Chiang Rai - Short but Oh So Sweet

Stepping off the plane in Chiang Rai I right away knew I would love
it. From the fast and easy baggage claim to the one minute walk to the
waiting hotel car, you get the strong feeling you're not in the
madness of Bangkok anymore.

Pamela had already been to this part of Thailand (well known for it's
proximity to the Golden Triangle or borders of Thailand, Laos and
Burma) so she knew to expect a chilled-out kind of place. Both of us
were looking for a relaxing weekend and that's what we got and more.

We stayed at the Le Meridien Chiang Rai Resort which sits right along
the Mae Kok River. The resort literally flows with tranquility, whether
it's the multi-layer infinity pool, attached pond or dual showerheads
in the bathroom it would be hard not to relax and enjoy yourself.
Although the resort was 100% full while we were there, the service
provided by all the hotel staff was exceptional and we always felt
like we had the place to ourselves.

View of the pool and river from our room.

After checking-in we were sooo surprised to find a beautiful selection
of desserts in our room consisting of chocolate cake, maccaroons and
langan fruits. Needless to say we loved every bit of it that night and
for breakfast the next morning.

Honeymoon Surprise in our Room!

The White Temple
The resort arranged a taxi to Wat Rong Khun (The White Temple) for us.  The White
Temple, named for its bright white color, was designed by local
artist Chalermchai Kositpipat with many parts still under construction. No
description I write could ever do the temple justice so I will let the
pictures speak for themselves.

We had to Eat!
Pamela and I had a beautiful dinner at Favola which was the Italian
restaurant in our resort. We were greeted by the Executive Chef and
recommended an appetizer of caprese for starters. Pamela followed this
up with pot roasted chicken and I had spaghetti carbonnara, both of
which were very good. Saturday we lunched at Latest Recipe and had
some of the best Thai food we've had on the trip.

Pamela feasting on pot roasted chicken and caprese at Favola

A huge thanks to Justin and his whole staff at Le Meridien Chiang Rai
for helping to make our weekend in Chiang Rai so special and worry
free. We can't wait to go back, next time for longer, and would highly
recommend Le Meridien to anyone going to Chiang Rai.

All our pics from Chiang Rai can be found using this link: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/ChiangRai?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Chiang Mai is our Next Stop - Cheers for Now!

Pamela and Dave