There’s an idealized version of coastal Thailand where sleepy fishing villages back onto broad, curved bays. The only sound: the gentle lapping of turquoise waters and the rustling needles of casuarina trees. For miles on end, the only footprints are your own. You’ll hear that the authentic Thailand vanished decades ago, swallowed up by resorts and beachside […]
Jump Ahead Driving to the Summit of Doi Inthanon Doi Inthanon, the “Roof of Thailand,” is a two-hour journey from Chiang Mai. That sounds like a haul, until you realize that by the time you step out of the car at the end of the drive, you’ve already covered most of the climb to the
Doi Inthanon Day Trip: Cloud Forests, Waterfalls, and the Walk to Ban Mae Klang Luang Read More »
This is the sixth in a series of posts that tracks our 10-Day Journey across Northern Thailand from Laos to Myanmar. Read our last entry from Chiang Dao, or start from the very beginning at Pu Chi Fa. The drive to Pai is more famous than fearsome. Over 135 winding kilometers, drivers navigate Highway 1095’s
The 1095 to Pai: Fantastic Family Stops On Thailand’s (Fourth) Curviest Road Read More »
As we ate lunch in the Palong village of Pang Daeng Nai, just before beginning our walk through the Chiang Dao foothills, I ran through the cast of characters again. There were two adults in reasonably good shape, one of whom—let’s be honest, it was Kat—would carry infant Charlie. Isobel, aged five, already a reliable
What We Carried Through the Chiang Dao Foothills Read More »
Doi Luang Chiang Dao may only be Thailand’s third highest mountain, but it is easily the country’s single most impressive peak. A limestone massif towering above the tropical lowlands, Doi Chiang Dao’s dramatic rise inspired locals to give it its original name: Doi Piang Dao, the Mountain That Reaches the Stars. With three kids between the ages
Chiang Dao Beyond the Summit: Golden Temples and Jungle Trails Read More »
Travel writers often describe a location as “remote,” as if the benefits of that description were self-evident. At Doi Luang National Park, seclusion is not some vague selling point, but the heart of the experience. Most days, you’ll arrive at an empty trailhead, a simple parking lot with no stalls, stands, or services. You’ll enter truly wild
The Wild Solitude of Doi Luang: Hiking Phu Kaeng Waterfall Read More »
Staying even a single night in Chiang Rai is the only sure strategy for enjoying this cultural capital properly. Visiting the temples early in the morning (before the first bus from Chiang Mai has arrived) and late in the afternoon (after the last one has left) allows a far more intimate experience than non-residents could
Chiang Rai After Hours: How to Miss the Day-Trip Crowds Read More »
Phu Sang and Phu Chi Fa were only the first stops of our 10-Day Journey across Northern Thailand from Laos to Myanmar. Click the link to start planning your own Northern Thailand adventure.. To treat Chiang Rai as a mere day trip from Chiang Mai is a mistake and a missed opportunity. Venture beyond the
Chasing Phu Chi Fa’s Epic Sunrise on the Thai-Laos Border Read More »
If the Pranburi and Prachuap coast is quiet, the beaches to the south are simply, in the best possible way, deserted. Abandon the main highway and instead drive along the patchwork of asphalt strips that form the Royal Coast Road; it is some of the finest coastal driving in the country. If you missed the first installment
Gems of the Royal Coast: Bang Saphan, Koh Talu, and the Stunning Red Cliffs Read More »
We’ve visited dozens of waterfalls across Thailand over the years, but none are as dramatic or spectacular as Thi Lor Su. The Klotho Creek spills over a ridge extending 400 meters, with dozens of individual falls forming a curtain of braided cascades. When we visited at the end of the rainy season, the falls shrouded themselves in