Hosting a Friend for Her Study Abroad Prep Program in Chiang Mai

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Having a friend come to stay in your city is always exciting -- and it's even more exciting when your friend is preparing for an adventure like studying abroad. My old school-friend is planning to attend a university in England so she's preparing with a study abroad prep programme at Quinn.




At first, I was a little worried that we wouldn't be able to find a suitable apartment here in Chiang Mai for her. We looked at a few places that just weren't right. Luckily we found a wonderful place just a few minutes away from Quinn. It's not too small and has a great view out over the city. I just know she'll be really happy there as she prepares to study abroad in the UK.

Getting to Know the Neighbourhood

Fortunately, my own place isn't too far away so I know the area around the college pretty well. I was able to show her around and help her get to know new neighbourhoods. It's always fun to visit your favourite places when you're showing them to a friend for the first time.




First, we did a little shopping at Bikky Arcade, then visited the college campus so she could get her bearings. After that, we went out for lunch at one of my favourite restaurants. There are so many nice places to stop for food or coffee in the area.

Hiking & Cooking Day

The next day we decided to go hiking. My friend enjoys long walks and the weather was nice so we packed some food and headed out. We took a taxi to Doi Suthep–Pui National Park, a large, mountainous forested area with amazing scenery. We spent the day hiking along the Wat Pha Lat Hike (also known as the Monk's trail) before finally returning back home.




After all that hiking we were starving so we decided to cook a big meal. The local stores and markets always have great ingredients on offer and I love to cook. It's even better when you have someone to cook with.

My Favourite Book Shop

The following day we were both quite tired from our hike, so we wanted to enjoy something a bit less energetic. I took her to my favourite bookshop and we spent a couple of hours browsing the shelves. I like this bookshop particularly because it has titles in several different languages; it's a great place to get English language publications. We both ended up buying two or three books each. What could be nicer after a shopping trip than to visit a cafe and read our new finds over coffee and cake? It was a nice, relaxing afternoon out.

Seeing Friends

The next day was Saturday. I thought it would be fun to introduce my friend to some of the friends I've made in Chiang Mai. Some of them want to go to universities in the UK too, including one person who will be studying in London just like her. We all met up at my place for a meal and then went out for drinks in the evening at a local bar.

Sunday Night Market

Because the following day was Sunday, we decided to visit the local temples during the day and then go to the Sunday night market in the evening. There are lots of beautiful temples here and everyone always wants to see them. The Sunday market is a huge attraction; you can buy absolutely everything there from groceries to handicrafts. The market is always very popular with tourists, who come for souvenirs (and electronic goods, which are cheaper in Thailand than elsewhere). I love visiting the market at night; I think it's at its most spectacular then. I know Apsara had a great time too.

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