Trip to Chiang Mai, Thailand

I hosted my very first group trip with TrovaTrip in November of this past year to Thailand! This was truly a trip of a lifetime. I have always wanted to go to Thailand, it’s been on my bucket list for years, and it exceeded my expectations BY FAR.

Easily made it’s way to my top 2 countries that I’ve ever been to.

Traveling with a group of queer people was beyond healing on top of it all. Being able to provide a safe space for my people to experience the world and connect with community is such a privilege and I’m forever thankful to have been able to work with TrovaTrip.

I’m hosting a camping trip next summer if you’re interested in coming on my next one!

Our flight time was about 19 hours total from JFK to CNX airport. Once we arrived we checked in to our hotel Away Chiang Mai Resort which was absolutely STUNNING.

I’m not even exaggerating when I say my mouth was dropped when we got a tour. The place was so beautiful and the staff was so incredibly welcoming. That’s one thing about the culture there that I loved. Everyone was so warm and welcoming, it truly is such a difference from living in America.

Once we settled in we took a walk around downtown to grab some snacks, beer (10/10 recommend Singha beer), weed, and some people bought a few souvenirs.

We had to meet in the lobby before dinner to get introduced to all the travelers and our guide JJ! (who was literally amazing, we were all obsessed with her by the end of the trip.)

Khantoke Dinner & Traditional Lanna Performances

Our first activity was to take a private transfer to Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center! The restaurant we went to was beautiful, with lanterns lighting the way in. We were served a buffet style ‘Khantoke’ dinner. Served on large platters on low tables, with a selection of iconic Northern-style dishes, including spicy chili dip with steamed vegetables, crispy pork skin, fried chicken wings, spicy sausage and the classic Burmese-inspired pork curry. During the meal there was a line-up of live dance and music performances by members of surrounding ethnic hill tribes, including Karen, Hmong, Lahu, Akha, Mien and Lisu. A few people in our group even joined in the final act called ‘Ramwong’, where they danced alongside the local performers. Overall it was a great first night.

See more photos and purchase prints from the Khantoke Dinner & Traditional Lanna Performances on my portfolio!

Explore Chiang Mai by Vespa

In the morning, we had breakfast at the hotel and got ready to meet our vespa drivers to go drive around the city with. I wasn’t sure what to expect but this was definitely one of my favorite moments from the trip. I was geeked this entire time. We made stops at Tha Phae Gate, Wat Doi Kham Temple, an artisan village, Warorot Market, and Silver Temple. It was just so sick to be weaving through narrow lanes in the old city while also venturing into a scenic rural landscape on more windy forest-lined roads. We got to the top of this serene 7th Century hilltop temple with a Buddha statue, and then enjoyed a cool ride downhill to a bohemian craft village. We ended at the Silver Temple, which was quite literally breathtaking. I got some of the most beautiful photos there. We then had lunch where we got to try Khao Soi, a classic Northern Thai specialty. I got chicken in mine and it was soooo freaking good. Definitely one of my favorite meals from the trip.

See more photos and purchase prints from the Vespa Tour on my portfolio!

Lanna Family Cooking Experience & Dinner

We had some time to relax in between getting back from our vespa tour and then heading to our next activity. I was really excited for this one. We took a 45 minute private transfer to the Hang Dong district of Chiang Mai to arrived in Bandoo. We walked into a glorious teak house, dating back 150 years and owned by the Ruankaew-Yanon family who played an important role shaping the local Lanna community. We got to explore their property, learn about their family history, and actually cook with them! One of my favorite parts of the whole trip was smoking a banana leaf cigarette with them in front of a campfire and enjoying some of the delicious food they home cooked for us. We then got to roll up our own sleeves while they showed us all how to cook. Dinner was a local Northern Thai cuisine served family style at a long table. The vibes were immaculate during every part of this. I was just enjoying experiencing and capturing the beauty of the thai culture first hand.

See more photos and purchase prints from the Lanna Family Cooking Experience & Dinner on my portfolio!

