Whilst we were discussing the Asian work ethic (they like to sleep a lot, so if you want something you have to usually wake them up) with an older traveller we met in Luang Prabang, he said he ‘preferred to be a human being, rather than a human doing’. That is definitely the attitude we took in our second leg of Thailand.

After our quick hop across the Mekong River to Chiang Kong, we got a songthaew (share taxi) to the bus station. A women at the border told us that a bus ticket to Chiang Rai would cost B300 (£6) each but we got a local bus for B65 (£1.30) each. Bargain!

Once we arrived in Chiang Rai, we asked a European couple at the station where to stay and they recommended Chat House. We got a songthaew to the guesthouse and we were pleasantly surprised. Our room was lovely, it was very homely. The communal area was very relaxed with comfy seats. Actually, it’s probably the best guesthouse we have stayed in and it was only £5 a night!

The main bulk of our time in Chiang Rai was relaxing in our nice room and exploring the city. Chiang Rai is a compact, walkable city with a maze of streets and a few nice local markets full of fresh vegetables. In the evenings we headed to the Night Bazaar for food, and like all night bazaars it featured a range of stalls from fabrics to clothes.

We were going to do an elephant safari in Chiang Mai (notorious destinations for this and trekking) but we thought it would be less touristy here. We booked a tour which involved an elephant safari and a small trek to a local hill tribe village. We started the day by being collected from the guesthouse by Tony (owner of company) and Jaha (local guide) and taken to a Long tail boat pier. We took the boat 45 minutes up the river to the elephant safari camp. As soon as we arrived we were straight on the elephant. We were sitting on a seat on top whilst a man sat on its head giving it directions. We were on the elephant one hour twenty minutes, instead of the two hours we thought we were getting. However, we didn’t mind as it was not very comfortable. We went up and down through the forest with lovely views. We went through streams and mud with the elephant spraying us at times. The elephant fed from the bush and moved logs with its trunk.

We got off at a small village then walked for 20 minutes to Akha hill tribe village. It is reported that there are at least 10 different hill tribes in Northern Thailand, many of them divided into distinct subgroups. They are reported to be the poorest of hill tribes. The village we visited was entirely made of wood. The village houses are supposed to be identified by their low stilts and steeply pitched roofs. We went to a homestay where Jaha brought out our lunch; chicken, pork, chilli paste, sweet chilli sauce, cabbage, peas, pumpkin and sticky rice in a banana leaf. After we had begun to eat a pork sausage, I asked what was in it and Jaha told us it was pork and pig intestine. I didn’t eat much more of that afterwards.

After lunch we looked around the village whilst Jaha told us about local customs and ceremonies. Tribe ceremonies are different in each tribe. In Akha tribe men and women have some different ceremonies. We were shown a holy well where women have to dress in traditional dress and cleanse themselves thoroughly before going to the well to collect water. We were going to see a ceremony but unfortunately it had already finished. It was a family ceremony at a local’s home. I think we were a little glad we had missed it though, as it involved sacrificing one dog, a pig and 2 chickens then eating them! On the plus side, we got to see inside a local’s home. It was segregated into three areas - a sleeping area for women, one for men and a communal area to eat. It was entirely made of wood from the sleeping area to the utensils they used. This village had electricity but some villages do not. It was a great experience!

At one o’clock we got a local truck to Huai Mae Sai Waterfall. It was nice but we have seen better waterfalls throughout our travels. We watched local children playing for a while then Matt went in, jumping from the rocks. It was a nice day!

Our next destination was Pai for 3 nights. We had to get a bus to Chiang Mai first. When we arrived there I went in search of a bus to Pai. I was directed all over the bus station and eventually a women took pity on me and took me to where it was. It took just over 3 hours to get to Pai and it was a pleasant journey. When we arrived we went in search of accommodation, finding a place to stay with our own private wooden hut in a nice setting. It had its own balcony with a hammock to relax in. Pai was once just a stopover on a long journey west but is now a popular destination for Thai’s and tourists due to its hippy type feel and very relaxed charm, a lot like Laos.

We spent all of our time in Pai relaxing on the balcony and going out for nice food and a few beers. There was not much to do in central Pai so we were happy just to relax and explore the town.

Next destination was back to Chiang Mai - Thailand’s second city. Matt had received a hotel voucher from his aunt, uncle and cousin for Christmas so we put it to good use. We got the public bus to Chiang Mai and had a small dispute with a monk over a seat! Monks cannot sit next to females so I had to sit on the edge of a seat with 2 other people. Monks are seen as important figures in Thailand so there was no arguing with him. The monk actually had to leave the bus at a check point. Not sure why though.

We arrived at the Chiang Mai Gate Hotel in the afternoon. It took them awhile to find our reservation but they eventually found it. We had big smiles on our faces when we saw our big room! It was actually bigger than some of the hostels we have stayed in. After relaxing in our lovely room we went to explore and ended up at a market next to the hotel. The weather was wet and yucky though so we didn’t stay out for long.

The majority of the 3 days we spent in Chiang Mai were wet but we managed to explore the city. We walked through the old quarter which is surrounded by a two kilometre square moat with some lovely fountains. It has lots of temples and monuments. On an evening we went to the night bazaar and walked through a rather seedy street with women dressed precariously and old men with their arms around young Thai women.

We were sad to leave our nice hotel, it was luxury in comparison to where we have stayed in the last 8 months. We took a night bus back to Bangkok where we were spending another 2 nights before flying to Hong Kong.

We arrived in Bangkok at 6am and the roads were already busy. We returned to the hotel we stayed in last time but it was full. Matt stayed with bags whilst I went to find somewhere else. We checked into a place not far from last hotel and it was actually cheaper and of the same standard. We went straight to bed and did not wake until lunch time. In the evening we went to the cheap cinema to see ‘Thor’. After that we explored the area around the shopping centre before returning to Khao San Road.

On our first visit we had not been to the river so we decided to go there and get a river boat to China Town. The ferry ride was good with nice views of temples and the skyline. In China Town we walked through lots of markets and small streets but we did not find any good gifts. We went back to Khao San in the evening for dinner and to shop. I bought myself some Aladdin pants for £4. I have wanted to get some since arriving in Thailand.

I had my first Thai massage that evening. We had seen lots of people getting them and had been asked thousands of times but I decided to go for it tonight. It was an outside shoulder and neck massage. Initially it was a really nice oil massage but then she pulled my arms and clicked my back. What a noise! She pushed knots out of my shoulder muscles which was quite painful (that’s what 8 months of carrying a rucksack does!). It was definitely not a relaxing massage. After that we went for a beer, I sure needed one! We went for another walk and Matt got a nice cheap £2 haircut then he bought a ‘Seven Samurai’ t- shirt and chatted to the guy about asian films.

On our last morning Matt got himself a foot massage which he thoroughly enjoyed. We then got a mini bus to the airport for our last destination before returning home.

During our time in Thailand we went to 7- Eleven on numerous occasions, it’s amazing how many times you go into that shop for cheap drinks without even realising! We also found that they did nice toasties! Anyone who has been to Thailand will know what I mean! Bye Bye Thailand 7- Eleven!!!!

Emma xx