Ayutthaya/Chiang Mai

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DAY 5 – Bus journey to Ayutthaya, we decided to opt for the local bus service ‘cheaper’, 4 hours of reading for kev (he’s a changed man) and people watching and sleeping for lex, overall thoroughly would recommend this option (saved £15). Stayed in a 100 year old riverside teak house with a chill out terrace that gave an amazing view of one of the cities many temples.
Once settled in to our accommodation we set out to explore the old capital by night including its high mosquito count and single row of recommended bars by Rough Guide. We settled for Tony’s place for a simple Thai curry for Lex and Stir fry Pork and noodles for Kev. The food was tasty if not a bit on the spicy side for Kev’s liking.

DAY 6 - We headed towards the old temples of Ayutthaya and ultimately to the Royal Palace otherwise known as Wat Phra Si Sanphet and Wang Laung (an old temple ruin next to the palace). While walking past Wang Laung we were confronted by a creative director for Thai TV who invited us to be on a documentary/educational programme which would involve us been toured around the temple by three Thai school girls. Of course we couldn’t refuse the chance to become” the next big thing” on Thai TV so we agreed to take the tour which also got us free entry to the Temple which we paid back in donations at the palace.
After a long day of temple viewing and breaking into the media industry we packed our bag for the next leg of our journey. We would be heading north on the overnight sleeper train to Chiang Mai for 6 days. When boarding the train we were pleasantly surprised by the layout of our beds for the night and the vigilant patrol by security that was kept while we slept.

Day 7 – We arrived at Chiang Mai train station to find a free mini bus to take us to Libra House, our next guest house. We immediately left to explore the many active temples around the city. Chiang Mai has such a unique feel compared to the previous places we have visited with such a laid back attitude and more genuine locals who actually want to help you rather than fleece you for every Baht you have!
Chiang Mai consists of a large centre which is surrounded by a moat where you will find the majority of guest houses, hostels and cheap eateries. On the out skirts of Chiang Mai you will find the more upmarket hotels and restaurants. We explored the whole north side of the centre, taking in many of the temples and small boutique shops and possible places to eat that night.
We decided to opt for a vegetarian family run establishment – Blue Diamond, a haven for yoga lovers with its home baked snacks and extensive menu at very reasonable prices. We enjoyed large bowls of soup with vast amounts of colourful vegetables and tofu, as we looked on at the tempting selection of pastries, cakes and home-made ice-cream.

Day 8 - After some early morning negotiation with a songthaews we drove to Doi Suthep, the mountain which rises steeply at the city’s western edge, we climbed higher and higher around winding roads to reach the top to visit the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep which dominates the hillside and gives a spectacular view of Chiang Mai. We also tempted to walk around the national park to be told it was closed. Later that evening we found a lovely little Japanese place and enjoyed a feast of food so much so that we plan to go back again!

Day 9 – An early morning trip to the local bus station to catch a bus in the direction of Lampang to visit the elephant conservation, where we saw lots of elephants display their skills, painting pictures and playing custom made instruments, they all looked like they were happy, there were a few cheeky three and four year old ones that liked to do their own thing. After a good day we had to flag down a local bus to take us back to the city, to the locals delight we managed to do this easily and even met a lovely thai lady who couldn’t stop talking to kev.

Day 10, 11 – Lots of walking; including trying to visit the Textile Museum to find a building site! We visited the park to see the flower festival and lots of markets. Had a cheeky croissant to remember how good they are and a cinnamon and cashew nut biscuit – yummy scums! We had a good meal at the Riverside – a favourite haunt with the young locals, where we enjoyed crab rolls, fresh sticky rice and chinese mushrooms and jazz music and later we are off back to the Japanese place.

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Thiland is never boring, whichever season you go there. Just laze in the natural beauty and forget the worries of the world. New York Air Charters