White Temple
Two days in Singapore scarfing down satay and quickly glimpsing the graceful lion ? Fun , but frantic . Three days in Hanoi trying to inhale as much of Vietnam ’ s beauty , complexity and fragrant noodle soup as I could before it was time to fly ? Delicious , but I needed a vacation after that vacation . It ’ s true : I ’ m an expat who wants to see everything .
I tend to dash through fascinating places in a FOMOfueled attempt to catch each stunning vista and experience every cultural highpoint . A recent visit to Chiang Rai rocketed by that same way . But this small northern city grabbed my attention in a way I didn ’ t expect . It ’ s got me hungry to return and wanting others to pause long enough to really let in its uniqueness , too .
Can you squeeze all of Chiang Rai ’ s attractions and excursions into a few days of sightseeing ? Yes . But you shouldn ’ t . Instead , here ’ s my prescription for a slow , exquisite weekend in Chiang Rai that will leave you feeling transported — rather than travel-worn .
FRIDAY
Fly out of Don Mueang International Airport in the afternoon and you ’ ll be settled in Chiang Mai by dinnertime . It ’ s just an 80-minute ride from DMK to Chiang Rai ( CEI ) and tickets are inexpensive . Flight costs average about 4,000 THB roundtrip on discount carriers like Air Asia . Where to Stay Chiang Rai Green Park Resort is spotlessly clean and very affordable . An outdoor playground area offers families with kids a place for relaxing , and the hotel ’ s ample breakfast ( including eggs made to order , soups and stir-fried dishes ) will fuel you for the day ahead . See www . chiangraigreenpark . com for more .
Want something more upscale ? If you ’ d prefer a 5-star experience , we ’ ve also checked out Le Meridien ’ s Chiang Rai resort ( www . lemeridienchiangrai . com ) and loved the serenity , high ceilings in the rooms , and the rather fancy pool next to the Mekong River .
SATURDAY
After a leisurely breakfast , make your way to Wat Rong Khun , better-known as Chiang Rai ’ s much-photographed
White Temple . Thai artist Chalermchai Kositpipat started creating this sprawling art installation in 1997 . Two decades later , he ’ s still at work on this stunning project and is training others to help realize his vision .
If you visited several years ago , it ’ s worth coming back now to see how it continues to expand . If you ’ ve never been before — don ’ t miss it . This temple , you may have heard , isn ’ t Buddhist . In fact , it isn ’ t really a temple at all . It ’ s a social statement rendered through architecture , sculpture and mind-blowing painted murals .
Chalermchai grapples vividly with the horrors of the modern world by juxtaposing them with visions of heaven . The effect is deliberately immersive and disorienting . Joy and peace wage battle with commercialism and cruelty in a mashup of sacred and profane imagery unlike any you ’ d find elsewhere in Thailand .
But don ’ t leave right after you ’ ve captured a few Instaworthy images . Instead , stay a while . Whether or not you agree with Chalermchai ’ s take on the ways modern society has gotten lost , take time to let his technicolor visions wash over you . Then step outside and consider the meticulous effort that ’ s gone into encasing whole buildings in shimmering , bright-white , impossibly intricate flourishes . Even as the artist delves into painful themes , it ’ s hard not to feel the joy and hope that his remarkable buildings convey .
Be sure to wander through trees hung with sculpted heads — many of which you ’ ll likely recognize from Western and Japanese pop culture . And don ’ t miss the gallery of the artist ’ s other works . Finally , take a break to explore the arcade . You ’ ll find a range of lunch spots and coffee places , plus local handicrafts for sale .
Just a short drive away , you ’ ll find the Baan Dam ( Black House ), a strange and unsettling counterpart to the glittering White Temple . Despite the images of luxury , there ’ s little joy or hope to be found inside artist Thawan Duchanee ’ s hyper-masculine art installation . Animal skins and skulls adorn lavish dining tables and beds found in buildings around the property , while groupings of primitive chairs in small huts suggest some dark ceremony may imminently take place . Knives and phallic-shaped pipes are scattered about , as if you ’ ve stumbled upon the abandoned site of an S & M-themed vacation resort whose revelers are long since gone .
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