Ryokan Cafe - Chiang Rai - Thailand

Hidden between the rice fields not to far from the mysterious, Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai, Thailand lives a little piece of Japan the Ryokan Cafe. The Totoro that waits at the bus stop across the road almost makes you feel like your living in your favourite anime, in fact the whole atmosphere of the place from the decor, to the food, to the green fields that surround it makes it feel like you're not in Thailand at all and have been magically transported to Japan's countryside.

Ryokan Cafe offers much more than food and drinks, you can actually stay there to in their traditional Japanese rooms and there's also a gallery where you can see local artists work and buy traditional Japanese items and organic foods which they grow there.

The food they serve is all homemade and home grown but unfortunately there were no vegetarian options so I settled for a very delicious coffee, hazelnut frappe which came with a scoop of Hokkaido milk ice cream, that alone filled me up so I ended up not getting one of the delicious cakes they also had on offer and my family really enjoyed the food there saying how fresh and yummy it was.

It really is such a beautiful relaxing place and I would love to spend the night there one day at as it's so serene and peaceful there, I really did feel like I was in Japan and not in Thailand at all and I love that all the food that they serve there is organic and homemade, it's definitely worth the trip to see especially if you're a Ghibli fan as you'll feel like you've stepped into the real life version of My Neighbour Totoro.

What is your favourite Ghibli movie?

Love & Sunflowers

Cate

xoxo

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The White Temple - Wat Rong Khun - Chiang Rai - Thailand

Wat Rong Khun also known as The White Temple is probably the most popular attraction in Chiang Rai, I've seen so many beautiful photos of this temple over the years and have always wanted to visit there and this year I finally got the chance to see it with my own eyes, and it was just so stunning.

There are many temples in Thailand but what makes this one unique is it's bright white colour which symbolises the purity of Buddha. The temple is designed by artist Chalermchai Kositpipat and is full of interesting details from the creepy sea of hands by the temple entrance, to the depictions of popular characters like Batman, Sailor Moon and even Pikachu inside the temple, it really is something you need to take in with your own eyes.

There were several bus loads of tourists on the day we visited but there were still lots of quiet areas you could just sit and enjoy the surroundings. The White Temple is the main attraction but there's also a golden temple and patches of greenery where you can sit and meditate, the artist himself also lives on the site and is constantly working on bringing his vision to life because as of now the temple still remains unfinished.

There are so many different temples in Thailand but they never cease to amaze me with their beauty, Wat Rong Khun is really amazing and understandable one of the most popular attractions in Thailand, I really can't wait to see Chalermchai Kositpipat full vision for this temple come to life.

What's the most unique place you've ever visited?

Love & Blessings

Cate

xoxo