Chiang Mai - Maya Shopping Mall

Now we know that if you're off travelling then it's probably not your intention to be going to a shopping plaza, and to be honest, it wasn't ours either. 

However, after purchasing a few products from the market, which had worn out rather quickly, and as we were running low on toiletries we were in need of a handy little shopping trip. 

We had also bought day to day items with us from home which have been used endlessly now for around 3 months, and sadly wear and tear had taken its toll on some beloved items aka The Dunlop bag. 

As awesome and as cheap as the markets are, some times that old saying 'you get what you pay for' kicks in.

So if your in desperate need of supplies and a 7 Eleven hasn't got what you need or you're just missing some home comforts, this is definitely the place to come.

We came across Maya by chance on the moped one day.

Now if your getting around by bike in Chiang Mai the parking here is FREE so it's definitely worth a look around.

Maya was only completed in 2014 so it's all brand new! You will find food courts, coffee shops, fashion and electronics, basically everything you could ever need all under one roof.

To top it off there is also a cinema!! Now when you haven't seen English television in such a long time it's kind of a must! Then on top you clock the price of 150THB per person (around £3 June 2015) and you are just like 'Hells Yeah'!! 

So we will share with you our experience of Maya and what we found. 

Starting with what has broken and needed replacing. 

Broken

The trusty Dunlop bag.

This bag has travelled around with Beardy almost everywhere for the last couple of years, mostly back in London, however it has not coped well with months of being used and abused everyday. 

Sadly the zip had started to come apart and large holes had started to appear within the bottom. So we decided to call it a day as we didn't want to risk losing any of our items.

On one of the floors there was a vast arrangement of pop up shops in which we shopped around to find a new travel/flight bag.

We found one which was exactly what we were looking for! 

Big but not too big. 

Strong material for all weathers.

Adjustable strap. 

Lots of pockets 

And it even has the option to be sewn if the same faults were to occur as the previous bag. YAY! 

        

Also for all you Ginger Beer lovers out there, you may not realise but it's very hard to find it in Thailand! However if you go into the supermarket on the ground floor you can find the best brand of ginger beer ever...Old Jamaica Ginger Beer! Let's just say Beardy was beyond excited when I spotted it in the fridge! 

Broken 

The Samsung NX3000

Now we will be writing a full review on the Samsung as we have had difficulties with the camera, the customer service and the warranty but this will come at a later date.

So anyway due to a lens fault we were struggling on almost every outing to get high quality pictures. So much so that we had to use the go pro for most of our trip at the elephant nature park (see our Walking With Elephants blog). Not that this was a problem as the go pro is awesome, but still, extremely frustrating. 

The main camera shop in Maya is called 'Big Camera'. Now we went in a couple of times to check out prices and to have a play on a few different models to see what took our fancy. 

The members of staff weren't weren't knowledgeable on the product, so we said 'we need to think about it' then quickly scuttled off.

After much discussion, over several coffees, and over a week of researching various different cameras we had come to a mutual decision. 

We went with the Nikon D5300 a DSLR camera. 

Luckily on the day we popped into Big Camera to make our, quite hefty purchase, the shop assistant was awesome! Very helpful, very chatty and had fantastic knowledge of the product. So I guess it's luck of the draw when you go in. If you don't like the service you are given, just walk away! Never feel pressured to part with your money if the service isn't amazing! 

We will review our new Camera for you at a later date, but to be honest we are still getting our heads round all the features and modes. By doing this we can fully learn its design and specifications and also give you feedback ensuring its reliability.

        

        

Post Office 

Now we, mostly Suze, over packed massively! So we did the sensible thing and had a huge rummage through our bags. We were ruthless! 

If we hadn't worn it, send it back. 

If we hadn't worn it within a month, send it back.

If travel books were no longer needed, well...you get the idea. 

So we boxed it all up and took a trip to the post office which is on the ground floor at Maya. 

The lady behind the counter weighed both boxes and gave us a pretty costly, but as always, trying to send anything to the UK wasn't going to be cheap. But the free space we now have in our backpacks and the extra weight that is now off our shoulders, it was well worth the money! 

Restock

We had stocked up when we were back in the UK on toiletries. 

We were able to do this on the cheap as when we had our vaccinations we earned so many Boots points we were pretty much getting everything for free. 

However after months of travelling our supplies had started to diminish! So where did we go?That's right Boots! Which if we are honest, is an awful lot cheaper than your local convenience store. Also grab one of the Thai Boots reward cards if you are here for the long haul. You'll save a lot of money using up those points. 

Now onto the food

Our favourite place to eat in Chiang Mai when at the mall was a restaurant called Miyazaki.

Now this place is awesome! 

We have seen similar places popping up around London, however the prices are through the roof, so when we saw this place we leaped at the chance to give it a try. 

You are greeted at the door and sat at your table which curves around an open plan kitchen and a huge hot plate.

The menu here is very simple, which as we've said before, is very rare in Thailand. 

You pick your chosen meat, either chicken, beef, pork, fish or shellfish and with this you get a choice of flavoured rice, sautéed vegetables and a cup of miso soup. 

Once your dish has been selected your chef will come out to meet and greet you. 

The food in which you've ordered will be cooked fresh in front of you and served to you as and when it is ready.

The skill and speed that these guys cook at is just mesmerising! It's wonderful to watch, and also you get to pick up a few tips and tricks along the way! Result! 

Everything is either steamed or quickly fried (fresh, not deep for all you healthy people out there)  so all the ingredients remain tasty and juicy! We would say the 'M' word, but as Suze can't stand it we won't, but you all know what we mean. 

Honestly the food here is mouth watering and the portions are of a size that you won't be disappointed.

It is a must in Chiang Mai! 

        

        

        

        

        

        

Top Tips

▪️Try the Chicken and the Fillet Steak set meals with Garlic Rice at Miyazaki! Just trust us! 

▪️Don't be afraid to ask for a better deal at the pop up shops. They might give you some form of discount. You never know. If you don't ask, you don't get.

▪️At the post office always ask for the cheapest option. Sounds like a silly thing to say but honestly they push for you to go for the priciest way. Now obviously it's more expensive for a reason. Your parcel will arrive within a week etc etc, but if it's stuff you know your not going to need for a few months, who cares if it gets there by next week. The companies are all safe and reliable so save some of those pennies and go cheaper. 

▪️Be sure to check out our Instagrams for more places we went to in Maya and for more updates on our travels Suze - @suzeandthebeard Matt - @beardyandsuze