Travel, Holiday and Vacation Reviews and Photos from Bars, Restaurants, Hotels, Resorts and Destinations around the World.
In the beginning of February 2009, my wife and I was travel with a boat from Siem Reap to the capital Phnom Penh. The ride over the Tonle Sap River took us six hours and coasted 24USD. A bit more than with the bus, but the view was amazing to the small fisherman’s village on the river. In the early afternoon we arrived at the Royal Highness Hotel in Phnom Penh. We paid 20 USD per night for two person include TV, air-condition, fridge and a warm water shower.
Monkeys in Phnom Penh
Our first “sight” was the Tuol Sleng Museum“. In 1975 the Tuol Svay Prey High School was taken by the clique of Pol Pot. The Khmer Rouges turned this school into the S-21 prison. Between 75 and 78 seventeentousend people are hold and lost they life by barbarism torture acts. When 1979 the Vietnamese army comes into Phnom Penh they found 21 prisoners, 14 dead and just 7 alive. We felt really bad after the visit of the security prison 21. We were driving back by a tuk tuk to the Royal Highness Hotel to relax and take a nap. In the evening we eat some Khmer food in a riverside restaurant and took a massage opposite our guesthouse. On the next day we had full program of sights, first we visit the National Museum of Cambodia.
National Museum of Cambodia
The Museum is home of many old Khmer sculpture. The building is built in 1920 in terracotta structure of traditional Asian temple design. One of the highlights is the eight armed Vishnu statue of the 6th century. In the middle of the national museum of Cambodia is a nice Asian garden with four lotus pools and a Buddha statue in the middle. The admission fee was 2 US or 8000 riel per person. After we visit the Royal Palace and the Silver Pagoda of Cambodia. All maps we used are from the Lonely Planet travel guide Cambodia. The picture shows the Chan Chaya Pavilion which build for classical Cambodian dance.
The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh
The tower of the throne hall is 54 meter high. It replaces since 1919 a wooden building of 1869. The Royal Palace from the Kingdom of Cambodia is built in classical Southeast Asian architecture. The silver pagoda is covered by over fivetousend silver tiles. Every tile is about one kilo heavy. Inside are the Emerald Buddha and a golden statue of Buddha with nearly 10000 diamonds. The heaviest of this stones are 25 carats. In the late afternoon my wife and i went up to a hill in the Southeast Asian capital to visit Wat Phnom. The first pagoda here was erected in 1373 for four Buddha statues. The name of the woman who discover was Penh. The temple that stands here now is rebuilt in year 26 of the 20th century.
Temple Drum of wat Phnom
On this evening we were going in the “Chiang Mai Riverside” restaurant at the Tonlé Sap River for dinner. The Thai restaurant was about 15 minutes away of our hotel. We pass a Khmer food market. The Asian market was busy, everywhere was stands with fresh fruits, meat, dead or living fish and clothes. Many locals buyed food here for cocking. An interesting spectacle for a European guy like me.
Market in Phnom Penh
The next day we travel back to Koh Chang in Thailand, the tuk tuk who brang us to the travel bus picked us up at 7o´clock in the morning. We arrived the center point ferry pier at about five pm. From the ferry to Ko Chang we saw a beautiful sunset at the mountains of Klong Son.
Sunset on Koh Chang
Phnom Penh on the Mekong River is one of the dirtiest cities in Southeast Asia I ever saw! Many traffic islands of waste are in middle of the roads. The kids are peeing and do their big business on the walking line, many organic waste rott on the streets and smell. But still the capital of Cambodia has many fantastic sights and a long history. It was interesting to visit this Asian metropole with about 1.5 million habitats.
Report by Travel Reports & Pictures.
