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...

An early start with breakfast at the hotel, then off with mr Tony Smile the driver and his Isuzu 4WD truck heading north towards the Myanmar border. Cheerful chap as the name suggests we were soon chatting away as we drove north through pineapple plantations to the mountains close to the border. The pineapples are small, called phu-lae, they result from a cross between the Phuket pineapple and the local one. Sweet but crisp, they are delicious and the roadside i...

Day one Chiang Rai:My first day was a bit hazy due to the long flight and time difference, but determined to keep going, I did some gentle exploration of the town.A taxi was waiting for me at the airport and I was quickly at the north hotel, my home for the next 2 nights. Bang in the middle of the night market but in a quiet soi. Very friendly people and nice, comfortable but basic room, a quick freshen up and off exploring. First stop a 7-11 for supplies and the...