When most people think of a holiday in Thailand, they completely disregard the north because the beautiful islands are all we see in the media. But northern Thailand is actually a whole other world. Granted, if you’re only in the country for 1-2 weeks then you’ll probably just want to explore the islands and no doubt Bangkok. However, if you are travelling Thailand then be sure to catch a flight or sleeper train up to the magical land that is the north.
The three main northern Thai locations to visit are Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and everyone’s favourite, Pai. Megan and I flew to Chiang Mai from Phuket, after travelling the islands, and jumped straight on a three-hour minibus to Pai. We stayed there for six nights, then got a three-hour minibus back to Chiang Mai and spent three nights there, before flying back to Bangkok. We decided to skip Chiang Rai unfortunately because the temples are the main attractions in the area and we’d already seen a good few of those, so considering it was very out the way, we didn’t feel it was worth the visit for us - and it sounds like we haven't been the only ones to do that.
Anyway, here's what to do and where to stay in each of the delightful places. Take note!
Chiang Mai
What to do:
· Elephant Jungle Sanctuary - see my blog post about this amazing place here.
· Chiang Mai Night Bazaar (huge night market with food and brilliant souvenirs)
· Doi Suthep temple
· Doi Inthanon National Park
· Experience a sleeper train down to Bangkok (if you're heading there anyway)
Where to stay:
Hug Hostel Rooftop - central location, good price and nice hostel.
Chiang Rai
What to do:
· Wat Rong Khun (white temple)
· Wat Rong Seur Ten (blue temple)
· Chiang Rai Night Bazaar (night market)
Where to stay:
· My friend stayed at Norn Nung Len Café & Hostel and said that was nice – looks like a good location too.
Pai
What to do:
· Food markets – most open from about 5pm. We tasted the nicest street food from these stalls and I bought so many cute little things from the market. It was the cleanest street we saw in the whole of Asia!
· Book a day tour of Pai from either your hostel reception or one of the many street market stalls offering one. The most common tour attractions include: the beautiful Pai Canyon at sunset, the white Buddha, a waterfall, a viewpoint over the mountains, I Love You Pai Café, Bamboo Bridge, Land Split and the Chinese Village.
· Explore on a moped! In Pai, you can rent a moped for about £5 a day and you can fit two people on it. If you've never ridden one before, I guarantee it won't take you more than half an hour to learn. Take a ride around and enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains that fill the north. The views are honestly soooo incredible. Just watch out for the corrupt police out there when driving - they can pull you over and search your bags in the hope that you have drugs or anything illegal that they can fine you for.
Where to stay:
· We wanted a break from hostels so had a wonderful private hut at Chang Pai Garden which was lovely but it’s a 20 minute walk / five minute drive away from the town, which is a bit awkward unless you have a moped. Also, the staff literally don't speak a word of English! So that was a challenge when we wanted to order coffees, hire mopeds and extend our stay!
· Friends we met in Pai however stayed at the much more central Nolo Hub Hostel which they recommended and it’s rated 9.8/10 on Hostelworld. And the great thing about Nolo Hub is they have their own Pai tour that you can book onto with other people in your hostel!
Safe travels!
Em Wanders x
