A visit to Wat Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai
Today we go to Wat Doi Suthep, the most famous temple in Changmai and the surrounding area.
There are more than 300 temples (wats) in and around Chiang Mai, almost as many as in Bangkok. There are no less than 36 in the old center of Chiang Mai alone. Most of the temples were built between 1300 and 1550 during the period when Chiang Mai was an important religious center.
Doi Suthep Temple is located on top of a mountain
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep is one of the most beautiful temple complexes in Thailand and also one of the most famous. The temple is located about 16 kilometers outside the city on Mount Suthep in Doi Pui National Park. From the Doi Suthep temple, located at an altitude of 1073m, you have a magnificent view of Chiang Mai and its surroundings. The temple can be reached via a staircase with 309 steps!
The Doi Suthep Temple dates back to the Lanna era, the golden age of Thai history that lasted from the 12th to the 20th century. In the middle of the temple complex is a 24m high gold-clad Chedi (pointed tower).
Once you get off you first walk (how could it be otherwise) past all kinds of market stalls, and one tries to sell you even more than the other. After more than 2 weeks we are getting quite fun and handy in negotiating the price. The Thai starts, of course, asks for an amount and actually immediately pushes the calculator into your hands……ok…….It is our turn. Of course you show a completely different amount on the calculator that is of course ridiculously below their price. And so the “game” goes back and forth a few times. In the end, you usually end up with half of the first amount and both parties are ultimately satisfied. One has done good business and the other is happy to have bought something beautiful for sometimes extremely ridiculously low prices.
Well, where were we… Oh yes, once we had walked past all the stalls, we had to climb 309 stairs to finally reach the temple. Of course you walk those 309 steps at your own pace, but I can tell you, no matter how slow you take it, the sweat will immediately run down your pants already on the first 10 steps. Afterwards we read that you could also visit the temple by elevator (!) But……….it was worth it.
A beautiful temple with a number of outbuildings (also temples)
The striking thing was (and that was not only the case with this temple, but really with all the temples we have visited so far) that everything is written in Thai, so as a tourist you have to "guess" which Buddha it is and where he "serves". However, one thing they DID write in English and that is the request to leave an amount in the dozens of tip boxes that are everywhere, at every temple or Buddha statue.
Of course many pictures were taken and after 2 hours we made the climb back down, where the driver had been waiting quietly (so had a lovely afternoon nap) and then dropped us in the old city of Chiang Mai.
Ate there at the Italian where the cook was also a real Italian and he settled in Chang Mai 7 years ago. And that was not without reason. According to TripAdvisor it was definitely worth visiting this restaurant and we are certainly not disappointed.
Submitted by Petra