Two Months in Chiang Mai: Songkran, Sisterhood, and Staying Safe

I’d always been a solo traveller. The independence suited me, no one else’s schedule to consider, no compromises. But on a whim, I joined a Facebook group called Chiang Mai Nomad Girls, just to see if anyone was around. Highly recommend it btw! I tried bumble bff before this with no luck at all but someone posted about a meet up for some impromptu cocktails in the Facebook group so without even replying to the post I popped along with no expectations, no pressure and no one to miss me if I chickened out last min. Does anyone else find friend dates absolutely nerve wracking?

We met in a rooftop bar in town and in total there were about 6 girls varying in ages, occupations and origins. That’s where I met Fanny, a French digital nomad who had just bought her first house. We clicked straight away. Bonded by iced coffee, a shared love of adventure, and a mutual refusal to take life too seriously.

With Fanny, Chiang Mai became a playground. We rode the Chiang Mai Jungle Coaster, a twisty, heart-racing track through the forest that left us both laughing breathlessly. We had serene moments too, like the koi carp café, where we sipped drinks around sunken tables within the water, watching the fish glide around us in total silence.

We explored Baan Kang Wat, the city’s hidden art village, full of pottery studios, indie bookshops, and leafy courtyards made for slow afternoons. We indulged at Khao Soi Village, the best spot we found for Chiang Mai’s signature curry. We spent dreamy hours at Chom Café, with its lush garden and fairytale bridge, and made a caffeine pilgrimage to WTF Coffee Camp, which is way more photogenic than the name lets on.

Then came Aniek, a softly-spoken researcher from the Netherlands, in town to work on her dissertation. Together, we explored the quieter side of Chiang Mai. One day we ventured out to the legendary Giant Tree House, and I genuinely gasped when I saw it in person,  an enormous wooden platform nestled among towering trees, straight out of a Studio Ghibli film.

Travelling with women was new to me, and it changed everything.