Sunrise at Angkor Wat
In the end of january 2009 Moun and me was traveling from Koh Chang to Siem Reap for see Angkor Wat. The temples of Angkor are the biggest religious building in world and from Koh Chang easy to reach with the minibus. We was starting at 7 o´clock here on the Island. Our first station was Aranya Prathet in Thailand. Here we cross the border to Poipet in the Kingdom of Cambodia. The border was buisy and we need about 2 hour to come into Cambodia. Direct after the duane of Thailand are many casinos and big hotels, many people of Thailand make holiday over here for have moneyplay because on thai side it´s illegal.
Highway in Cambodia
From Poipet we took a taxi to Siem Reap. The turn needs 3 hours thrue Cambodia over sand streets. Compared to other countries in southeast Asia the Kingdom Cambodia is less develloped but everywhere they build, Many projects are supported by states like south Korea or Japan. Wat AngkorIn the late afternoon we arrived our hotel “Bequest Angkor Hotel”. The room had air-con, TV, fridge and hot water for 15 USD. Here in Cambodia rule the dollar, even if you go to a ATM you get the US notes. 1 dollar are around 4000 Cambodian riel. In the morning of the next day we was going with a Tuk Tuk to Angkor Wat for watch the sunrise behind this spectacular Buddhist temple. This Wat are built for King Suryavarman 2th in the 12th century. The entry fee is 20 USD so really expensive for Cambodia but ok for this amazing wat (wat = temple). When the sun was up we gone inside to view the spectacular architectural and the old Buddha statues in the floors of Angkor Wat.
Wat Angkor
After we took breakfast in a small Khmer restaurant near the temple. The next point on our day plan was Wat Byon which is a Buddhist and Hindu temple. The 54 Gothic towers of Bayon temple are decorate with 216 Avalokitesshvara faces. Bayon are planed from Cambodias legendary King Jayavarman 7th.
Wat Bayon
For me was the highlight the Ta Prohm temple. This atmospheric ruin at Angkor is famous from the movie Tomb Rider. At the temple of Ta Prohm you can see the might of the jungle. Big vast roots locked like tree muscles the walls of this beautiful monument of Siem Reap.
Wat Ta Prohm
Some years before it was danger to go around Angkor because of the landmines from the Khmer Rouge. But now it´s ok around Angkor, but still here in Cambodia many people lost a leg, a arm or the life from the weapons of Pol Pot´s clique.
Ta Prohm Temple
After 7 hours exploring the Angkor we drove back to the Bequest Angkor Hotel to taka a nap. In the afternoon we walk to a restaurant which we found in the Lonely Planet Cambodia travel guide. The “Butterfly Garden Bar” close to the “Stung Siem Reap” river are nice for a brake for a fresh fruit shake. In the tropical garden here are many butterfly’s under a net. We was sitting under a palmtree next to a pool with koi-fishes. A good place to take a deep breath in this busy city in Cambodia. A bit south of Siem Reap are the floating village of Chong Kneas on the Tonle Sap Lake. We was visit this fisherman village on the 3rd day of our travel tour through Cambodia we took a boot from Siem Reap to the capital Phnom Penh. The boot pass the Tonlé Sap Lake into the Tonle Sap river. After this six hour bootstour through Cambodia we arrived Phnom Penh.
Fisher on Tonle Sap River
The landscapes and the Khmers are nice. We was sitting on the boots roof and watch the people during they take in they nets. Every year the cambodian fishing about 430000 tonnes of freshwater fish out of the Mekong and the Tonle Sap.
Cambodia is beautiful for travellers who want to traveling a less develloped country. My Lonely Planet travelguide was a good choice for this trip. I will come again to Cambodia to visit the sea region and the islands like Koh Kong for scuba diving. The locals invite you, with a smile, to a great country in southeast Asia! Cambodia is easy to travel, many TAT´s offer bus and boot tours to many destinations in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam. Angkor Wat is amaizing, i can recoment this old monument in Siem Reap to all people who are intresting in magic places and great cultures.
Middle 2008 i was with Moun in her hometown near Nong Han in Thailands Udon Thani province. We was starting on Koh Chang and going first to Korat to get the bus to Udon Thani in north east Thailand. The life here in this small farmer village is simple. Realy simple! The drinking water comes from the heaven and the water for shower and toilet out of a underground spring. Here you feel like back in the past. The most people eat the rice who grow up on the own field.
