Chiang Mai We already wrote about the trekking we did from Chiang Mai but the town itself is also a great place to be. I'm sure it is not the real Asia but it is a major travellers hub/hangout for the north of Thailand. They have it all here; markets, international restaurants, nightclubs, live music bars, the lot. People are very friendly and everyone talks about their trip so far or their next plan but most people just stay there because it is such a grea...

Back in civilization!We just returned from a 4 day trek in northern Thailand around Mae Hong Song province, close to the border with Burma. It was an organized trek with 6 other travellers. Two French girls, an Canadian and an American bloke and a couple from Italy. Great group and we got on very well. The trek was described as easy but there were some bloody tough climbs in there and 15 kilometers a day through jungle and mountains but we all got on with it afte...

Ayutthaya  (January 12 – 14, 2007) Arriving from Kanchanabury on an unexpected stop, we crossed countless rice paddies, some completely immerged, some with cake-dried mud and bright – almost fluorescent – grass growing.   White storks braving the makeshift scarecrows can be seen by the dozens.  Last year, torrential rains have forced farmers to create additional canals and side ponds in which to collect the excess water....

A very warm hello from Kanchanaburi!A region 2 hours west of Bangkok, Kanchanaburi is mainly known for its famous World War II cemetaries and museum and, bien sur, the River Kwai bridge. This is a very touristy place, though it is not as crowded as we suspect it could get. The city's main attractions are aligned along the river on a long stretch in 2 neat roads and a myriad of small perpendicular 'soi' (small streets a bit like the London mews). Going...

Hello there, We had a smooth and well padded start of our trip at the Hilton Millenium in Bangkok where we spent 4 days in total luxury. It gave us a great starting point to explore the city's many temples (golden Buddha,gigantic reclining Buddha, lucky Buddha, Emerald Buddha,etc.), sparing the poor spelling of all these Thai names. Let alone the Thai alphabet (beautifully crafted indeed!), the English version of it still requires some getting used to as well...