“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.” – Mark Twain
I have to start off this post with another shoutout to our amazing hotel, Cozytel! Their complimentary breakfast spread is AMAZING, and the staff is so incredibly helpful and friendly early in the morning. I appreciated them so much during our stay!
This day was another one jammed packed with adventure and the outdoors. We went to the Dragon Flight Zipline & Aerial Adventure Park in Chiang Mai, which was one of the recommendations from our hotel (click here to check out more about our hotel). I was so excited to just get out there and throw myself across the ziplines. It was soooo fun and I highly recommend y'all try this out with your group the next time you go traveling.
This photo makes me laugh since I couldn't make it across one of the lines! (lol) The guide had to come get me haha!
WEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!
We hiked from point to point...
and once we made it across...
even across some scary bridges...
...there was always a payoff!
WOOHOOOO!!!!!!
After nearly 13+ points, we had a curry lunch with the rest of the group until it was time for us to go back to our respective hotels. We had to hurry back and pack up because we were headed to Bangkok for the FINAL leg of the Asia backpacking trip!
There are definitely different vibes coming from the lush and green Chiang Mai to the busier city life of Bangkok. Both cities are the same in the sense that the people were extremely helpful, kind and hospitable!
There was so much fresh produce out on the markets and stands everywhere we went.
Grabbed a quick bite to eat and it was delicious!
We took a quick boat ride throughout the area and stopped by some cute little places like the Niyom Orchard Farm. It had so many cute little plants and trinkets there that we could've spent hours here alone.
I got this HUGE mosquito bite and had to show y'all since it looked so gnarly (lol).
Oh, and here's me just trying to do a casual #ootd (hehe).
Anyways, one of the best little treasures we stumbled across was the Floral Cafe at Napasorn. It is a cafe located on the second floor above a flower shop. The same people own the flower shop and the cafe, and run both as their dual business. The cafe is gorgeous and you can tell there are a lot of floral accents in the decor and the dishes and drinks as well. We opted for some ice cream since it was so hot and humid outside, and they were delicious. I got strawberry-rose sorbet and it was to die for!
After our little snack, we headed out to the produce and floral markets that were literally in every street. There were so many colors and textures, I felt like my eyes were going crazy trying to capture it all. I have wayyyy more photos stored away in my archives, but I included some of my favorites so you can get the idea.
Our final night was spent at the popular Issaya Siamese Club, the signature restaurant of the famous celebrity chef, Ian Kittichai. Chef Kittichai's style of cooking is classic Thai dishes with a modern twist. The ambiance of his restaurant is amazing as well, given that the structure is a gorgeous 1920's historic mansion. On the second floor, a colonial-style boutique lounge bar features Thai signature cocktails inspired from his cuisine. The appetizers and main courses were amazing, but the finale of the night - the dessert - literally made me gasp! It looked like a mango when it came to the table, but when the waiter came he cracked it open and revealed more fresh mango and sweet sticky rice inside!
The night ended with some homemade sweet treats to take home with us. It was one of the most delicious and memorable meals I have ever had in my entire life. If you're ever in Bangkok or Thailand in general, I HIGHLY recommend you add this restaurant to your bucket list. Make sure to call ahead since they take reservations!
I hope you enjoyed this post! This concludes my month-long Asia backpacking trip and I have so many mixed feelings. It has been a long journey, but it has also been incredibly rewarding as well. I met so many new friends along the way and made memories that will last me a lifetime. If you're ever considering backpacking, I definitely encourage you to try it. It forces you to live simply and to focus on what truly matters: the experiences on your trip.
Thank you so much for following me on this journey and for my other travels throughout the world. If you want to keep up with what I'm currently doing, check out my personal blog here: https://lavitavivi.com/.
Until next time,
Viv