Moving to the 'Land of Smiles' - Chiang Mai Thailand

We finally did it! We have moved to Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand.  I have had my heart set on living in Thailand long term for almost 2 years now and we were almost going to make the move when I found out I was pregnant with Phoenix so naturally we decided to wait until the timing was right for him.

After our long and painful relationship with Gumtree & Facebook Marketplace where we pretty much sold all of our belongings we packed up what we didn't sell (basically our camera gear & personal effects), we hired a removal truck and then headed from Melbourne to Loxton in South Australia where we would spend a couple of months in the Riverland with Lucas' family planning and prepping for our next venture.

We longed for 'simplicity' and also more happiness within ourselves. Both Lucas and I have been creativity "stuck" so to speak and needed to be somewhere we could get the creative spark back! I have also been suffering quite badly with depression and feeling very lonely since having Phoenix (more on this in another blog) so moving to the "Land of Smiles" made perfect sense. Lets not also forget the amazing vegan food, fresh fruit, Yoga & Meditation that is so readily available and extremely affordable! It was time for Phoenix to get a passport and for us to go!

Our Journey - How We Got Here

Prior to booking any flights I researched a ton of blogs and watched loads of YouTube videos on people who already live over here, which only made my feet more itchy! This is a great starting point as you can find out so much information on where to stay, Visas, how much things cost and the best places to eat etc. It also helped that some good friends of ours had stayed there a month before for two months and confirmed that it was an awesome place (thanks Lenny & Jess)!

The next step was researching accommodation. You can find hotel accommodation in Chiang Mai for very cheap (our hotel when we arrived although pretty basic only cost $35 per night) however if you are planing on staying long term then you are best to lease a fully furnished apartment or condo. I found a brilliant site called Perfect Homes (more on our condo, Prices and finding one in my next blog). You can email Perfect Homes and make enquires prior to heading to Chiang Mai however the best thing to do is wait until you arrive. Unlike Australia, getting a lease here is super simple. Basically you view the properties, pick one you like, pay a holding deposit, sign the lease, pay rent in advance and you are in!....ALL IN 2 DAYS!

I had been keeping an eye on flights for a few weeks. The best way to do this and get the best fare is through SkyScanner! I finally booked and paid for our flights 1 week before we left. I managed to get a really good deal from Adelaide to Singapore then from there straight to Chiang Mai with only a 1.5hrs wait in Singapore for the connecting flight .... SHIT.... THE VISAS!!

Ok, so I didn't take into consideration that we needed to apply for our 60 day visa, post our passports to the Thai Embassy in Adelaide and have them return them to us before leaving! This was a problem only because we were in Rural South Australia and even Express post can take a few extra days... So we drove 3hrs to Adelaide to the Thai Embassy with our applications, paid the fees ($45 each) and provided them with a return self addressed express post bag and kept out fingers crossed that they would arrive back in time .... and they did! Pheww!!

Before we knew it we were waking up at 4am to drive to Adelaide and get on the plane! I was so super excited! But also a bit sad and reluctant to leave my fur baby Chanel with my mother in law. I know she will be fine but it is going to be so strange not having her little face around. Both Lucas and I were in a bit of a daze I think and a few times we both said out loud - What the hell are we doing? Is this the right thing to do? Are we crazy? But I am going to put those thoughts down to the long boring straight roads to Adelaide that give you far to much time to overthink things.

We arrived at Adelaide Airport and checked in. Singapore airlines were amazing and even gave us a stroller to keep Phoenix in until we boarded the plane... which didn't last long as he has been carried since he was born so a stroller was super foreign to him and he got a bit restless being all strapped in. They even made sure that we were seated in a row that had a bassinet AND we were able to login to our booking a few days before and request vegan meals for us and for Phoenix!

We headed to the boarding gate where Phoenix was in his element walking around and looking at all the planes taking off and landing.

The Plane Ride with a Walking 10 Month Old Baby with a Few Mishaps...

I wasn't too concerned about flying with Phoenix. He is a really good baby and content 95% of the time. The only thing that threw us was the fact we were sitting next to another couple with a 1 year old boy who Phoenix kept getting distracted by, add that on top of the fact that he was super dooper excited about this new thing called a Plane he didn't get much sleep for the first part of the journey to Singapore which was 7.5hrs. I eventually walked him up and down the plane holding him and he finally passed out... poor thing must have been exhausted! We lay him in the bassinet and he slept for maybe half and hour. We were really blown away by the size of the meals provided for Phoenix. There is no way in a million years he would have been able to eat it all, but having the option for him to try some new foods was great, plus it kept him occupied for a while.

Back to the couple and 1year old boy next to us. When we first got on the plane I though the little boy didn't look too well, he seemed really lethargic but I thought perhaps he was just really tired. Anyway, fast forward to 5hrs into the journey I offered his mum one of the little snack things from Phoenix's plane food to give to him (they unfortunately weren't told about the kids meals). He started eating the snack and ... there it was.... projectile vomit EVERYWHERE! All over his poor mum and dad. Dad was holding him at the time and mum didn't have anything to clean up with.

