Relocation
After the customary (and rather nice) hotel breakfast at the earlier hour of 0715 and having then attended to showers and packing, we checked out of Le Méridien Chiang Mai and boarded the first of what would turn out (over the next few days) to be a succession of ‘Grab’ cars. (Founded in Kuala Lumpur but now headquartered in Singapore, Grab is the largest Uber-style ridesharing operator in much of Southeast Asia.) Our initial objective was the Chiang Mai Bus Terminal in the district of Wat Ket, a small part of which we had visited the previous day.
Our next destination – just one letter of the alphabet different from the current one – was Chiang Rai, lying 186km to the northeast. The three-hours-and-a-bit transfer would be by coach. We didn’t have long to wait before the vehicle became available for boarding and were delighted to find spacious 2+1 seating inside. The journey through both flat areas and hilly stretches passed without incident, although at one point I did witness the driver of a minivan pulling out of a side road onto the wrong side of the highway.
Accommodation
On arrival at our new destination, we used another Grab ride to reach our new base, which was situated on an attractive edge-of-town site. Once again, it was a Le Méridien, but this one was designated a ‘resort’.
Enjoying the resort
The rest of ‘arrival day’ was given over to enjoying our attractive new base, and this included spending a good chunk of the remaining daylight time relaxing by the pool.
