Thailand

---

After two weeks rumbling over the rough terrain of Mongolia in a soviet era van we were looking forward to some luxury in Thailand. It didn't disappoint.

We stayed in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok. The area was a bit seedy but the hotel was great and the street food nearby was good. After a couple of days lazing, indulging in massages and eating fine food we made our way to Koh Samui. Que more lazing, indulging in massages and eating fine food only this time by the beach.

We spent the first night in Bo Phut in a hotel that had rave reviews on tripadvisor. The hotel was rubbish, perhaps they write some of their own reviews. Bo Phut was a bit run down and the beach wasn't great so we were a bit disappointed. The next day we went for a walk around Chaweng Beach and found a great hotel, Baan Talay, with its own private beach area and a nice pool for only slightly more money than our place in Bo Phut. Once we moved all our stuff there we could really relax and enjoy Koh Samui. We were at the quiet end of the beach so we weren't hassled much.

After a few days sunning ourselves and catching up on the world cup we flew to Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Its a lovely town. Not as seedy as some of the rest of Thailand and lots to do. Our hotel there, Banilah, was really nice, particularly the staff who were only too willing to look after us. The food in Chiang Mai was a highlight. There was a night food market near our hotel that had the best Pad Thai and for only $1! We did a cookery course on the second day. We had 6 courses to cook and eat and only about 4 hours to do so! The class was very good. We could choose 6 out of 24 different dishes and the instructor was excellent. The next day we did a Mahout Elephant training course. The elephants were formerly used for logging but are now employed in the tourist industry. We were worried about the conditions we might find at the elephant center but luckily they seemed to be relatively well looked after. It was just amazing to be with the elephants at such close quarters; walking them, feeding them and bathing them. On our final day in Chiang Mai we did "Flight of the Gibbon", zip lines that run through the forest canopy. It was good fun but a bit overrated.


Unfortunately after 3 weeks in Thailand it was time to move on to Laos.

---

Photos

Kuaytiaw
Glass noodle soup eaten for brekkie or late night snack. Delicious!