opted to get audio guides as we walked through the villa. The commentary is available in both English and Thai and was quite informative. The entire tour lasted about twenty minutes. Since photography was not allowed inside the villa, the outside of the villa can be seen in "1" below, and a picture down into the valley in "2".

Mae Fah Luang Gardens
Botanical gardens below the Royal Villa are beautifully landscaped and maintained. Stretching over 10 acres, the park is a decent size and incorporates various rock gardens and a picturesque pond. We spent some time wandering around looking at the flowers and taking some selfies before stopping at the cafe for some coffee. We spent several leisurely hours touring and exploring the gardens.