Museum of World Insects.

I’m a sucker for bugs. For example, I got excited to see a giant centipede our first night in Koh Samui. So when I saw in our book that Chiang Mai has a Museum of World Insects and Natural Wonders, I had to see it. Not only does the museum boast sizeable collections of insects ranging from tarantulas to giant stick bugs, but the curator, Manop (pictured), is a bit of a philosopher (and an amateur painter) as well. His quotes are hung throughout the museum. He writes, for example, that “Nature’s way is the true way of god’s creation, this way balances the ecological system by acts of sympathy, generosity and purity.” Heather was a trooper, since she came along with minimal fuss even though she’s not so much of an insect lover. We ended the day with a very late Thai lunch at the grand Four Seasons Resort.

Comment by Heather: You see what I have to put up with???? Insect museum?!! And, Alex left out the part about it taking an hour of walking in the hot sun and being lost before we could locate this “special” museum. But, the truth is – we had a great time at the museum. The curator who greeted us at the door is this charming, nutty, brainy Thai gentleman who worked at the Smithsonian in Washington DC; has published studies on mosquito species; and weaves his own personal anecdotes and spiritual love of nature throughout the museum.