It’s easy to see why northern Thailand attracts a regular stream of visitors….
….particularly December to January. Great weather with warm days and warm-cool nights, awesome natural attractions, shopping, and of course delicious Lanna Thai food.
In this blog I’m going to share some some highlights of great times spent over 10 days recently, including a new homestay, fantastic cafes and amazing trekking. Check out the gallery too at the end of the blog.
Sleeping: Chao & Patricia’s Homestay
As one of my favourite destinations in Thailand, I usually stay in or close to the centre of Chiang Mai. This time I wanted to base myself outside of the main tourist hub, and the chance to do this came about when a Thai friend of mine who used to live in Australia offered to host me as the very first guest at his new homestay and tour business in Chiang Mai.
Chao and partner Patricia host guests at their lovely home, in rooms with en-suite bathroom, in a great local suburb 12 km from Chiang Mai old city, called Saraphi (“sa-ra-pee”). This is a good area to stay to experience local life, with markets, restaurants and other facilities located along the pleasant tree-lined Chiang Mai-Lampun road.
It was nice to be one of very few visible farang (foreigners) in the area, and to experience a real local vibe so close to the city. In addition to accommodation, they can arrange pickup/drop off, scooter rental, meals, personal training and more. Contact Chao and Patricia for more details at mobile.kickboxing.concept@gmail.com
Scenic mountaintop temple – Wat Doi Kham
Wat Phra That Doi Kham is located in the hills close to Chang Mai, and has beautiful city views. This temple is also popular with local Thais, who come to ‘make merit’ and receive good luck from one or more of the Buddhist relics here (my favourite was the reclining Buddha at the viewpoint area). There are also lots of eateries and shops, and some decent Buddhist and Thai themed street art painted on the walls of the road out of the complex, so it’s easy to linger here for a while and enjoy the fresh air and atmosphere. Remember to dress moderately to visit the various temple areas (covered shoulders, long pants etc). Click here for Google Maps.
Juice with a hug? Coffee in a trendy outdoor garden?
On the way back from Wat Doi Kham temple, my homestay hosts and I came across a very cool cafe in Mae Hia district. With both indoor and outdoor garden areas full of character, we enjoyed some good coffee and food at Praw & Plean Greenhouse Cafe in a really pleasant natural setting. This is one of several terrific local cafes to be found throughout the Chiang Mai hills area and a was a great complement to the day’s itinerary.
Next stop – still in the same general area – was at the unique artists village of Baan Kang Wat. This is a small community of independent shops selling all manner of hand-made goods, along with a variety of eateries with an amphitheatre at the centre. The place oozes charm and character at every corner and is one of the most unique and interesting areas I’ve ever come across.
Speaking of hugs though, the well-connected Chao took us next to what by now has become a Chang Mai institution – Amazing Alleyway. Juices, smoothies, coffee and more can be enjoyed while looking at the graffiti and messages posted on the walls by customers. A daily message written by the owners in chalk on the floor of the front entrance – such as “I need a hug” – adds to the charm. True to form, while we were there a traveler and previous customer called past and hugged the owners, thanking them for making her stay in Chiang Mai so enjoyable. They say that food prepared with love is fundamentally different, and this place is an embodiment of just that: yummy nutritious stuff prepared with warmth and humour. Plus it’s located in an outdoor area in a quiet street but still within the centre of Chiang Mai.
Fun fitness – Muay Thai with Master Chao
Chao is also a Muay Thai master with 32 years of experience, who has trained enthusiasts worldwide, including Australia, USA, Europe and Asia. He currently operates a flexible training business called Mobile Kickboxing Concept.
Keeping fit and healthy while travelling is really important, and during my stay I was able to get in several workouts, including swimming at the local Saraphi pool and a Muay Thai session. I’m a martial arts enthusiast and Chao long ago dispelled my preconceptions of Muay Thai as just kicking and punching. At our workout session he showed me some practical self-defence moves, as well as demonstrating Wai Kru Ram Muay – the dance-like ritual performed before fighting in Muay Thai competitions.
In addition to the health benefits, knowledge of a martial art can also give us a solid awareness and presence which helps keep us safe while travelling. This might be an especially important thing for female travellers to consider. Patricia, also a Muay Thai instructor, would agree – and both she and Chao have trained hundreds of men, women and children in practical self-defense. Lonely planet guides also contain useful safety information specific to every country.
Breaking News: While we’re on the subject of staying fit & healthy on the road, my yoga teachers from Fremantle Yoga Centre – Kale and Jane – are running a 10 day yoga workshop in Pai, Northern Thailand, 10-19 July 2020. This is a great chance to combine travelling with yoga with two great teachers who I have direct experience with.
Pai hiking
For the last leg of my latest northern Thailand adventure, I left my big pack at Chao’s, loaded up my day pack, and headed off for a side trip for three days up to Pai.
Located in Mae Hong Son Province in a very picturesque valley, 3 hrs by mini-bus out of Chiang Mai, Pai is a well-known and worthwhile destination to add to your northern Thailand itinerary: hiking, waterfalls, hot springs, good food and entertainment; it’s all here.
My main reason to come here was for the great hiking. I’d read good reviews about Pai Adventures, so called past their shop straight off the bus to check out their offerings. It was good timing: American owner Ed, Thai wife Pam and manager Jacko – a Lahu local and also guide – were all there, and I signed up for Trek #2 for the very next day. My fellow trekkers from The Netherlands and Switzerland were dropped off at a picturesque Black Lahu Village to begin the trek. After walking out of the valley, we encountered beautiful lush bamboo forests, big boulders, and streams. Our Lahu guide John (30+ years of guiding) served a nice lunch of noodles & fresh fruit, after which we followed a stream to a cave, which we explored before continuing on to the edge of the Khong River, where John hand-fed some local Gibbons that live nearby. The trek finished at Suza Waterfall where a refreshing swim and massage under the waterfall was really welcomed.