Ricefields near Udon Thani at Isaan
Every morning i woke up at about 6 o´clock of the chicken. Many people from Isaan (northeast Thailand) have chicken for eating or they have them for cock fighting. When the cocks fight to each other they have blades on they feeds. The fight is over when one animal are dead. Here in northeast Thailand the supermarkets are rare and unpopular anyways. Isaan people buy here thinks like meet, vegetables and clothes at the market. One time i needed a ATM, the next was around 40 minutes with the motorbike through rice fields in Nong Han. The life is on the street and everyone knows everyone. The people stand up in the morning and bring the kids to school, after they make thinks like washing clothes with the brush, cooking food or just sitting on the street and speak with the naibors or take a nap. The landscapes are mostly flat, just some mountains you can see on the horizon. Here at Isaan in the Udon Thani province the landscapes are dominated of ricefields with buffalows on. In the kitchen everythink work without electricity but not without cole or wood.
Kitchen in asia
The food is easy, some sticky rice with vegetables and meet, papaya salad or rice with egg on wood cooked over fire. I enjoyed the food, its tasty because everything is fresh and really healthy because everything is natural. For me it was the first time here at Isaan, so time for me to say hello to Mouns parents. They kill a chicken and maked “Nam Tok Kai” with is chicken with chilly and herbs. The sticky rice what you eat together with the chicken comes fresh from the fields. Everyone who say rice don´t have taste have to try fresh one! It´s delicious! To this event nearly the hole village comes and we was sitting on the ground, eat and drink together, and the people speak and laugh. We was like V.I.P. guests this evening and was sitting on the head of this round. All people witch i meet was friendly and always someone cheers with a beer. The habitats of this village in southeast Asia say like everywhere in Thailand Chock Dii what means good luck before drinking.
Cows at Isaan in Thailand
From while to while some cows pass the sandstreets folow by a thai farmer who bring his animals back to home. One time i was going with Moun to Udon Thani city to buy something. The province capital is not really different as all other cities in Thailand. Traffic, fumes, many people and one shopping center with a KFC. Udon Thani is near the border to Laos, so the Isan language is the same as in Laos. But everybody speak Thai aswell. With English to communicate is hard because nearly nobody speak it. Some people speak two or three words like hello or how are you, but if you answer they don´t understand. So i was really happy to have my girlfriend with me not just for translations. Everywhere i come everybody was looking to me because white people from the west are rare. Many Isaan people try to speak and help the travellers but it´s difficult because of the leanguage barrier.
Landscape near Udon Thani in northeast Thailand
This part of Isaan is beautiful and quiet nearly everyday i was sitting on the way and reading a book and nothing disturb me. Northeast Thailand especially this small village i will never forget because of the relaxed atmosphere and the nice people. The walking on the lonely path are nice and you can forget everything while watching some buffalo’s on the neon green rice fields. This part of southeast asia is special, don´t miss the Isaan on your Thailand traveling tour! The Lonely Planet travel book will help you to come here and find the right accommodation on this adventure trip.
Click here to find Thailand Hotels.
Longbeach Pulau Kecil
The Perhentian Islands, composed of Pulau Besar (besar = big) and Pulau Kecil (Pulau = Island, Kecil = small). I call it paradise Island because of the turquoise-blue water from the south china sea and the perfect white sand at longbeach on the small island. There are no streets, no high rises and no ATM´s on this beautiful Pulau at north Malaysia near Kota Baru. The tight jungle start direct where the beach ends and the coralreefs begin when you stay 5 meters in the warm clear sea. I was staying at Long Beach on Pulau Perhentian Kecil in the Lemon Grass Chalet. The beach is around 250 meter long and you can find some small guesthouses two small restaurants with local and western food. Spice Divers have a monopol here on this amazing beach in southeast Asia. The scuba diving is fantastic here! I saw nearly every dive sharks and turtles. The highlight was a Humphead Parrotfish school at “The Iron Cape”. About 50 colosses up to 2 meters around, under and over me, amaizing! One dive with a 12L aluminium tank and full equitment was 80 Malaysian Ringit. From the beach the small boat can reach nearly every divesite in about 10 minutes and you go out every time for one scuba dive. Maximum time here by Spice Divers is one hour or 50 bar.
