Thailand: Flying to Chiang Mai; views from Doi Suthep

Date: 22nd November 2012

We had our hotel book us a van taxi to take us to Phuket airport. Our Air Asia flight was at 10:35am, and even though the van taxi had to pick up other passengers, we all got to the airport on time. We didn’t have breakfast, so the Dunkin Donuts at the departures area was where we stopped first after checking-in and collecting our boarding passes.

Air Asia Phuket flight interiors — It’s been a while since I flew Air Asia

Flying over Chiang Mai Thailand — There weren’t any delays and the flight left on time

Phuket tributary Thailand from sky — Goodbye sun and sand

Archipelago Phuket islands from sky — Quite an archipelago

Clouds over hills Thailand — One and half hours later, we were flying over Chiang Mai province

We landed on time, and ready and waiting for our arrival was the driver assigned to pick us up from Chiang Mai international airport. The driver was courtesy of Rux Thai, the hotel we were staying at. Rux Thai is where I first stayed at when I came to Chiang Mai in 2009, and again when I returned in 2010. Needless to say, I booked at Rux Thai a third time after I e-mailed them and got a good deal (฿500 per night) for a twin room on the ground floor for three nights.

After checking-in and freshening up, we had a late lunch at an English pub on Loi Kroh road.

Sign The Olde Bell Chiang Mai Thailand — He he

After that, we went around looking for a bike to rent. I recommended riding uphill to Doi Suthep and assured Ramesh it’s a “must-do”. Unfortunately, the bikes we wanted – a Yamaha Fino – were unavailable at most places or too costly. We had no intention of keeping the bike until tomorrow as we would be going for a tour. At one renters, all the Honda Clicks and similar bikes refused to start! (Why is this such a common problem?) 🙂

Instead, a songthaew (pick-up taxi) approached us and ended up offering us a deal to take us to the top and drop us back for what it would have cost us to rent two bikes.