We last visited Chiang Mai in about 1985, so It is not surprising that there have been some changes. Cheryl doesn't remember much as she was sick the whole time with what turned out to be bronchitis. This time she just has a normal Asian winter cough. Clive has vague recollections of a large town but it is now a city -Thailand's fifth largest. Some snapshot impressions of CM follow: Aimless wandering tourists, even some reproduction 60's hippies with dreadlocks A...

We had a leisurely breakfast and awaited the arrival of our driver to take us from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai. We had hoped to get the same guy as yesterday as he drove well and had good English. We were to be disappointed. The car turned up at the appointed hour but it quickly became apparent that the driver was not up to yesterday's standard. For a start, he was seriously geographically challenged, did not know of our hotel and could not understand the map of Chi...

We were picked up at our hotel at a respectable 09:00 for a tour of the northernmost regions of Thailand, bordering Laos and Myanmar. First stop was yet another ancient kingdom capital of Chiang Sen. The Lanna kingdom once extended from Chang Mai in Thailand into Burma, as far as Luang Prabang in Laos and all the way into what is now China. This part of Thailand has was only incorporated into Thailand 260 years ago when the Thais won it off Burma. We then visited...

It was the normal pre-dawn wake up call and departure. It was still pitch dark when we made our way by tuk tuk down to the ferry pier and down the steps. The boat has to set off at dawn in order to get to our destination before sun down. Our hotel had provided us with breakfast boxes as it was too early for breakfast at the hotel. We breakfasted on omlettes, pancakes (though a bit rubbery) and baguettes (with butter and jam provided in small plastic bags). Again,...