There’s a lot to do & see in Chiang Rai, but since I was short on time, I decided to take *the* day trip from Chiang Mai. This itinerary is typical and includes the famous White Temple, Blue Temple, and Black House – and you’ll probably see it a lot as an organised tour. It’s done in a day so you start early to take the 4 hour drive to Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai is constantly on lists of the best places in Thailand so going there was a no-brainer. But as the title might suggest, I was a bit … Continue reading

Having once been the capital of southern Thailand, Ayutthaya today makes a popular day trip from Bangkok. Even though there are many ways to get to Ayutthaya, including bus and train, I opted to take an organised day tour so I’d have transportation and a tour guide. It was a nice time but the park was also a bit different from what I had expected.

A Brief History of Ayutthaya

After a smallpox outbreak in the first capital of Lopburi (another historic site to visit), Ayutthaya became the capital of Siam (southern Thailand) in the 14th century. You can also … Continue reading

The northern Thai city of Chiang Mai is one of the country’s most popular destinations, and it’s one that stole my heart. The city was founded in the 13th century as the capital of Lanna, a name you can still see all over town today, and has a lot of history to discover. Much of that history can be seen in the wats, or Buddhist temples, that are sprinkled all over – and they’re all so stunning.

Today, Chiang Mai is the name of a whole province in Thailand and the city is quite expansive. However, the old city is … Continue reading

If you’re headed to Thailand, Bangkok is probably a place on your list. I’d heard great things about Thailand’s capital city, and heard less enthusiastic stories about it – leaving the city as a transit destination for other parts of the country. So when I planned a few days in the city, I didn’t have any real expectations of it. Overall, I liked the city.

Bangkok is a huge, huge city. I didn’t expect to see nearly all of it but with everything centered in the “Old Town” area of the city, I feel like I barely scratched the surface … Continue reading

Elephant encounters are popular in Thailand and Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai is one of the most popular, most ethical places to see elephants up close in an environment as close to natural as they can have. I opted to visit and since I wanted a closer encounter, upgraded to the “Care for Elephants” package. It was amazing, and I think of my whole time in Thailand, the best thing I got to experience.

Here’s what to expect when you go on a “Care for Elephants” excursion. If you decide to go, which I HIGHLY recommend, be sure … Continue reading