Humphead Parrotfishs
On Pulau Perhentian Kecil there are more or less just easy backpacker chalets. If you want to have more comfort Pulau Besar will offer you some options with international standart. I recomment the Lemon Grass Chalets or the small huts of Spice Divers. For more options look inside your Lonely Planet travelbook. The “Padi Golden Palm Resort” Spice Divers have beautiful beach terass where you can chill, hang around, meet people and of course book scuba diving for small money. A Padi Open Water Diver for example was 800 Ringit. The exelent dive sites are widespread. The “Sugar Wreck” offer good scuba wreckdiving and with “The Temple of the Sea” Perhentian have a great and intact multilevel reef for beginners and advanced divers.
Seaturtle at Pulau Perhentian
If you want to come to this beautiful part of southeast asia in Malaysia you can fly over Kuala Lumpur to Kota Baru. From the airport to the pier are driving minibuses. The ferry need about 1,5 hours till you arived in paradise. With small taxi boats you can visit other beaches for example to watch small seaturtles by the first challenge of their live. The run to the sea is dangerous for the baby turtles because the seabirds wait allready for this nature spectacle. On Perhentian Islands you can find what you eccept of total beach life, allday you will meet every traveler at least two times. You will meet people easy for play beach volleyball, go for dinner or dive with tham. This islands of Malaysia are a tropical dream, take some books and visit Pulau Kecil. The best way to enjoy this marine nationalpark: let your watch and mobile on the mainland and relax on this white beach in a heangmatte direct on the south china sea. The fee for the “Taman Laut Malaysia” (Marine Park) was 5 malay ringit witch is abaut 1,5 US.
Pulau Perhentian Kecil
My result for Perhentian Islands: A “must to go” for all travelers and backpackers in Malaysia and south Thailand. I never saw something like that before, just amaizing! I hope the goverment take care of this perl of Asia to keep the spirit on this beautie small island. This archipelo should be perfect for honeymoon, dive holidays or to come down while traveling. On this trip my Lonely Planet travelguide southeast Asia was my follower and give me good tips where to stay and what to watch in this great islam country.
When i was middle 2007 for traveling in Malaysia i go for a short trip to Singapore. I took the train from Kota Baru to Singapore city. The trip was around 25 hours and i don´t had a seat because it´s was fully booked. But still it was nice because i was sitting on the open train door and looked all the time to the jungle in Malaysia. When i arrived at the rail station in Singapore i was down and i just want to sleep. The taxi brag me to a guest house witch i found in the lonely planet for southeast Asia. This guesthouse was full so i was going to the “fragerance hotel” in a dormitory. I slept with 7 other backpackers in the small room with stage beds. One night was about 20 US, expansive for southeast Asia but cheap for Singapore . Actual everything is same or more expensive than in Europe.
Skyscraper in Singapore
For public transport Singapore have the “Mass Rapid Transit” underground witch works really good. The stations are widespread and i never wait longer than 5 minutes for a train. In this Asian metropole many things remember on Europe. First at all everything is clean what is unusual for a city in south east Asia and of course the bank skyscraper. The lifestyle of the people is as well close to the life of the Germans. Wake up in the morning, going to the office and enjoy yourself with material things. The people need stupid things and status symbols like big cars and other materials to forget the boring job and the daily grind. The fines for take waste away are high and there are civil controls! For example: a cigarette or a chewingum on street cost 250 US, go out of Singapore with car and your tank is lower than half cost 500US, they find one close box of cigarettes when you come in cost 150US per box… The government do everything to keep the city clean. The cigarettes cost 15US per box and You can´t buy chewing gum in Singapore’s shops. One evening i was in Chinatown for shopping and drink a beer for 10 US per pint.
