I guess it becomes quite evident how much you enjoy a city when you can't remember how many times you've been. Chiang Mai is like a landing pad of comfort for me in SE Asia, I know what to expect and usually fall into a pretty quick and easy routine. I've always stayed in budget accommodation, shared dorms rooms or the occasional cheap single room, but this trip was different. I was torn between Thailand, Cambodia, and other locations in SE Asia, but being my first trip abroad in a few years, thanks COVID, I chose to play it safe and go to a place I know - really all I was after was a week of relaxation, warm weather and good food - and Chiang Mai easily provides all three. Plus my bonus trip to Pai provided me with a new tattoo, something that has been on my mind for a few years now.
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On my first visit to Pai I had one "must do" on my itinerary but unfortunately, it was something that didn't happen. After meeting my friend Alice during my Yoga training at Vikasa Yoga I was determined to visit her new friend Poh who just so happens to be a very talented tattoo artist. I had already gotten my traditional Sak Yant tattoo in Bangkok but I was looking for something more original for my next one so I figured paying Poh a visit at Monkey Magic tattoo sounded like a good idea. Unfortunately, due to his packed schedule and my stupidly pre-booked flight to Vietnam, I wasn't able to make it happen. After my adventures through Vietnam and Laos though I decided to add a return visit to Northern Thailand at the end of my trip. This may or may not have been heavily influenced by the possibility of getting this tattoo....
Although I was perfectly content in Chiang Mai I made the decision to pack up my bags and head north to the "hippy backpacker, come for 2 days stay for a week" town of Pai. Since before I even left for my trip to SE Asia I had been hearing stories of the beautiful little town, whether it was through travel blogs, Instagram or other travelers I met the message was the same "Do not miss Pai!". There's really only one downside attached to a trip to Pai and that's in getting there; the road from Chiang Mai includes 762 winding turns along narrow mountain roads. You basically have two options, pop some motion sickness pills and tough it out on the bus or hire a motorbike and hope you don't end up like 1/4 of the people walking around Pai with cuts, scrapes, and bruises. I was back n' forth between the two options but ultimately chose the bus, I figured I'd rather puke in a bag than wipe out on the side of the road.
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AsiaThailandHigh on the tourist track for a reason, home of good food (mostly) happy people, rich history and culture. Thailand as many tourist soon learn is just easy. Easy to visit, easy to get around and even easier to stay. Archives
February 2023
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