Blogs from Chiang Mai, North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 19

We left Phuket relieved in a way and on to Chiang Mai for some sun and to see more of Thailand. We had a short flight of just under two hours with Air Asia to land in Chiang Mai. The flight was short but interesting, we flew with Air Asia who charge extra for everything (bit like an Asian version of Ryanair) so Alex and I were sat behind each other, both with a window seat. Alex had to ask a lady and a gentleman to move so he could sit in his seat, this lady was rather plus size and as we were told to buckle up, Alex text me to say her seatbelt wouldn't fasten :-/. They got her an extension and all seemed fine but she seemed to be taking up her seat ... read more

The last part of my curtailed journey, the 8.30am bus to Chiang Mai in pouring rain. The countryside is rugged and green, it's not particularly early but nearly everyone on the bus slept the entire way. By the time we got to Chiang Mai the rain was easing, at the station I grabbed a tuktuk to my guesthouse down a narrow winding soi (alleyway) within the walls of the old city. After laying stuff out to dry I headed to Thai airways to change my flight home, roamed the old city for a couple of hours and in the evening headed to an Aussie bar, imaginatively called 'The Downunder Pub' where I watched the All Blacks hand out a complete thumping to the Aussies. It was great seeing the miserable looks on the faces of the ... read more

Children ( of ALL ages ) love this place and it is right next door to The Royal Flora gardens, so it's easy to do a lot of sightseeing ! There are many animals to enjoy, close-up, as well as a very nice restaurant, with good food.... read more

We met a sweet Tuk Tuk driver........................... He very willingly spent most of the day driving us around Chiang Mai, to see temples. the old walled city surrounded by a moat & many other interesting sights ~ and then he delivered us right to our doorstep. The price of our excursion was so reasonable, we tipped him well !... read more

So we have been derelict in our blogging duties since we arrived in Chiang Mai! Our apologies. There is simply *so much good food* and so little time to eat it in that we have been too busy to catch up. Anyway, here's the short summary of our longest stay in Thailand: Chiang Mai is a sprawling university town / cultural capitol of ~1,000,000 residents, with over three hundred temples and some of the most beautiful forest-in-the-city landscapes we have seen this trip. It is located in the North, near the border to Myanmar and Laos. Located on a wide, verdant plain, the city is laced with murky waterways and ancient stone walls that have been perfectly preserved. It sits in a bowl between the mountains, and at night you can see the twinkling lights of ... read more