Check out Pai Adventures and get in at least one trek, and/or river rafting or tubing adventure. Not only are the local guides from the Lahu tribe great; Ed was a mine of information, very helpful and encouraging, and I go so much more value out of my experience with them that just one hike.
Replenish with good Thai food
After a full day’s activities, it’s especially satisfying to eat a good Thai (or western) meal. In Pai there are so many good places to eat and drink, you could spend days doing just this and still only scratch the surface. A couple of places that impressed me though were Om Garden Cafe and Charlie & Lek’s. Northern Thai food is a must while you’re here: I’m a fan of a good Khao Soi, the local noodle dish in a coconut curry base (also popular in Myanmar and Laos).
Ah, Pai. It is what it is. Yet in spite of it’s popularity among both local Thai’s as well as travellers, it’s absolutely worth a visit; there’s so much to see and do in the surrounding area. 🔥Hot Tip: book your mini-bus seat as far in advance as possible to get seat 1A up front with the driver (or else just behind in row 2) – helps to keep any dizziness from the winding mountain roads at bay!
Thai in Thailand
Is this saving the best for last? Well, maybe. As always, Talk The World strongly encourages its followers to learn at least some of the local lingo, before departure and/or while travelling in another country.
Here’s some of the ways I improved my Thai before and during the trip.…
First, I repeated some lessons from the Pimsleur Thai level 1 course, before arriving, as well as on the road. For example on the return journey from Pai to Chiang Mai, I did two lessons seated up front of the bus, which had the added benefit of taking my attention off the winding roads (no books; with this method you just listen and repeat with the 30-minute lessons). What I like the most is that you can use what you learn straight away: often on the same day. Really satisfying.
Second, there are a whole bunch of other useful words and phrases you can learn on the road. The best example for me this trip was filling up my scooter at Thai petrol (gas) stations. I can count fairly well in the language, but here I leaned a particular usage of numbers in context. The Thai for the number 91 is gao-sip-neung (literally, ‘nine-ten-one’). The first time I stopped to fill up, the station attendant greeted me though with the question gao-neung? (literally ‘nine-one’). My short puzzled expression led him to point to the 91 octane pump at the bowser, resulting in the immediate realisation that when selecting the grade of petrol/gas in Thai one says ‘nine-one’ (or nine-five, or whatever), instead of ‘ninety-one’ as in English.
Bingo: the immediate situational context allowed for both easy learning and remembering, leading to future success at all my future gas fill-ups: Sawat dii krub. Gao neung, ha sip baht. Khop khun krub. (“Hello. 91, 50 baht. Thank you”). Smiles all round, needs met, satisfaction plus.
Using the local language while travelling – even just a little – makes the experience 10 times better
Thai for Travellers – Top 20
In the post Words and Phrases for Travelling, I outlined a way to progressively memorise a list of 20 useful words & phrases, built up in blocks of 5. Here is the table for Thai:
| Basic 5 | Basic 10 | Basic 15 | Basic 20 |
| Thank you Khop khun krub (M) Khop khun khaa (F) | Sorry Khaw thawt krub (M) Khaw thawt khaa (F) | Excuse me (get attention) Khaw thawt | I am Phom (M) Dii-chan (F) |
| Hello Sawat dii krub (M) Sawat dii khaa (F) | Yes Chai or krub (M) / khaa (F) | I don’t understand Mai khao jai | How are you? Sabai dii mai? |
| Goodbye Jeu gan na | No mai | You’re welcome Yin dii | Where is…? …yuu thii nai? |
| Good dii (dee) | No problem Mai pen rai | How much? Thao rai? | Can I have…? Phom (M) / Dii-chan (F) khor… |
| Help! Chuay duay! | Stop! (what you’re doing) Yut! | Cheers! Chai yoh! | Speak slowly please! Phut chaa chaa dai mai |
These are just the basics: Lonely Planet also has a good Thai phrasebook, which includes a pull-out ‘fast phrases’ reference card.
So to sum up….
Ok, this is just a small taste of what you can expect to experience in northern Thailand. What can we take away from this blog?
- We can stay outside of the main tourist centres without sacrificing comfort or amenities. Some of our best and most memorable experiences can come from venturing off the beaten track, and I might never have experienced the charm of places like Baan Kang Wat without the local know-how of my friends and guides Chao & Patricia.
- We can and should maintain our health and fitness while travelling. If we can do this and appreciate the local culture at the same time (through local martial arts, traditional dance classes, awesome hikes, etc) – how good is that?
- And most of all: we can always use the local language to improve all of these experiences ten-fold. Soooo…..
Get a Guide
There’s so much to explore in Thailand. Get some initial info here at the Thailand Wiki travel page.
START HERE with information on your destination from Lonely Planet, the best in Travel Guides and Language Phrasebooks
Most of all, get some Thai, get talking. Check out the Pimsleur Thai course. You can always download lesson 1 for free and give it a try first.
Let us know how you go in the comments below. Bye for now and happy travels 😀✈️ โชคดี (Chok dii Khrub – TH 🇹🇭 Good luck!)
Talk The World is happy to independently promote holistic local businesses like those mentioned in this blog, and receives no financial reward. We may receive a commission from sales of language learning courses and travel guides – helps us pay the bills, put food on the table, and save for the next travel assignment 🙂
Northern Thailand Photo Gallery (images copyright Talk The World)
Sit back & enjoy the slide show, or click on the image to scroll through
