The days that had passed while we were ill meant we had overstayed our expected time in Chiang Mai, but had also found out about the Sunday market we wanted to see, but meant waiting a few more days. In a bid to kill time until then we did some research on a place called 'Tiger Kingdom'. Tiger Kingdom is advertised everywhere in Chiang Mai and for the reason that you are actually allowed in the enclosures with them. We had been suspicious of the treatment of the Tigers and use of drugs to enable this so had not gone, but the English volunteers at the Kingdom have a FAQs page on the site and explain everything.

Having decided the place sounded pretty good us and a couple we met on the trek decided we had to see the Tigers for ourselves to believe what we were been told. When we arrived at Tiger Kingdom the entrance resembled that of an open front reception, just like a plush hotel with bright white wash walls and a friendly staff to greet but not annoy you. In all the excitement of seeing straight through the reception to the open air Tiger enclosure at the other side we forgot to get a picture of the front for you, so apologies for that but be assured the ones we did get wont disappoint you.

The lady welcoming you gives you the options available with the assistance of three feet high billboards which really do the job for her, so we think maybe she is just helping to focus your attention to ensure you understand the offer before you are mesmerised by that wild animal you are considering trying to pet!

You can watch the keepers and tigers in the enclosure before you make a decision, or you can have a drink and food while deciding, or just have the drink and food. Which makes it nice that you aren't under any pressure to make a decision on the spot, we however did, to reduce the backing out chances. Now you can do in with….Tiger cubs, Medium size Tigers, Big Tigers, Lion cubs, or a mixture of them all. We opted to go for Big Tigers and Lion cubs so we had done both lion and tiger.

We watched Stacey and Jon in with the Tiger cubs which was 5 boys in all and they were full of mischief, playing with a tennis ball and pooing everywhere and boy does it smell. Their little roars were quite funny, they were playing like the babies they are but desperately trying to perfect their fearful roar and see who is boss of the bunch.

Next Stacey and us went into the Lion cub enclosure, we could only be with one of the two cubs as one was ill and had to be left quiet in a smaller pen within the enclosure. The one we were with though was a very lazy boy not wanting to socialise at all, he looked us up and down a bit when we were having pictures with him and did decide to get up and move but only to get a space big enough to roll over for a belly rub!! He also hadn't quite got control of his oversized paws with their big puffy pads yet, but when he does they will be huge.

While we were in with the Lion cub we had been looking across the walkway at a commotion coming from inside another enclosure, it was impossible to mistake the roaring and snarling, followed by huge splashes for anything other then two very very big frisky tigers either playing or fighting in water. The two were rearing up on their hind legs while pouncing at each other at the same time, jaws wide with teeth heading for the jugular while paws the size of our heads would try and pound the other of balance, crashing down into the pool before a further lunge on top of the now downed Tiger. Watching this superb display of strength was fantastic, especially so close up, but did have us utter the words 'I don't fancy going in that one'!!!!

Having all petted out the Lion cub and even had a growl from him it was Big Tiger time and would you believe it, sods law that we were walked straight across the walkway to the enclosure of the barmy cats that we had just watched in the pool! Well, to say we didn't want to go to a place where the Tigers were sedated and would rather take our chances with them fully awake and cared for, gave us little room to complain that we had exactly that. Fully awake, alert Tigers and capable of using us as rag doll toys for a tug of war! But what we had missed was that there was a third Tiger laying right at the entrance gate we would use to get in, seemingly fast asleep. Nerves now at the point where you could possibly become incontinent, it was debatable whether a Tiger awake and playful is better or worse than one you may wake from a cosy sleep and really P**S OFF!

The gate opened and the keeper led us in, firstly passing the sleeping beauty and also guiding us round the electric fence parts. The bigger of the two Tigers hat had been playing was at the far side of the enclosure laying on his belly, but watching everything everyone was doing. His name was Mikey and he was 14 months old, but at that age fully grown and capable of looking after himself if in the wild.

Now the important thing with these Tigers is to only approach them from the side and rear, if you approach them from the front, touch their heads, or front paws, they will think you are playing and will surely play rougher than you do. In turns we were told to stroke Mikeys back, sit beside him and even lay on him for a hug! Oh yeah and play with his tail!! Carina had picked up Mikeys tail which was fine at first, but when he spun his head around to give it a nibble like he had an annoying itch, she was a little perturbed. Rightly so as 'Easy tiger' wouldn't have cut much ice here!

The feeling of being so close to these beautiful but fearful creatures is an exhilarating experience beyond anything else you can think of. You are unable to have anything but absolute respect for the Tigers and how gracious they are with you and also in the way they move. The Tigers fur is just as soft and fluffy as it looks and dries incredibly fast.

At one point the female Tiger that had been battling Mikey and was only a few feet away suddenly upped and ran across the enclosure to the fence, consequently Mikey followed and everyone including the keepers just froze to let them do what they wanted. Polla, the female settled on a concrete ledge watching something in another enclosure, Mikey did the same but a bit further down the enclosure and facing the sleeping Tiger. The keepers had taken us over to them and Carina and Norman the elephant were now stroking Polla, but not for long. Polla was clearly not happy at what she was seeing in the other enclosure and shot off the ledge scaring Carina half to death, Polla paced anxiously up and down the top end of the enclosure away from us. This meaning she didn't want to be near people, so her keeper stayed at the top with her while we stayed down the bottom with Mikey and sleepy head.