Chinatown by night
My favorite part of Singapore is little India. Little India have many Indian restaurants with yummies curry’s. I can die for it! The Indian markets invite for shopping and the traffic is lower than in other districts. The Irish pub “Prince of Wales” serve cold beer in a nice and more or less quiet beergarden. There is a lot to see in Singapore: museums, temples, church’s, mosques, a zoo and much more. In the “Fort canning park” You can find the “battle box” witch shows Singapore in the WW2 and document the fall in 1942 by the Japanese.
Bloom in Singapore
At the fort canning park there are some walking ways to forget the fumes and the noice of the metropol.
My result for Singapore: Nice to see but not more! Not just because of the prices i will not come back to the city. Many countries in southeast Asia offer more for me than Singapore. Still its a nice city and a rich state in Asia but to be there once is enough for me because actually i don´t like big cities. That was i saw in the 5 days is that Singapore is just a big metropole with a European touch.
Click here for Pai accommodation and hotels.
My wife and me was in august 2008 direct after Chiang Mai in Pai. Pai is a small village at Mae Hong Son province in north Thailand with 3000 habitats. Here is everything small and idyllic. Small Restaurants, Cafe’s (like: All about Coffee, Pai Now, Sincere Coffee…) and guesthouses with style and ambiance dominate Pai. We was staying at the Breeze of Pai guest house next to the River. Some other good accommodation in Pai are the Lisu Hotel and Baan Pai Village. The most famous tourist features are elephant riding, rafting, hot springs, three waterfalls and some minority villages not far from Pai.
Pai Mae Hongson
The main sight is Pai itself! Musicians, artists. spirituals and backpacker must be fans of Pai in mae hongson. The mix of all give a harmoniousness cityscape. The harmonies of mountain and woodland is amazing. Actually i come to Pai to visit a friend who have some small bungalows and the Stone Free Bar at this beautiful part in mae hong sorn. Before he was living on Ko Chang and was the owner of Thale Bungalows. I was living 1,5 years in his Bungalows direct on the beach.
Siri, owner of StoneFree Restaurant
Nearly every evening sounds live music out of the pubs. Blues, Reggae, Rock n roll, jazz and many more options You have. Some famous locations for nightlife in Pai are “Buffalo Hill” and “Mellow Yellow“. The Pai hot springs come out of earth in a evergreen forest and runs into a small river. The natural river pools have about 40-50C, perfect for a hot mineral bath in the nature. The river witch runs slowly and easy through the mountains can be a mirror of the lifestyle of the habitats here in northern Thailand.
The slow river in Pai
One of my favorite sights in Pai is the “Nam Tok Mo Paeng” waterfall. This Waterfall is easy to attain with a motorbike (scooter). Its about 7 km out of the center.
Nam Tok Mo Paeng waterfall
The Stonefree bungalow park offer some easy but beautiful possibilities to stay. In the evening you can see the sunset over the mountains on this spot. The restaurant of Stone Free offer good and cheap foot, many good friends and a amazing ambiance, in nighttime you can listen to the “Sticky Rice Blues Band” which play from while to while at Thale Mhog in Pai.
The beautie in Maehongson is surrounded of ever green mountains who catch the clouds. From the “Wat Phra That Mae Yen” temple You have a good viewpoint over the environment and over the mountains with neon green rice fields. At the Chinese minority village you can see a beautiful Chinese open air temple with a big golden Dragon statue.
Temple at the minority village
After one week it was time to say: see you again Pai! We was going with a bus back to Chiang Mai and from there we book plane tickets to Bangkok Suwannaphumi Airport. The AirAsia flight was cheap and good. From the capital we took a taxi to Leam Ngop to reach the last ferry to Koh Chang at seven pm. For this trip in the north of Siam i used the Lonely Planet travel guide for Thailand.
