We recommended Mae Hong Son province's picturesque Mae Sariang town in an earlier post as a favourite northern Thai getaway but another great spot, in the same province, we reckon is also well worth a few days if you want somewhere quiet over the peak Christmas period is the small settlement of Soppong.

Worth going -- just for the ride.

Lying roughly half way between Pai and Mae Hong Son town, Soppong also goes by the name of Pang Mapha (spellings vary). Soppong is the name of the old Shan village lying just off the main highway which used to house the bus stop, market and basic guesthouses while the newer section of town, Pang Mapha,  sprung up a couple of kilometres east along the highway after the relocation of the market and bus stop -- it's now become the official district name.

Red Lahu all dressed up and off to market.

We like a bit of peace and quiet during the December peak season and if partying and festivities are what you're after then you're better of staying in Chiang Mai city, heading down to one of the Thai islands or attempting to find a room in Pai.

The latter is not an easy task these days, since Pai has become hugely popular with Thai tourists heading north for the novel experience of being cold -- during December and January it is simply heaving with visitors from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and other major Thai towns. Not only can it be difficult to get a room in any category but accommodation prices often double or triple during the winter months; the local constabulary actually had to intervene a few years back to put a stop on restaurants tripling prices during the same season.

Pai night market.

We'll happily spend a low season weekend away in Pai but for high season keep going for another 50 kilometres or so until you reach Soppong. Thai tourists are yet to penetrate as far as this area in large numbers and it's not so well known among foreign visitors either -- even in peak season it's still a peaceful destination and, with a reasonable number of accommodation possibilities on offer, one where you'll have a good chance of finding a decent room at a decent price. We particularly liked Soppong River Inn at the Pang Mapha end of town and the excellent Little Eden at the eastern end of Soppong.

Just a few of Pai's accommodation options.

Soppong's right in the mountains, with easy access to some of north Thailand's most spectacular scenery. There's also loads to do: short or longer hikes, kayaking, caving, mountain-biking, off-roading, hilltribe village visits and so on. Combine this with kicking back in some great guesthouses and enjoying the food, and you have a recipe for a rejuvenating break rather than a frustrating one.

Sea of fog just outside Soppong village.

See here for details on getting to this spot -- it's slightly out of the way, but not as inaccessible as you may think.

Tags: Christmas breaks, Pai, Soppong

Chiang Khong ... don't think we've written about this charming little Mekong riverside town yet so to make up for our glaring omission here's a series of colourful sunrise photos of this remote yet scenic border settlement.

Overview of Mekong near Chiang Khong.

Pinkish mauve sunset.

Actually first up are a couple of sunset pics taken from a vantage point above Chiang Khong town and looking east over the Mekong to Laos' Bokeo province. Facing east with hills behind you're a bit limited sunset-wise but if you can get up early enough there's some awesome sunrise views to be had.

Pale blue sunrise.

Red sunrise.

Purple sunrise.

Now to confess, we're not the best at getting up early -- even if some spectacular views are to be had -- so I did actually purloin some of these photos from my wife and before you cynics out there start making 'fell asleep on the saturation button' type comments, the more colourful images were taken on a cheap old camera which, though totally incapable of reproducing anything like true colours, does come up with some  pretty wacky alternatives of its own.

Mauve sunrise.

Sort of fuschia-ish sunrise.

Easy -- blue!

Chiang Khong lies of course in Chiang Rai province and being opposite the Lao town of Huay Xai is a major entry point for travellers and tour groups heading into the LPDR. Yes, it's where you head up north to photograph hill-tribes in Muang Sing or board the boat for the de-rigueur Mekong trip to Luang Prabang but even if you're not heading across the border this very pleasant town is worth a visit anyway. It possesses a good selection of eateries and accommodation and there are plenty of interesting sites around. More details and practicalities on Chiang Khong will come in a later post -- this one's just an excuse for a few pretty pics.  So ... one for the road!

Mostly orange with purple hints sunrise.

All sunrise photos were taken from the riverfront (or various hotel balconies) in Chiang Khong.

Tags: Bokeo, Chiang Rai, Huay Xai, Laos, Luang Prabang, Mekong, Muang Sing, photography, sunrises, sunsets

"To boldly go where no tourist has gone before" -- well not so many, anyway! The small town of Tha Ton, located on the border of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces and a mere stone's throw from the Burma border, used to be a popular stop on the backpacker trail. It's the starting point for boat trips down the scenic Kok River to Chiang Rai city and was popular trekking territory, being surrounded by Akha, Lisu and Lahu villages.

Gleaming Kok River and not a backpack in sight.

It is still great, and relatively un-touristy, trekking territory but is perhaps a bit too far from the backpacker centre of Pai and on the whole seems to have suffered from competition with Laos, the primacy of aforementioned Pai as a destination and not least the current Thai immigration regulations of issuing only 15-day visas for overland entries. As with many of the more off-the-beaten-track destinations in northern Thailand (we're thinking Nan, Tak, the further reaches of Mae Hong Son province), it hardly sees any more foreign visitors now than it did say 20 years ago.

Tha Ton, Thai/Burmese border

The photo above is looking to the north from Tha Ton -- note the Thai army border post on the hilltop. Now even if you don't want to go trekking -- or take the boat to Chiang Rai -- we reckon it's still well worth a visit to this scenic little town. There's some decent accommodation and eating places and some good walks to be done along the riverbank without having to go too far (though it's so far off the beaten track we don't have it in Travelfish.org yet -- a situation that will be rectified soon.)

Funky Chinese-style riverbank temple in Tha Ton.

