[Chiang Mai Adventure] Elephant Cafe, Black Forest Restaurant, Doi Suthep Temple, Wat Phra Singh

2024.06.23 Day 2 of Chiang Mai Adventure Today we continue to explore Chiang Mai, with a packed itinerary full of surprises! 🚗💨 Spent a fulfilling and enjoyable day with my mom and aunts! Because the aunts wanted to eat fresh mangosteen, we asked the driver to take us to the market first. However, there was only a small vegetable/cooked food market where locals went, and there were only two fruit stalls. We bought two large bags of mangosteen and rambutan and left quickly. Moreover, the price of durian in Thailand is about the same as that in Taiwan. Even though it is the production season now, the price is still too expensive for me to buy it. At present, it seems that only Malaysia can allow me to achieve durian freedom. **First stop | Elefin Farm & Cafe** 🐘☕️ We came to Elefin Farm & Cafe in the morning. It is really a beautiful place. We also met elephants walking on the road 5 minutes’ drive from the cafe! Maybe on the way to work. Last year, we went to the elephant rescue camp to interact closely with the elephants, but because the price was not cheap, and we didn’t know if the aunts were interested in this kind of activity, so we arranged an elephant cafe. Even if you don’t want to interact with the elephants, you can watch them from a distance, enjoy the beautiful scenery and drink coffee~ The perfect combination of a beautiful and unique cafe and elephants! The aunties were mesmerized by these adorable elephants. It was such a great morning! * Friendly suggestion: We arrived 1 hour before the cafe opened, and the driver helped us communicate and get in early so that we could take a walk and take pictures first, and enjoy the feeling of being undisturbed, because many people came one after another at 10 o'clock, and it was so crowded at almost 11 o'clock, and the elephant feeding platform area was super chaotic at that time! Because there are many people feeding ~ **Lunch | Black Forest Restaurant** 🍽️ Then we had lunch at the Black Forest Restaurant. The Black Forest Restaurant Khaomao-Khaofang has been selected as Thailand's Michelin Bib Gourmand for four consecutive years and is one of the top ten forest restaurants in the world. It is recommended to make a reservation to get a better seat. We were arranged to sit by the pool. Moreover, the landscaping in the restaurant is really comfortable, even the toilet is beautiful! Haha, even the toilet made me take a lot of photos It is not too far from the ancient city area and Chiang Mai Airport. If you drive yourself, there are free parking spaces. It is also very convenient to use Grap/bolt to call a taxi here. Walking into this place is like entering another world. The Black Forest Restaurant not only has a pleasant view, but the food is also delicious. However, the price is of course a little more expensive than ordinary restaurants. The six of us ordered a total of about 3,000 baht (including drinks). Normally, Thai food costs about 12-1,500 baht. Such a landscape restaurant is surrounded by lush green forests, making people feel like they are in a fairy tale world. We ordered a few special dishes, and every bite was full of fresh natural flavors, but the dishes were all gone before we even had time to take photos! **13:00 | Baan Kang Wat Forest Handmade Art Village** 🎨 In the afternoon we went to Baan Kang Wat, a handmade art village full of creativity and inspiration. Every corner here is full of artistic atmosphere. The aunts fell in love with the various handicrafts here. We also visited several workshops to see how the artists created these beautiful works, and opened my wallet to exchange for the things I liked to take home, hahahaha **14:30 | Wat Phra That Doi Suthep / Wat Phra That Doi Suthep** 🛕 Then we drove to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, also known as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The temple is located on the top of a mountain, overlooking the entire Chiang Mai city. I have to confess that I have never been here in all the times I have been to Chiang Mai, because I always thought I had to climb the stairs up the mountain, but I didn't expect that! There is actually a cable car 🚡 going up and down the mountain! The driver took us to the cable car entrance. The ticket was 30 yuan and the cable car fee was 20 yuan. It was an easy and painless climb up the mountain! As expected, money can buy convenience, and the temple has a very good barrier-free space, so wheelchairs can enter and exit easily! Don't worry if you bring your elders along. We were amazed by the golden pagoda and magnificent architecture. We prayed devoutly and took many photos. Of course, we walked around the temple and looked at the city of Chiang Mai from a high place, feeling a deep sense of peace and spirituality. When we went down the mountain, we chose to walk down the stairs and experience the famous stairs of Shuanglong Temple. **16:00 | Wat Phra Singh** 🕉️ As our trip was going faster than expected, the driver contacted the person at the charter company, who offered to let the driver take us to other places. Because we were tired of shopping, they made an additional arrangement for us to visit Wat Phra Singh. This temple is famous for its elegant architecture and historical value. We took a brief visit here and felt the charm of ancient culture. We had originally planned to go to Tha Pae Gate, but today happened to be the Sunday night market and there was a sudden rain shower. After staying at Wat Phra Singh for less than 20 minutes, we hurriedly jumped into the car and returned to the hotel, avoiding the embarrassment of the rain. **Relaxing Foot Massage** 💆♀️ After returning to the hotel, we immediately arranged a foot massage, hoping to relieve the fatigue of the journey. Although we only had our feet massaged this time, we both felt that a full body massage would be more enjoyable! **Dinner | Baan Na Na** 🍛 In the evening, we chose to have a simple dinner at Baan Na Na restaurant opposite the B&B. I often ate here when I stayed here before, but this time I felt that the food was not good at all. When I was drinking and chatting with the owner of the B&B at night, I found out that the chef had changed. It was a pity. Although this is my fourth time in Chiang Mai, the itineraries I arranged today are all my first visits. I always go to Chiang Mai to play around and don’t want to go to class to arrange the itinerary. This is also the first time I chartered a car to go to these places because I brought my mother and aunts here. Chiang Mai is such an incredible place, every corner is so charming. ❤️It is one of my favorite cities. The feeling of walking allows me to enjoy the cultural customs of Thailand more. #ChiangmaiAdventure #FamilyTime #TravelDiary #ChiangmaiAttractions #ElephantCafe #ArtVillage #DossaiWat #Food #Massage #RelaxTime