Chiang Dao, continued
Sitting in the Chiang Mai airport right now, waiting for a flight to Bangkok. We’re having coffee at Black Canyon, a chain of gourmet cafes found mostly in Asia. The logo is a cowboy sipping coffee, a lone star at his shoulder.
So, to continue the story where we left off: the bus to Chiang Dao dropped us in the middle of a very small town – no indication of how to get anywhere. A smiley man in a truck swooped in to help us find our way to the hotel we’d booked. The Chiang Dao Nest is a dozen or so bungalows a few miles outside of town, with forested mountains towering above. We were surrounded by wildlife – birds, lizards, bugs – none of it offensive or irritating, apart from the odd mosquito. The air was cooler and free of the city smog in Chiang Mai and Bangkok.
This little hotel has a remarkable operation – despite the remote setting, they boast one of the best restaurants in Thailand, according to the local zagat-like reviewer. And it was. In fact, the best two meals we’ve had so far where at the CD Nest European restaurant and their sister Thai restaurant down the road. On the first night, we dined outside with a bottle of white wine to cool us off, steak and confit of duck to fill us up.
Ok, off to catch my flight. To be continued when I get to Bangkok.