My result for Pai: Its beautiful, one of the most beautie villages in south east Asian i saw right now! Amazing! Visit this small village in Asia, You will enjoy if you like quiet and relax holidays.
PAI: Love in the mountains!
Our second time in Pai
In April 2009 we come the second time to Pai to make holidays. We stayed about two weeks over the Songkran Festival. Compared to our first time here in this cosy village we did nothing, just relax and hang around with some friends. Just one day we did a daytrip to Mae Hong Son, Tham Pla Fish Cave and to a Longneck Karen village. But actually our normal day was like: we woke up at the morning in our Bungalow next to a small river, had breakfast than we walked back to the hut where we chill on our balcony and listen to the sounds of the nature. After lunch we sit on grass, talked and drunk some beers with some friends. At the late afternoon we droved nearly everyday to the central market in Pai to buy something for dinner. After food we was sitting around a small fire and went back to bed early. Pai in north Thailand is the perfect place to do nothing! The highlands around the Bungalows are beautiful, especially at sunrise when the fog hang inside the Mountains.
A road through the Mountains
After sunsent you will reconize some forrest fires in dry season. The Rain are rare in this time and the Asian Forrest are realy dry, so becareful where you put your cigarette. We enjoyed our holiday’s here at this peaceful place in Thailand and we will come back if we find time. Pai at the Mae Hong Son province should be a “must see” destination for Backpacker in Southeast Asia!
First at all i want to say that im a German guy in Thailand and not a english teacher. So please don’t expect “oxford-English”!
Hello and sawadee krap from the land of many smiles.
Today i want to report about Chiang Mai at north Thailand in Asia. I have bin at Thailands 2nd biggest city in the end of august 2008. My wife and I was going from Koh Chang to the north of Thailand. We was starting at our bungalow on Ko Chang at about 9am. We was going first from Klong Prao Beach to the pier in the north of the island. From Leam Ngop (pier mainland) we took the 12 oclock TAT bus to to Bangkok (need about 5-6 hours). From the Capital we took the night train at 10pm to Chiang Mai. We arrived on next day at 12:30 the train station in Chiang Mai. The run was long but nice, we don’t get any sleeping cabin because it was fully booked. So we was driving 2nd class on a chair. Open windows and the most of the time surrounding by rain forest. The sunrise in the morning was nice to see in the jungle over the teak trees. I used the Lonely Planet for Thailand for this trip. Totally tired but happy to survived 
we gone to the taxi stand at Chiang Mai station. Moun and me was staying at the Winner Inn Hotel in central-CM. It was 500 Thai Baht each night for a double room with hot water, frigde and air condition. If you like to stay direct in the old town, than are “The Garden Guest House“, “Fuengfa Place” or “Maa-T-Nee GH” good options for cheap accommodation.
At most i liked at Chiang Mai the Doi Inthanon National Park which is round about 80km away from CM. In this park is are really big and spectacular waterfalls.
You can not get closer than 50m without getting wet. The beautifulest falls here at Doi Inthanon are the Vachiratharn Waterfall and the Nam Tok MaeYa Waterfall. As well the highest spot in Thailand is located at the Doi Inthanon national park, with 2565m above mean sea level is Doi In the highest mountain in the Kingdom. On the top it was about 14 C, so really cold for old Siam. The park is really famous for the 400 bird species, nowhere else in Thailand you can find that much. Everywhere on the street are orchids and we was surrounding of evergreen rain forest. The mountains keep soft clouds in the slops. Beautiful! Than we was going to a Karen village to visit the minoritys in the mountains. If you want to watch more waterfalls around here you will like the Monthathan Falls on Doi Suthep and the Mae Sa Falls in Mae Rim about 15 km out of town.
