Wualai Road - A great night market in Chiang Mai

© Frank P. Schneidewind

On a Saturday night, you can hardly do something better in the "Rose of the North", than herd over to Chiang Mai's Wualai Street, the daytime famous location for the silversmiths and antique dealers. Unlike it's famous night market competitor, the once glamorous "Night Bazaar", Wualai night market hasn't become a touristc nightmare with inflated prices and purely commercial aspects. Wualai market is one of the old style markets, where you'll be surrounded by the lights, sounds and smells of a truely grown and established markets. Not drawn up on a map as a tourist magnet for the lazy mass tourists, which return from their arranged trips and have made the tour industry happy all day. Wualai seems not to have lost the touch of a genuine market yet.

The market occurs once weekly along the flanks of said road, which leads diagonally from the moat to Chiang Mai gate. You will find all sorts of artists here, which will draw your picture or carve your elephant while you wait. Handicrafts and hand crafted snacks are a big winner with the visiting public.

Seniors entertain their crowds with long forgotten tunes and play their instruments for you:

Melona gears up on hairpins for herself and her friends worldwide to have some gifts for their next visit to Thailand.

She loves to haggle with the dealers and enjoys the shopping here much.

Carved soap seems to go well with the customers, shops and stalls show their respective products:

Photographers, don't forget your cameras in the hotel or guest house, there is too much to see here.

Sweets are available in abundance, some of those treats you may want to sample yourself:

Foods and snacks are served all along this long market, it neverneeds visitors to venture on hungry:

Puppeteers, ballet, live music - you never know what to expect a few steps further.....

Try local Cappucino or hilltribe coffees in the coffee stalls along the way:

Suddenly you spot beauties in their traditional dresses, just love to pose for your picture....

The selection is no less here, than in the touristy hotspots, but you may get much better prices on items:

The beauties are everywhere, and before you know it, you have walked miles here down Wualai Road.

Even street performers are now showing up, always another nice addition to a great venue!

Thaphae Gate market, Night Bazaar, there is a big choice for all in Chiang Mai. Wualai market is our declared favorite one, see it for yourself one day!

Batu Ferringhi - Malaysia's urban resortbeach on Penang Island

© Frank P. Schneidewind

Batu Ferringhi nestles on the northern section of Penang Island and is viewed by Penangnites as a Suburb of Georgetown. It's sandy shores attract a rainbow of visitors, although it is hidden from the pathes and views of most tourists, which come to this place for it's vibrant nightlife and multitude of ethnic cousines. Penang in Malaysia is dominated by liberal people of all backgrounds, religious beliefs and the mix works fine here, it all seems to operate friction free.

Batu Ferringhi is their closest weekend getaway and you may not be able to find a room on the beach on popular long weekends or holidays. Several Kilometer of fine sand beach never escape unnoticed in the world anymore, the long and winding road from Georgetown and it's traffic prooves that fact. This beach also doubles as one of the least expensive ocean playgrounds for all sorts of watersport activities. Parasailing is a big winner with the guests here and so is Jetski rental, Bananaboat riding and horseback fun on the beach.

The "flying" adventure on a chute, dragged behind a powerful sportboat is still much less costly here, than in the "developed" resorts like Phuket or Samui further up north in Thailand. We liked to bring friends and family here for their inauguration into a fun sport called "Parasailing" in the past and they all got a real kick out of this attraction for the brave. Melona did her first flight here years ago and she still treasures the memory of it.

ATV's or Quads can be rented too, there is hardly a limit on the options. Sunseekers or visitors out for a tan on a blanket do not need to go anywhere else for their share of the free fun.

The parasailing operators have first class imported (not copied!) gear, and in all our years there we have never seen an accident or real bad landing. The operators instruct all participants well across any language barriers and people in Malaysia do have a real command of English, not just a handfull of snapped up words in their repertoire. Another feature, which is very beneficial to most visitors.

Safety features are explained, a life-vest is mandatory here, no wild rocks may disturb soft sand landings as well.

Melonas dad before the first flight on a chute of his life, a real brave man.

Some untangling has to be executed before take off. This beach has plenty of room for everybody, nobody feels bothered by this here.

Take off requires a wind filled chute and a few quick steps towards the tugging boat, clear signals on what to do are given as well.

Take off happens with dry feet, the speed of the boat and the aerodynamics of the chute quickly deploy the flyer into the air.

A long line secures the set-up and the boat operators do their business with the needed professionalism, no doped beach-bums here in the market for some quick tourist cash.

Turns have been jacked up in price recently, the arrivals of the uninformed first mass tourists here have begun to taint the fun for others. Just like in any other place in Southeastasia, the dreaded mass tourists spoil long established prices with their readiness to fork over inflated prices. Those, who have first-hand witnessed the developments in Pattaya, Jomtien, Phuket or Samui know exactly, what I'm talking about here.

The horses for rent offered here are real horses, not the ponies or donkeys as at other locations in Asia. Melona and I used to like to exchange our bike for a real horse here to do our beloved beachcruises. But that was again before the arrival of the dreaded mass-tourists, which now wave 50 Ringgit bills (500 Baht) for a few minutes on horseback. 20 Ringgit was all we were asked for in the old days (2005-2007) for a nice 30 minute ride.

Rides are now guided by the horseboys, the dawn of Hotels to cater for the richer crowds here has chased many cheap Guesthouses away, whole groups of them make room at once for new megaroom resorts. We still go there to see it, when in Penang - as the perfect public bus scheme still takes us for 3 Ringgit to that nice beach. Not the old KGN diesel stinkers anymore, but super decked-out DeLuxe cityliners with great seating and WiFi on board! Komtar Tower downtown Georgetown is the starting point. Look for bus number 201 and have the fare availlable in coins or small bills. You may also board this bus in Lebuh Chulia, the backpackers paradise. Chulia Street has a lively scene with accommodations, bars, restaurants and travel- plus visa-agencies. Don't miss out on this, even if you pay more than 20 Ringgit for your bed in a fancier place.