Blogs from Chiang Khong, Northern Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 6

Day 11 Back to school, Thai cooking class. We enrolled in what can be defined as the ducks guts of cooking schools, in thai terms it was an expensive day but in the end extremely filling. After a short stop at the market to pick up supplies we got stuck into the cooking in a group of around twenty. We made 7 dishes for the day, chicken and cashew, pork with basil, yellow potato curry, Curried steamed fish, prawn spicy sald, noodles and a banana and coconut desert . After eating the first two meals we rued the decision to eat breakfast. We managed to jam in most of the food for the day and went home extremely satisfied. Hopefully we can replicate some of it when we get home. That evening was the final night ... read more

Von Chiang Saen gibt es zwei Möglichkeiten nach Chiang Khong zu fahren. Eine Direktverbindung und eine längere Variante auf einer Straße, die einer Schleife des Mekong folgt. Ich nahm letztere, und wurde für den Umweg mit idealem Fahrradterrain belohnt. Ein gutes, kaum befahrenes Sträßchen führte hügelig immer in Flussnähe durch die schöne Landschaft. Gut 20 km vor Chiang Khong liegt ein einsames Resort, auf dessen Veranda mit Blick über die Erdbeerfelder am Uferhang, man herrlichen sitzen und einen frischen Strawberry Shake genießen kann. In Chiang Khong setzte ich dann mit dem Longtailboot nach Laos über. Houay Xay am anderen Ufer hat nicht den kolonialen Charme anderer laotischer Mekongstädtchen, aber aufgrund seiner exponierten Lage als Entry/Exit Point gibt es hier inzwischen jede Menge Guesthouses. Ich übernachtete für 200 Bt im Nam Kong View in einem ordentlichen, sauberen ... read more

I write this while on a bus from Chiang Mai to Chiang Khong on the border with Laos. I'll take the opportunity to blame any spelling or grammatical errors on the fact the driver has decided to test just how hard he can push the shock absorbers. It doesn't help being right at the back of the bus either. To think I used to think the bus between Wolverhampton and Tong was bumpy! Its comforting to be right next to the emergency exit, although the lack of glass breaking hammer in the holder would perhaps contravene EU rules. The conductor is holding a sweepstakes over which ravine we will inevitably plunge down etc etc. Ok, you get the picture. And regardless, if you are reading this, we have arrived and found and internet connection. Before I ... read more

We were a bit sick of Thailand now, and hearing so many great things about Laos, we steamed through our last 2 stops Chiang Rai and Chiang Khong. We had heard nice things about Chiang Rai, apparently the more chilled out version of Chiang Mai, but when we got there it seemed like any generic tourist town in Thailand, night markets, western food restaurants and as we soon noticed a particularly large number of old western men with Thai brides! It was supposed to be very beautiful in the surrounding areas but we had had enough of organised treks for a while so decided to give it a miss and move on the next morning to Chiang Khong, the border town with Laos. We definitly knew we had made the right decision to move on the ... read more

Brochure Text Day 4 Chiang Kong: A 5 hour bus drive takes us to Chiang Khong and our guesthouse that overlooks the river. There is nothing to do but sit back and enjoy the slow pace of life. Thursday 4th Heard Cassandra get up and pack about 8ish. Got up 9am, shower, packed away (why is everything expanding even when using things!) - then by 9.40 only had time for breakfast in the guesthouse so had 2 x croissants, ovaltine and fruit (banana, pineapple & watermelon) - decided had enough water (always a crucial decision) and then we're off! Into air-con mini van with a serious sound-system - Kym says it's probably a kareoke van - and it's on the road again... With lots of Westlife and Britney in the background!! Through countryside getting increasingly lush, ... read more