A Reminder Of A Lovely Stop To Chiang Rai.

[Ajarn]

It's such a slow day here, and I was thinking about the dinner I had a couple of evenings ago at Charin Resort....

Tel. 053-717272 http://www.chiangraiprovince.com/htl/charin/

Located smack at KP# 141 on the CM-CR road, Charin has been around a lot longer than me... The owner, having spent many years in America, returned home and starting baking American style pies... Delicious ones, unlike any other pie in Thailand you're likely to find. Here's the front of their display case...

Hungry?

Besides the Kanom, Charin has some basic Thai dishes...Nothing fancy, but good enough to attract a number of local officials for lunch. The open dining area is right next to the river, giving a great view while dining.

Charin has lots of gardens to explore, and they even have some basic houses for rent from 800 baht and up.

How to get there:

From Chiang Mai, the most direct route is 118 from Chiang Mai. From The Super, look for the Chiang Rai or Doi Saket signs. Once past Doi Saket, the road is pretty bumpy for the first 30 k's or so...Poor road maintenance. The road is also quite curvy all the way to the Hot Springs, about 1.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. The Hot Springs is quite a tourist trap, but you can stop for a bath if needed, cook some eggs if you're hungry, get some expensive fancy tea if you're a fancy-pants, even stay overnight if you're stranded. Just past the hotsprings are a few 'broom villages' where they have brooms and rattan furniture for sale. Quite a good smooth road from this point on...Figure about 2.5 hours to Charin following this route fromCM. Chiang Rai is another 45 minutes further on...

If you have the time, and you like driving, A Road Less Traveled would be route 1001 to route 1150, hooking up with route 118 near Wian Pa Phao, about 45 minutes from Charin.

1001 also goes off the Super. Look for the signs for San Sai. Chiang Mai Ram 2 Hospital is also at that intersection... The road to Phrao is a bit rough in spots until you get out past Mae Jo university, but then it's a very well maintained and scenic road all the way to Phrao, about 100 k's from Chiang Mai. When you hit Phrao, turn right at the lights and head into town. At the next corner (nice clean cafe on the right side), turn left and go through the market to the next intersection, where you'll turn right and hook up with route 1150 going East.

For the next 80 K's or so, you'll be in the mountains. Very light traffic and beautiful views. about 30 k's along, you'll see some lisaw hilltribe villages. Baan KhunJae, on the left side, is a fairly big village with a school that must have one of the best views of any school in Thailand. From it's playground, you can see all the way to Doi Inthanon to the south... Following this route to Charin will take about 4 hours from CM...

If you want to explore the area near Charin, there are a couple of pleasant reservoirs for swimming and fishing, and quite a few hilltribes on the way to Doi Wawi. My longtime favorite is Sang Charoen village, the largest and most progressive Akha village in the north. About KP# 135, take the left to Doi Wawi. Go about 5 kilometers along this paved road, look for the sign to Sang Charoen on your right, and take this road another 5 k's up the hill. Best traveled in the dry season... but the main road to Doi Wawi is now paved most of the way.

[p1p]

Charin also have an outlet on the fourth floor of Airport Plaza, and another at the Kumtieng Lotus. Most of their pies are available at one or the other.

My family swear by them, although it presents difficulties with weight watching.

[Ajarn]

As I understand it, the cheesecake is lowest in carbohydrates....

Except the Blueberry Cheesecake, p1p

It's just one piece per trip for me. It satiates for a long time...

The drive up there is the main thing I enjoy.

[sabaijai]

As the website notes the full name is Charin Garden Resort. Lovely spot, brilliant pies and coffee.

I hope their Airport Plaza place lasts, as every time I've been, I've been the only customer. They probably should have stuck with the hallway vendor they had before, as that seemed to be a relatively steady business.

[p1p]

The shop has closed and been replaced with something looking a bit like a florist. They have reopened a hallway concession in front of MK Suki.

[sabaijai]

As the website notes the full name is Charin Garden Resort. Lovely spot, brilliant pies and coffee.

I hope their Airport Plaza place lasts, as every time I've been, I've been the only customer. They probably should have stuck with the hallway vendor they had before, as that seemed to be a relatively steady business.

I must be clairvoyant ... I had coffee in the 4th flr shop not more than 3 wks ago

[p1p]

As did I, and introduced my children to the joys of their pies.

The hallway concession has the same coffees, pies and efficient staff, with more passing trade. Hopefully it will last!

[jaloochapurr]

I do not really know if it would make adiffrence with lucky visa runs but here goes

I would always stop at the shop on the way for monthly visa trips tp Mai Sai. I would always get a pie and when I went into immigration I would just deposit it on the counters for the ladies working there. It always was a welcome sight for the ladies and made the visa trip always so easy. It was not look on as a bribe just a gift for the staff there. After a while they got use to the monthly pie and on one ocassional I was unable to pick a pie and they even said something, like where is the sweet. So never forgot it again.

This is just a true story about the best pies in the north.