A Saga-free Saga in Northern Thailand

I sit by the window of our room in the Imperial Mae Ping in Chiang Mai, watching a stream of elderly tourists (Saga Louts) heading towards a fleet of tour buses. Ten floors below our window is a small free-form swimming pool where more Saga Louts recline on sun beds. We have just arrived on a 20 day Saga Holiday in Northern Thailand. We’re not planning to join in with any of the provided activities. Instead our day should take a more adventurous turn, with numerous treks and tours booked via the internet before we left home. As we nervously waited for the arrival of our tour guide we had no way of knowing if it would lead to triumph or disaster!

We booked a package holiday with Saga because this was to be Jan’s first ever Far East holiday, so I wanted to ensure that the flights, accommodation and support were reliable. Once in Thailand I prearranged a host of bookings with “All Thai Experiences”, a newly emerging Eco-travel company in Bangkok.

The outbound journey was a joy compared to all the European package holidays that had gone before: Heathrow Terminal 3 departure lounge kept Jan entertained as she scuttled round all the duty free shops. Our flight was called on time and we were soon settling down into our seats in a relatively empty Thai Jumbo. The flight attendants were charming, the food excellent and the long flight just about bearable.
We arrived at Bangkok after midnight and transferred to our short-haul flight to Chiang Mai just as the sun was rising.

The connecting flight was short and efficient - something of a relief after the marathon haul to Bangkok. During the flight we were torn between watching the occasional glimpses of jungle and villages through the clouds or the antics of our (mainly Thai) fellow passengers. As we descended into Chiang Mai they carefully stowed their uneaten in-flight meals in their baggage, along with as many copies of Sawasdee (the in-flight magazine) as they could lay their hands on! Then we were shepherded into coaches and whisked away to the Mae Ping and a welcome in the “Saga Lounge.”

The hotel was rather more tired than I had expected and the rooms rather basic. It had several restaurants (which we later discovered were distinctly “average”) and a couple of bars. And, of course, the Saga Lounge. But none of this really mattered since we only intended to use it as an occasional “dormitory”. Despite thick heads and leaden limbs from the long journey, we decided to get out on foot to explore our surroundings, and, clutching a street map, were soon stepping out from the air-conditioned foyer and into the stifling humidity of Chiang Mai.

The noise and bustle, heat and humidity and exotic smells overwhelmed our senses as we headed off down small side streets in search of the city walls. Tuk tuks and mopeds buzzed past incessantly as we negotiated the uneven pavements and frequent puddles. Eventually we came to the city walls and a major problem presented itself: We had to cross a major road, there were no crossing points and the traffic was incessant. We stood, helplessly looking around for a solution.

The solution presented itself in the form of a helpful Thai gentleman, who skilfully saw us across the road. He told us he was a schoolteacher and asked a little about us before pointing us in the right direction and continuing on his way. We were soon to meet many more inquisitive locals and were initially suspicious… surely they wanted something? But it soon became clear that all any of them wanted was to pass the time of day and perhaps to practice their English.

We walked round much of the old city enclosed by the old moat and walls, visited several beautiful old temples and watched saffron-robed monks going about their daily routines. What really struck us was the way these temples were alive with activity. Whether it was a grandfather bringing his son to worship, women leaving offerings and making obeisance or just groups sitting on the steps having conversations, the temples were clearly an important part of everyday life.

Heading off in a new direction we stumbled upon the food market and queasily wobbled through rows of meat, fish and insects. Many stalls had bizarre fly-whisks suspended above them - electric motors with strings and feathers attached spun gaily. But the flies still lingered, perhaps mesmerised by the whirling whisks! The odour, boosted by the heat and humidity, combined to produce a strong desire to flee. We plunged on, suppressing a desire to retch, eventually emerging by the more fragrant fruit and flower stalls.

Now fatigue was setting in rapidly and some sort of adrenaline injection was needed. So we hailed a Tuk-tuk and headed off in the direction of local craft outlets. Weaving suicidally in and out of the traffic generated adrenaline aplenty. The lurching, clattering and buffeting ride proved to be the best kind of pick-me-up and we eventually arrived back at the Mae Ping exhausted but exultant.

After a mediocre meal we were soon back in our room for an early night. falling into a deep sleep in preparation for the real adventure about to begin….

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