Phayao

[femi fan]

Any tips on places to stay, visit, eat?

Any wonderful scenery to photograph? I have a car.

Going this coming weekend.

[Sao Jiang Mai]

Eat to the (is it north? I have no sense of direction, but it is to the right of the town as you are looking at the lake) at any of the number of chilled outdoors lakeside restaurants. Fun stuff. Lovely town.

[davidgtr]

Value for money hotel = Phu Tong Place.

Restaurant = Nong Ang. Chaliang Khwan. Rice Grill for breakfast.

Disco = BM Pub.

Pub & Restaurant = Spider

Temples

Wat Analayao.

Wat Sri Khom Kham.

[cm das]

What are your tastes and budget for accomodation? Phayao has nothing in the way of guest houses or foreigner-oriented accomodation. There are several hotels & I can recommend one depending on what you're looking for. Eating by the lake is a good idea. It's hard to recommend any one, and the signs are typically in Thai anyway. The northernmost one along the strip by the water, next to the coffee shop on the corner, has decent atmosphere and pretty good food. Good times, closer to the opposite end of the strip has local live music. But the food doesn't vary much from one to another.

If you're into temples I can recommend 2. First is Wat Sri Kum Kam, just outside of town along the lake. The viharn isn't much to see, aside from the big, old & impressive Buddha image in the (you guessed it) Phayao style. It definitely has a different look from the Buddha images you typically see around CM. To the left of the viharn as you look at the Buddha image is a fairly new ubosot built out over the lake. The murals inside were done by a well known Thai artist. In fact they're not yet finished but they are fascinating and very intricate. Reminded me a little of Tibetan thangka-style painting.

The other temple worth a visit is Wat Analayo, built across several hills across the lake from the city. It's a huge complex with many different styles of temple - Lanna, Indian, Chinese, etc. There is an enormous sitting Buddha and an even bigger standing, black Buddha on a separate hillside. Some people think the whole place is a bit garish but I find it very interesting. Another plus, it's very quiet and rarely has many visitors. Just this morning I was the only visitor at 3 different spots I went to visit there.

That's all I've got for now. Feel free to pm me pr ask any more questions here.

[cm das]

Looks like davidgtr beat me to it with the wat recommendations. Spider is OK but lacks the lakeside location. BM I'd only recommend as a novelty/cultural experience. The music is loud and bad, the atmosphere cheesy, and the show weak. It does have one thing going for it though - it's the only club in town!

[realthaideal]

Eat at "Reuah Samran" right on the edge of the water. It's the big 'Party Boat' right there, though they also have little outdoor bungalows to sit n eat at. I haven't been in 3 yrs, but I love that place. been several times. Their specialty is 'pla pao kleuah,' salt grilled fish. Go with pla tabtim; they stuff it with lemongrass n basil and black peeper, coat the fish in salt n then grill it slowly. The place is famous for it. Everyone in town (it's at the shore where the new promenade sidewalk ends/ where two of the town's major streets meet up) knows it and can point you there. All their other food good too. And good prices.

Also, Thais always bring regional / town specialty souvenirs back home to each other - thus the bags of pork rinds for sale at Chiang Mai bus station n CNX for travelers to take back home or elsewhere to share while traveling. Anyway, Phayao is famous for Pla Som - this sour pickled fish they put in these sealed bags. I don't eat it. Nope. But you come back with a bag or two for your Thai neighbors, colleagues, friends, etc, and you buy major friendship and cultural points. It's a good and fun thing to do, this bringing of souvenirs the way they do. All the Thais know this place is famous for it and will appreciate it.

Have fun.

Go see the old Wat with the reclining Buddha too. Then circle up the back side of the lake up into the mtns for a down-on-the-lake view of everything. THough the air may be too smoky for this rt now. Beautiful in rainy season with a sunny break in the clouds.

Have fun. Choke dii, na noer.