Carina was laid on sleepy head alone so David could take a picture, the problem here was to take it he would have to stand with the fence to his immediate right, a tree with electric fence at the bottom to his immediate left, sleepy tiger a foot in front of him and Mikey Tiger fully awake and alert a foot behind him! So to clarify, no quick exit left or right, his back to the biggest Tiger in the pen, and sleepy tiger to his front meaning he would have approached two Tigers from the front at the same time……Didn't they say don't do that??? Yes they did. Now abnormally David wasn't about to disobey the rules on this one, but the keeper ushering him in didn't give him much choice as resisting the tigers keeper in a possible aggressive way from the Tigers point of view as they are hand reared from birth, could be like someone giving grief to one of your parents at your witness! Not a good idea hey? So with extreme caution more luck than judgement a wing and prayer, he got the picture and slowly moved out.

We all had pictures laying with and stroking the tigers and although we have already said, must say again it was absolutely superb. All that fear and excitement is overwhelming, but to see a Tiger look you in the eye as you approach it is just something else!

We were sad to leave our new furry friends, but will always be happy we met them and went to Tiger Kingdom and in a strange way be glad we got sick otherwise we would have not looked into this more and missed the opportunity to come here.

The keepers are fantastic and the Tigers are obviously well cared for and play as if they are happy, the enclosures they have are spotless with brilliant upkeep. The Kingdom runs a breeding programme to up the numbers of the endangered Tiger species and share them with around the world to prevent extinction. At the moment this can only be done in captivity, but in time when there are enough maybe they can get some back in the wild. But until they are safe from hunters, live to 20 years old instead of fifteen and have 2 kilos of meat each every day, with petting form us part of the day, but also time to do as they please and play with the keepers when we are gone. Not a bad deal for them at the moment we don't think.

Tiger adventure over and only a couple of days left we decided on a rare treat, well for us it is at the minute. We went to what here is a rather fancy restaurant on the riverside, called the 'Riverside Restaurant'. Stacey and Jon joined us as they would be leaving the day before us, but too fancied something nice to eat, we had a mixture of things between, soup, garlic bread, burgers with fruits, mixed grill, pretty standard stuff at home, but not for here! Our meal was delicious with no one disappointed. There was even a live band singing in English and doing some cover songs better then the original artists had done them and all this by candlelight on a warm evening. Pretty good for Asia.

Getting back from the restaurant turned out to be a little more fun than we had expected, as it's a bit from the so called main street the mass of Tuk Tuks and taxis normally around was a bit sparse. But after a few minutes we flagged a Tuk Tuk down, but that wasn't the interesting bit. Oh no, the interesting bit was to come. For those who don't know what a Tuk Tuk is it's like a tall Robin reliant car with the sides cut off and they sound like a someone has drilled wholes in the exhaust. So here we were, on Tuk Tuk with driver in the single front seat and a back seat only really made for two, three at a push. David and Jon had to get in first with Stacey and Carina balancing on the seat edge between their legs. They couldn't fall out as the gap is only just big enough to get into the back to start with, let alone get out at a rush, it just meant a bit of a bumpy ride for them.

You may notice some pictures of a rather big inflatable ball with David in, well that was him Zorbing! Carina didnt fancy spinning like she was in a washing machine so isnt in these. The roll was meant to be 100metres down hill, but was actually more like 30. Getting strapped in was intersting, once the first person is in they roll you over to get the next peson in on the bottom, so that left David hanging half up and down and round somewhere. Once in they line you up on the ramp and push you off, he felling isnt like a fast roll as it feels quite slow because of the size of the ball. The boys had opted to roll on to the lake at the bottom of the hill to make it a bit better seen as the roll was shorter than advertised. When the momentum is gone the ball tips ver so the whole is face to water but yet doesnt flood as its inflated so sits like a rubber ring. You then have to unstrap yourslf and right the ball, before running in it like hamsters to try and get to land. The ball spins franticaly but you get no where fast apart from tired.

By the end it had turned out beter than expected but only because they went on water, otherwise it would have been way to short a roll.

Sunday was the day of the market we had been waiting for and only one or two days before we all left. The market started at 4pm and run until 11pm. Now normally we aren't bothered about shopping, but this is a street the length of the city that is closed off by the police. Every available space is filled with stalls or even just blankets on the floor with goods on top. The best thing though is the quality and variety of the stuff, the dazzling clothes, woodworks, silks, candles, everything you can imagine and more is all handmade. Sometimes while you stand and watch and if you barter well is less than half the price you will pay at home or in shops here and a lot better quality.

Five hours, lots of bartering and flashing cash to swing the barter and we were knackered. Loaded up with bags and full of the Thai market culture that comes with the experience we called it a night, a successful one at that. So headed back to the guesthouse for a good nights rest. The day after when we attempted to send the stuff home the crunch came when the price to send the stuff home would outweigh the savings we had made. With that there was nothing else for it than to ditch some crap of the same weight and carry it for the next few months instead.

Now packed and ready to leave Chiang Mai having done everything we came for and more, getting priorities straight between Jack Daniels and souvenirs we have more of that stuff than clothes to wear now! But who cares when half your clothes are wrecked from months of abuse anyway!

See you next time, Laos is next with an other overnight bus and a border crossing, a notoriously slow one at that!!