So the final day of the Yi Peng festival arrives in Chiang Mai, another bright and sunny one. I have settled into a nice routine here now, relax around the city in the morning, lunch somewhere and then further afield in the afternoon. Today lunch was the famous Chiang Mai noodle dish, kow soey, rice noodles in a curry broth topped with crispy fried noodles and the meat addition of your choice. Very delicious. Then, after finding a songthaew heading south, I w...

The day of Loy Krathong itself, the full moon of the 11th month, starts clear and bright. Soon after coffee I jump on a songthaew and head up to Doi Sutep high above Chiang Mai. The songthaews are the cheap form of transport here in Chiang Mai, painted a flat red, they are converted pickups with bench seats in the back. You can jump on one around town for 10B or you can hired one for a specific journey like this morning, having first negotiated the fee you're goi...

The Day of the Mae Jo Lantern Release, Chiang Mai. The main event today is a trip out 10km north of Chiang Mai to see the famous Mae Jo Lantern release. This event is big news here and as it's just the day before Loy Krathong this year is expected to be extra busy. The monks here at Mae Jo university have a ceremony and they like everyone to release their lanterns on their signal. It is billed as the release of the 10,000 lanterns, I didn't count, but it is a lo...

The first full day in Chiang Mai starts with a walk around the old city, revisiting the famous wats that lie around the centre. That was pretty much how i spent the morning. Lunch was pork with fresh green peppercorns in a side soi sat in a leafy garden. Then I grabbed a tut tut to take me south of the city to ban tawai, a small village that is now a center for craft production, specifically wooden items. The scale is unbelievable, row upon row of shops, showroo...

An early start and skipped breakfast as today I catch the bus down to Chiang Mai at 13.00 and I want to see a few of the famous temples in Chiang Rai before I go. A short walk via a coffee shop on the peaceful streets of Chiang Rai brings me to Wat Phra Sing the C14 temple named for the famous Phra Sing Buddha image, a small and delightful temple. A short walk away is Wat Phra Kaew, famous for being the place where the revered Phra Kaew or Emerald Buddha image w...