Thailand - Kanchanaburi, Ayutthaya, Chiang Mai & Pai

More from Thailand

Erawan Falls.

A series of waterfalls in the national park. Being the monsoon season, it was not as blue as the pictures but was still beautiful. A bit of walking uphill required! But beginning to expect that! Attempted to film myself under the falls but the video doesn’t make it look like I was enjoying the experience! It was however, fun.

In the pools around the falls we swam amongst the fishes; just like the ones you pay for at a fish spa to nibble at your feet!

Ayutthaya

Today I took the bus to Ayutthaya, the old Siamese capital. The main attraction being the ruins of the old monasteries, which I wandered around, again at no cost, due to the death of the king and the required mourning in Thailand.

The bustling night market was the dining option for this evening where there was a vast amount of local delicacies to choose from! Still no cheese though! (I’m missing cheese!)

I rounded off the evening with a few drinks with friends I’d made at the hostel; all the travelers I’ve met are welcoming and friendly so no worries about being a solo traveller.

Spent the evening wondering where to head to next but that problem was solved the following morning. I checked out of the hostel and had Sukothai suggested to me as a good destination. Fortunately I was adopted by two Brazilian girls, Ana and Lis who were heading that way and the next location was decided!

Sukothai

Hostel was ok but had a poor night’s sleep as the mosquitoes had decided I was their supper! (note to self- use mosquito net!)

The three of us hired bikes and decided to tour the town on those – made a change from walking. Spent the whole day cycling around the old city being shouted at by locals who kept saying ‘scared’ which I eventually understood as meaning ‘left’ in Portuguese! Oops! Need to cycle on the other side of the road!

Used the mosquito net for a better night’s sleep but checked out in the morning and relocated to another hostel up the road for 200 baht (£4.50)each. This hostel had its own pool so spent the next 4 days chilling, doing very little else.

Chiang Mai

This was an amazing place and stayed for 7 days and loved it!

But I have never seen so much rain! It is like walking through a power shower and you really do get drenched through to the skin!!

The hostel was in the old city walls and our stay coincided with the Loy Krathong festival. This is a festival to celebrate the end of the harvest and a thank you to the goddess of water. Advertised as ‘a truly magical sight’ I can validate that this is definitely the case.

Releasing lanterns at the Yi Peng festival tonight was truly an amazing experience. 

Lanterns were strung through the streets and looked amazing day and night. Streets were lined with lit candles and the atmosphere was great. We lit our own Krathong to float on the river to send off our bad thoughts and they drifted away amongst the incense, flowers and rafts that many others had placed in the water. As part of Yi Peng we also lit our own lanterns to float up into the sky with hundreds of others. A truly incredible sight as they flew high and far into the distance.

15 November

Tomorrow is my birthday and met up with Lucy to celebrate with a few drinks at the Chiang Mai Lady Boy Cabaret show. I had well more than a few but was a reason to celebrate! But also tonight, I cried multiple times outside 711 because random people kept giving me bites of their cheese toasties. I love cheese, I miss cheese, and I'm aware that I have a problem.

16 November

Today was a lazy day (recovering from the night before!); I watched movies with Lucy and had an AMAZING burger.

Pai

The next day we packed our bags once again and headed to Pai – a backpacker town. A hippy town, with numerous Expat run hostels to choose from. We chose one with a dorm with only 2 walls and a mattress on the floor! 

We hired bikes but Lucy’s broke down so spent the day by the pool instead. Chilling until the evening when we drank far too much! Drinking buckets! Not surprised to be hungover the next day therefore chose to spend another day by the pool. Rookie error falling asleep and burning my bum!! Uncomfortable sitting that evening when we met up with friends from Chiang Mai for more drinks.

Hired bikes again today and went to see the waterfalls in Pai and then to the canyon to watch the sunset! Incredible views which cannot be replicated well in photographs - you have to see them in person.

A bus back to Chiang Mai followed by another bus to Chiang Rai for an overnight stay before for the next country on my list: Laos.