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
- Video of Tiger Cubs
- 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!
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Doi Inthanon says
March 21, 2010 at 7:43 pmMy 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.
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jade says
March 23, 2010 at 3:34 pmI loved this story.
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johnnyvagabond says
April 7, 2010 at 12:56 amThanks for the great resources, Dave. I'm trying to make it to Chiang Mai by Song Kran…
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Dave says
April 7, 2010 at 8:43 pmWes – 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.
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johnnyvagabond says
April 7, 2010 at 5:56 amThanks for the great resources, Dave. I'm trying to make it to Chiang Mai by Song Kran…