Umbrella workshop in Chiang Mai

During our recent trip to Chiang Mai over last weekend, with the obligatory visit to Doi Suthep, also included a visit to an umbrella workshop, not to be confused with a factory!

Although they can be referred to as 'factories', the hand made manufacture of the umbrellas does not really resemble a classic factory line of production. Hence workshop is a much better description.

Finished umbrella's on display, a colorful scene

With our taxi driver from the airport, we arranged a trip to Doi Suthep and for good measure (and his commission) he threw in a visit to various factories/workshops, ranging from umbrellas to silver, silk and wooden handicrafts.

Luckily for me (in contrast to my wife's opinion) we visited the only one I was interested in, the umbrella workshop. It was nice to see the lay out of the place and how the umbrellas go through stages of manufacturing.

Umbrella's in various development stages drying in the sun

There's a small restaurant/coffee shop and a handicraft/umbrella shop, with hundreds of different sized and colored/themed umbrellas for sale, at really good prices! We got two traditional umbrellas in a classic design, fairly big ones each only being 350.-THB. A good deal in my opinion.

An intriguing motive

One of the more remarkable designs is pictured above, it looked like it was not a finished product but unexpected and intrigiung nonetheless.
All the umbrellas are made out of bamboo and are available in various sizes and designs and bamboo hand fans and other items are for sale as well.

The shop

There are plenty of similar umbrella workshops in Chaing Mai and this one was conveniently located at a road with a couple of dozen other workshops. Instead of going to a restaurant, which I requested, our next stop proofed to be at a silk factory/workshop with a very distinguished Chiang Mai family name, well known for being a big political player during the last decade in Thailand and currently in exile. Upon seeing the name I politely told the driver that we had no interest in visiting this place and if he could please bring us to the restaurant.

Amazingly the restaurant was just another couple of 100 meters down the road and the food was excellent.

If in Chiang Mai, the visits to all the various workshops can be a great way to kill a day or afternoon, including a visit to Doi Suthep, Highly recommended!

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Rajavoravihara, Chiang Mai

A visit to Chiang Mai is almost not complete without visiting Wat Phra That Doi Suthep or วัดพระธาตุดอยสุเทพ.

It is a  a Theravada Buddhist temple and is most often just referred to as Doi Suthep, although this is actually the name of the mountain it is located on.
We arranged for a tour with our airport taxi driver. We quickly checked into the hotel and off we went.

 

The main pagoda, probably the best known and most photographed part of the temple, completely covered in gold. It was bathing in sunlight when we visited

'Doi' means 'on top of the hill'. It's around 15km from downtown Chiang Mai including a fantastic drive up the Doi Suthep hill of almost 10km long with plenty of hair pin curves. Many people ride it on their bikes, I would love to run it!

The white elephant

There are various legends about the founding of the temple, one involving a white elephant with a relic tied onto his back who climbed the mountain and died. The spot where the elephant died is where the temple has been build, going back to 1368 by King Nu Naone of the Lanna Kingdom .

A view inside the busy temple

The temple is a very sacred site to many Thai people and many Thai people and tourists alike flock to the temple grounds, especially during the weekends.

There's a 30.-THB entry for foreigners or 50.-THB if you want to use the tram system up the mountain. Otherwise it's up 309 steps.

 

A great view over the city of Chiang Mai can be had

The view over the city of Chiang Mai is fantastic and going up the road to the temple there are a few scenic view points and inside the temple grounds it's one of the most popular and busiest spots

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White Buddha statue opposite the Tan Jan Vihara

Aspects of the Wat or temple draw from both Buddhism and Hinduism. There is a model of the Emerald Buddha and a statue of the Hindu God Ganesh

The 'Vihara' shrine

There are two levels at the temple, the first level your reached goes all around the second, higher level and hosts a museum, temple hall, a Buddhist book shop, a minimart and a coffee shop among others and the viewing area over the city.

A scary 'Mom' at the Tan Jan Vihara entrance

The second or top level has the pagoda as center point with many shrines around it and a copy of the Emerald Buddha statue on display as well. The original Emerald Buddha can be found at Wat Phra Keow in Bangkok nowadays.

No Thai temple is complete without it's fair share of Buddhist amulets. We also bought a few!

It was a great way to spend an afternoon around Chiang Mai and a beautiful Temple and I can confirm that is a 'must' see when in Chiang Mai.

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks! 

Camille

Koh Samui, Thailand daily weather update; 2nd November, 2014

Today's weather;

It's cloudy with a few blue spot around Koh Samui and it could have some rain later today. Current temp at 7am is 25.7C

We're in Chiang Mai, my first time ever, and it's lovely here with a blue sky shaping up and a cool 24C morning temp. Just completed a 9.65km run in a fast time, 47'30. At least, for me that's fast!
Around 1pm we'll be on our way back to Samui again!

Kao Hua Juu pagoda overlooking Chaweng, two days ago

Yesterday saw a few rain drops at Samui airport when we took off for Chiang Mai and there was plenty of more rain during the day and night. Max temp reached 28.8C

In Chiang Mai we had a lovely sunny day with blues skies all around and a max temp of 34.5C

Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in Chiang Mai

The forecast for Samui is mostly cloudy skies with showers for the next seven days. Monsoon season seems to be starting up!

Don't forget to use my Camille's Samui hotel recommendation blog and my Camille's Thailand hotel recommendation blog for all your hotel bookings on Koh Samui and around Thailand. By doing so, you will support my blog. Thanks folks!

Camille