As I was running low on time before my flight to South Africa, I opted to fly from Luang Prabang to Chiang Mai, rather than take the slow (and noisy) river boat.
Chiang Mai felt like Bangkok transplanted in the north.
All the tourist-oriented businesses were present: tourist agents ready to book every activity in the region, internet cafes, hostels, and lots of cooking schools.
Plus, I was back in the land of 7-11's.
I spent a week in Chiang Mai, and that included a 3-day, 2-night hill tribe trek which was a mixed bag.
For me, hanging out with tigers, learning to cook authentic Thai food, and shooting a machine gun were more fun.
I now recommend that people go on a hill tribe trek in northern Laos for a more authentic, less developed experience.
- Landing in Chiang Mai
- Thai Cookery School
- Dare #15 – Completed – The Art of Muay Thai Boxing
- Befriending Tigers
- Soldier of Fortune – shooting my first machine gun
- Day 1 – Hill Tribe Trek
- Day 2 – Elephant Rides
- Day 3 – Whitewater Rafting
- Thailand – It's a Wrap
Next week, we leave Asia behind for South Africa!
Planning a trip? Go Backpacking uses and recommends:
- G Adventures for small group tours
- Skyscanner for researching flights
- Hostelworld for booking hostels
- Airbnb for renting rooms and homes
- Rail Europe for train passes
- World Nomads for travel insurance
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My travel highlight in Chiang Mai was the Doi Inthanon national park. The great waterfalls and the untouged nature make Doi In to a unique place in Chiang Mai Thailand.
I loved this story.
Thanks for the great resources, Dave. I'm trying to make it to Chiang Mai by Song Kran…
Wes – I didn’t have a lot of time to explore northern Thailand, so I hung out around Chiang Mai, but it wasn’t my favorite spot. Friends recommended Pi which is a few hours further north and west, I believe. Same activities, smaller city.
Thanks for the great resources, Dave. I'm trying to make it to Chiang Mai by Song Kran…