Karen minorities
After we was driving to the “Great Holy Relics Pagoda of Nabhamethalidol – Nabhapolbhumisiri”. Here You can find two big pagodas and a huge lay outed flower gardens with the same kind of blooms that you can find in the temperate climate zone, because of the low temperature on the mountain they grow brilliant. The Thai royal air force built this constructions for memorial of His Majesty King Bhumipol 9th and for HM the Queen, the Mother of the Thais.
great holy relics pagoda
On the next day we was driving with the scooter to the “Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep Rajvoravihara” temple on “Doi Suthep” mountain about 15 km out of Chiang Mai. The 300 steps to the top of the temple are a little challenge. But it was worthwile! The temple is one of the most beautiful Buddhist temples i ever saw. It is worthwhile actually alone for the nice view over Chiang Mai city. We was burning some scent sticks and three candles for a good karma. After we walked three times around the golden pagoda to get protection and good luck for this journey. On the way back we visited the Chiang Mai Zoo. If you like Wat DS than you will enjoy as well the Wat Chiang Man, Lok Molee, Wat Morntheran and the Phra Singh Temple which is the most visited Wat here. Another highlight for friends of Buddhist temples is the Wat Srisuphan silver temple where you can have a Chat with Monks about Thai culture, the life as a Buddhist monk in northern Thailand and many other topics.
At night Moun and me was going to the night bazaar to eat yummie Indian curry and some kao pat kai (fried rice and chicken). For western food on the night market i can recommend the “Daddys” Restaurant and O’malley’s Irish Pub. I was buying some t-shirts and some souvenirs. Another tourist attraction is the Sunday walking street market where you can buy as well souvenirs and handicrafts. On the same road are some nice coffee shops like the “Doi Chaang” or the “Ratchadumnern Cafe” where you can rest for a while. An other nice place to flee from the fumes is the Suan Buak Haad Park in the south of old Chiang Mai.
As well for tourists who like night life in Chiang Mai the right destination, around the city are many disco’s, A GoGo bars and cozy Pubs with live music like the “Cafe del Sol” in the center of old Chiangmai. The most bars and western Restaurants you will find near the Pratu Tha Pae gate on the east end direct on the city moat. A nice Restaurant here at Tha Phae is the “Dada Kafe“.
From Chiang Mai we was going by minibus to Pai. It belongs to the Mae Hong Son province and is a small village about 130km away from Chiang Mai. For all motorbike travelers i can recommend the “Coffee Hill” Cafe on the half way from CM to Pai. Other travel options from Chiang Mai are Luang Prabang (Laos), Lamphun, Mae Hongsorn, Phrae, Sukhothai…
If you are looking for day trip possibilities from here than are Chiang Dao, Bor Sang handicraft village, Ban Thawai/Hangdong villages, Doi Inthanon national park and Doi Suthep good destinations for a pleasant day. For tourists who like to make sports at holiday i can recomment the Huay Tung Tao Reservoir for a day away from the fumes and pollution of the city.
Museums in Chiang Mai:
For all cultural tourists has CM a good variety of Museums and Exhibitions. The prices are mostly low which make a visit at the most Museums worthwhile and possible as well for families and individual tourists. Good addresses with nice exhibitions are CM National Museum, Chiengmai City Arts & Cultural center which tells the history of CM, World of Insects and the Tribal Museum.
My result for Chiang Mai:
Its a clean (compared to other big cities in south-east Asia) metropole with a lot of history. You can find many sights and Chiang Mai have many corners to explore. The people and the atmosphere are much more relax and friendly than Bangkok. Many locals speak English, its easy to communicate with the Thais because if they speak English the English is very easy and for everyone to understand. Like everywhere in Southeast Asia the peoples try to help you if you get lost or need any other information. The “capital of the north” have a healthy mix of locals and foreigners, so its pleasant to travel. Chiang Mai is famous as well for many kinds of Thai-culture and Thai Language classes.
Visit CM, You don’t will regret this holiday in north Thailand!
Chiang Mai Hotels Booking and Reservation
For new Reports of this travel blog click here!