The two of them literally were covered and had no idea who should hold the baby and who should get cleaned up. My motherly instincts must have kicked in at that moment. I passed Phoenix to Lucas, Got my big packet of wipes and clothes and rushed around to them... took the boy.. spew and all and let the parents get themselves consoled and cleaned up. The mother looked at me with such gratefulness as she said "you will get spew on you to" to which I replied "It is honestly fine, I don't mind". I felt so emotional at that point I could have cried.... I have no idea why.

Fun for 1.5Hrs in Singapore Airport

We landed in Singapore airport and were glad that it was only a short stop before boarding our next flight to Chiang Mai. Singapore Airport is such a great port with loads of pretty things to look at. Half the time you forget you are even in an airport. We came across an information booth that had strollers and thought we would try Phoenix in one of them as they were a bit unusual looking and a bit of a novelty. He loved it and we happily made our way to a cafe where I was able to heat him up a bottle, change his nappy and let him walk around for a bit. We then we caught the train from International to the domestic terminal. At the boarding gate Phoenix once again had fun looking at the planes but this time also had the opportunity to mix with some kids also waiting. We boarded the plane and were super happy that we were finally on our way to Chiang Mai. The plane was pretty empty which was great and Phoenix lay on Lucas and slept the whole way for 3.5hrs!

Arriving in Chiang Mai Airport - Tips

So when you arrive in Chiang Mai airport the first thing you should do is download the Uber App. We didn't do this which is why I am telling you to as it will make your life so much easier. You walk out of the airport and you are hit with the humidity! Then you need to find a mode of transport that won't rip you off and a driver that speaks reasonable English. We ended up settling for a taxi and keeping our fingers crossed. Trying to communicate where we were staying was a challenge and the guy had to stop a few times and ask some people at the side of the road in the old city where to go. It was pretty funny and he was such a nice guy we totally forgave him. The ride cost us 250THB ($7.00) which is pretty expensive considering an Uber would have cost us under $4.00.

Arriving at our Hotel and Spraining my Ankle!

It was around 9pm by the time we arrived at the hotel and with a quick and easy check-in we were in our room. We stayed at the Royal Peninsula Hotel Chiang Mai which cost us $35.00 Per night including a buffet breakfast. This is a rather dated hotel but we have no airs and graces about us so basic does us just fine. The room we stayed in could have done with a bit of maintenance but it was clean and serviced each day and the staff were nothing but helpful. We also had an absolutely magnificent view of Doi Suthep Mountain. It is also worth mentioning that the hotel has a pool which Lucas and Phoenix had fun in and pretty good free Wifi.

We were so hungry for food and hungry to check out our surrounds so we decided to go for a bit of a walk....and BANG! I rolled my ankle and sprained it on an uneven bit of ground and couldn't walk for 4 days then hopped and limped for 5 days after that! GREAT START! Lucas went to the pharmacy (take your pick there is one every corner) and managed to get me some Ibuprofen,  Tiger Balm (I was on my last few drops of Doterrra Deep Blue oil! which is amazing) and a compression bandage and in bed is where I stayed. The restaurant that made up part of the hotel were kind enough to give me a bag of ice also.

Food Panda & Free Bird Cafe

So when you have work to do with deadlines, a 10 month old active baby and a sprained ankle what do you do? Well first off Lucas was fantastic and took Phoenix out for a walk and found an amazing little vegan cafe called Free Bird. A little on the expensive side compared to other places you can eat here in Chiang Mai but the food and coffee were amazing and organic. What I loved most about spending our money here was the fact that 100% of profits get donated to the Thai Freedom House. They also have a pre-loved clothing store inside the shop which I am bummed I never got to see!

Another saving grace was Food Panda. You can download the App but we had trouble with it for some reason so you are best to go online. On this site you can order food from a stack of restaurants and have it delivered to you! We were thrilled when we discovered we could order from Vegan Heaven who have a massive menu!

Now I did say I stayed in bed resting my ankle but come on! This is me we are talking about and I was literally getting cabin fever, not to mention feeling a bit like the girl from "The Girl on the Train" peering out into the neighborhood below watching everyone come and go from their houses from the balcony. Lucas needed to sort out his phone with a Thai sim card so we (I...) Hopped into a Tuk Tuk and headed to one of Chiang Mai's newest shopping centers, Maya. I had heard many great things about this particular shopping center but apart from it being all new and shiny I wasn't overly impressed by it and since then have visited numerous other shopping centers in Chiang Mai that are much better than this one. Maya just isn't our thing  and no different to the big shopping centers in Australia. Needless to say I probably should have stayed home as I think I put my ankle healing back a few days but it was worth it to get out of the hotel and see Phoenix have so much fun in the Tuk Tuk.

So there you have it! Our first week in Chiang Mai.... If you have managed to read to the end I commend you as I didn't think it was going to be this long! Next blog I will share with you our big day apartment hunting in Chiang Mai and give you a tour of our condo with all the details.

Get back to that time in your life where you thought anything was possible.

Because it is.