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Published: September 16th 2015
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amazing architecture in chiang mai After deciding to leave Laos, we had the option of the boat down the mekong, or a bus journey. initially we were keen on the boat but when we thought about the weather and how unpredictable it was, as well as the additional costs involved, we opted for the bus to Chiang Mai. This time the journey was a lot less dramatic! Another night bus, i think around about 20/21 hours in total. It is funny how you can get used to these journeys when back home it would seem like insanity if someone told you they were doing it! Unfortunately the bus wasnt a sleeper so just a reclining seat which makes it a bit more uncomfy,but on the plus side there was a toilet! The roads leaving Laos were very slow as the conditions there are very poor and also very windy and mountainous. I slept ok, not amazing, but woke up early at the border, and again, this time was a breeze! Just cambodia looking back that was troublesome. Once you enter thailand you felt like you wree in 'normality" with good roads, and a nice welcome back to an abandunce of 7/11s for cheap convenience. It felt
good to be back!
Arriving in Chiang mai, we were pleasantly surprised by how cheap everything was. Even our room was just 5 pounds with a bathroom, lots of space, wifi etc. Massages were considerably cheaper (YES!) and eating in a restaurant cost a lot less. I have grown quite fond of the Thai massage, where you are massaged through your clothes. Sounds horrible, but it is the most relaxing thing ever and much deeper and better than oil, in my opinion. Not sure how i will cope without them! We stayed in Chiang mai just 2 nights and i will be honest we didnt do a whole load. The city was relaxed, quite cool with nice bars/cafes, but in my opinion not a whole load to do. Trillions of temples, but after 5 months in Asia it doesnt really hold that much appeal. I can appreciate their beauty, take a pic, but it doesnt provide me with much more than that. Other than that, there are loads of elephant camps etc. I am very against these as i have researched extensively and 99% of them involve riding the elephant which means that their spirit has been broken by
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new friends their keeper as a baby, they get poked with sticks and have to carry absurd weights, as well as being effectively kept as prisoners so this wrote off a few of the options for us. I beleive there are a couple of sanctuarys that are good, you dont ride them, it is just a rescue, but the costs were kind of out of our budget.
Everyone had told us "go to Pai, go to Pai". So we did. 3 hours north of Chiang mai in a mini bus, and we arrived. And we were happy we came. Pai was even more chilled out, and even cooler than chaing mai. Cafes, coffe shops, smoothy bars and funky bars filled the streets as well as lots of hippy stores and shops with really pretty merchandise. Noone hassled you or gave you grief, the food was excellent and just generally a lovely place to be. Our room was also good, I would say that because there were 6 resident cats! I was in my elemet. They were all 2 years old and from the one litter, and all super friendly so I got lots of love and cuddles. The staff were really
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2 of 6 cats sweet too, and we could relax int he garden with a cold beer. perfect.
As much as Pai centre is pretty, it is mainly just chilling out, eating, drinking and shopping, so like in many other places we hired a scooter, this time for 2 days and taking full insurance on it. Life was really cheap there and even the bike was about a fiver a day. So off we went around the green countryside which was totally lush. Small villages with friendly locals dotted around, as well as a strawberry farm, a canyon and a hot spring. We were really up for that but it was really expensive, we found out online that you could go to a resort nearby and use their facilities which included a hot mineral tub. In my elemet. Another cold beer in the tub, then relaxing by the pool in the sun and a dip in the cool pool afterwards. IT was amazing every night to be able to eat high quality thai food for the cheapest i have seen, in a cool place. For breakfast we used to get toast, avocado, poached eggs and tomatoes for about 1.75. Delicious!
I left
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out on the scooter! with very good memories and a desire to go stay at the hot spring resort whenever i had the money and time!
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