Doi Saket Countryside Experience

The next day we were headed to the countryside. Our first stop was at Toong Na Fah Kwang, a rice field and farm, where we learned about the efficiency economy theory of King Rama IX, a guiding principle that emphasizes moderation, resilience, and self- reliance. It encourages individuals, communities, and the nation as a whole to pursue balanced and sustainable development without compromising long-term stability. This philosophy is often linked to economic, social, and environmental sustainability. This was really interesting, we even got to cook with them after they showed us around their entire farm. We traveled to and from by little Tuk Tuk’s which was also really fun. The whole experience was extremely beautiful and really made you think about the difference in life here versus at home. They did a ceremony for us, which was actually the sweetest thing ever and had two of us sing karaoke to their ton yon song! This was for sure a favorite moment for a lot of us. We then continued to the arts quarters, where we were able to craft our own local bag to take home with us. They showed us through their Tai Lue Museum, learning about the lifestyle of the Tai Lue ethnic group that resides in northern Thailand. We finished at the Tai Lue Center for a Kad Mua lunch prepared by everyone there.

See more photos and purchase prints from the Doi Saket Countryside Experience on my portfolio!

Elephant Nature Park

This entire trip I was definitely most looking forward to the Elephant Park. Ever since I was a kid I’ve always wanted to see an elephant and being that close to these beautiful creatures was surreal. The photos I was able to get are UNREAL, I was simply living my best life during all of this. Our guide took us around the park and introduced us to all of the elephants at the sanctuary, giving us their backstory and letting us hang out with them all for a bit. What I really liked was this park was dedicated to rescuing and rehabilitating mistreated elephants which was nice to see. We had a good ass vegetarian buffet here for lunch and then spent some time in their little cat sanctuary before headed up to Pai.

See more photos and purchase prints from the Elephant Nature Park on my portfolio!

Pai Night Market Walking Tour

The ride up to Pai was windy as hell. I don’t think anyone in our van was prepared for the 762 curves. But the views… unreal. I was in awe looking out the window every time. The hotel was super cute and was within walking distance from the night market! It was called Peacock De Pai! We checked in after the elephants and the long ride up and relaxed until we had to be ready for the night market! I was obsessed with the overall vibe of the night market. It was so cool and the vendors on the street were insanely talented. I think everyone I was with spent some extra baht at the market lol. I’ll also never forget the burger I had there. Probably the best chicken burger I’ve ever had. So good I literally went back to get it again. TWICE.

See more photos and purchase prints from Pai, Thailand on my portfolio!

Cave Rafting & Hot Springs

We started off by taking a transfer to Tham Lod Cave, a natural cave with impressive stalactite and ancient rock formations that have evolved over centuries. We all got on a bamboo raft (seperated into groups of 3) and navigated the subterranean river within the cave. This was so unreal, there were bats everywhere, it was super dark, we were in small groups following a guide with a lantern, and we walked through these dark caves. The pictures I was able to get were absolutely insane. Then, along the way to the Sai Ngam Hot Springs, we stopped for lunch to have noodles with views overlooking the lush mountains. There were also chicken wings and it made my entire day. After lunch, we transferred to Sai Ngam Hot Springs where we got to soak and rejuvenate in the natural thermal waters. This was probably one of my favorite moments from the trip. Everyone was bonding and it really just felt like an insanely healing experience I won’t ever forget. We transferred back to the hotel and ended up going out to the bar across the street from the hotel at night!

See more photos and purchase prints from Pai, Thailand on my portfolio!

Thai Massage

Waking up our final day was really sad but thankfully we had a Thai Massage to look forward to. I sure as hell needed one by the end of the trip and it was EVERYTHING. It was a 60 minute Thai massage and involved a combination of acupressure and stretches. This therapeutic practice is renowned for promoting relaxation, soothing your muscles, and enhancing overall well-being. I’ve never actually gotten a professional massage before and this was such a cool experience. I don’t even really have the words to explain it other than healing.

Before leaving we made sure to take some walks around downtown for some more photos. I was able to play around with my street photography and I was loving every second of it. I could spend all day walking around there if I could.

I’m already planning on when I can come back.

See more photos and purchase prints from Chiang Mai on my portfolio!