You can also organise shorter boat trips -- you don't have to go all the way to Chiang Rai and most local guesthouses should be able to offer trekking and other activities in the area. Do not miss the view from the hilltop chedi and Buddha that tower over the town (picture below) -- but probably best not to attempt the ascension on foot.

Worth the climb!

Tha Ton's approximately half way between Fang and Mae Salong so interesting stops are either side of it and it makes an excellent halt if you're doing that loop. If you're travelling by bus you will probably have to do Chiang Mai-Mae Ai-Tha Ton or in the other direction Chiang Rai-Mae Salong-Tha Ton.)  We'll leave you with one more scenic shot of the picturesque Kok in Tha Ton:

Scenic or what?

Tags: Burma, Chiang Rai, Fang, Mae Hong Son, Mae Salong, Pai

Wat Chedi Luang translates as 'royal stupa temple'; there are quite a few similarly named temples around but we're referring to the old Chiang Saen one, so named since it's thought to have been the principal temple of King Mengrai's former capital. Located in the northwest of Chiang Rai province on the banks of the Mekong near the Golden Triangle, the city's ruins are scattered throughout the modern town of Chiang Saen. Wat Chedi Luang is situated near the old west gate and next to the Chiang Saen Museum.

View from scenic car park.

The temple is thought to date from the 13th or 14th centuries and, according to people who know about these things, the octagonal base of the imposing 18m-high chedi itself is classic Chiang Saen style.

See, we told you it was octagonal!

It's got a nice balance of ancient/ruined/slightly overgrown and a still active/lived-in feel which is why we particularly like it. (We're not so keen on the gaudy modern ones or the manicured 'historical sites'.) A temporary roof has been built over the ruined viharn (main worshipping hall) and a more recent, but nonetheless attractive, seated Buddha image installed allowing locals, and visitors, to worship and make offerings and monks to officiate.

Seated Buddha of Wat Chedi Luang.

Some walls of the outer enclosure of the temple still remain. Below is the overgrown east gate with sacred boddhi tree. Numerous other adjacent ruins indicate it must have been an impressive construction in its heyday.

East gate, the former main entrance.

This is a very attractive site and indeed the relatively untouristy town is well worth a visit, with its numerous other ancient temple sites, the old city walls and moat and its leafy lanes providing a great setting for a walk or cycle ride. It might be a bit too far as a day trip from Chiang Mai but you can find plenty of decent accommodation in town or in nearby Chiang Khong.

'Get it on, bang a gong' -- what too young to remember? (Ed: I have no idea what you are talking about.)

So we'll leave you with this video link which has nothing whatsoever to do with Chiang Saen but something to do with gongs even if would probably have King Mengrai turning in his grave.

Tags: Chiang Khong, Chiang Rai, Golden Triangle, King Mengrai, Mekong, temples, wats

The Thai government and Tourism Authority of Thailand have very successfully converted their part of this once wild region into a highly profitable tourism hot spot. It's now firmly up there with floating markets, historic cities and Krabi beaches on visitors' must-sees and where once opium flowed out of Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai to triads in Bangkok and Saigon, now it's Doi Tung lattes and Doi Chang iced mochas for Thai yuppies in chic Lanna coffee shops are the main products emerging from them there hills.

The Golden Triangle.

The small riverbank town of Sob Ruak -- at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers where Burma, Laos and Thailand meet -- has become officially identified as the Golden Triangle itself and is now a feature of most Chiang Rai tour itineraries.

In the photo above, that's the mighty Mekong on the right and the channel of the Ruak on the left; the mountains are in Laos, the grassy tongue of land is Burma and the trees in the foreground are growing out of Thai soil. Such is the view from the top of the hill overlooking Sob Ruak, where there's even a convenient sign for posing for Golden Triangle photos under.

Thanks to Becca and Dan!

Incidentally the said hill also houses the interesting remains of an eighth century temple -- built by we're not quite sure who -- so Sob Ruak is clearly a very old settlement, and bear in mind that as the Thai (Tai) clans migrated south down the Mekong from their land of origin in southern China, this would have quite possibly been their first landfall in what is now Thailand.

Eight century ruined temple and Buddha figure.

The Sob Ruak waterfront, where once Kuomintang and Shan armies fought over opium convoys, is now a collection of souvenir stalls, tourist cafes, minor museums (such as the House of Opium), and gaudy Buddhist installations.

The Buddha of Sob Ruak.

The latter perhaps have been installed to appease the consciences of local visitors, many of whom are actually on their way through to visit the enormous and even more gaudy casinos that have been constructed on the Lao and Burmese banks opposite. (Casinos are banned in Thailand.)

Anyway it's an interesting enough and certainly historic site to visit, and the House of Opium is well worth a look. Don't forget to get your photo taken on top of the hill!

Tags: Burma, coffee shops, Golden Triangle, Laos, museums, opium

In our opinion Mae Sariang, a small town and capital of the district of the same name in southern Mae Hong Son province, doesn't get the number of visitors it deserves. Here's why you should go.

First up, it just looks lovely. It's a very picturesque little town on the banks of the Yuam River, with some old wooden buildings, a couple of pretty temples and a scenic mountainous backdrop.

Bucolic, in every cliched, lovely sense.

Secondly, the area is dotted with plenty of places to visit. A couple of nice old Shan-style temples are in town, while a stroll around the market and riverfront area is fun. The surrounding countryside too holds plenty of visit-worthy sites. Hire a bike and cruise down to the fascinating riverside border market at Mae Saem Laep or check out the trekking and hill-tribe village options that the town's tour operators have on offer.

Shan-style temple.

You may not expect good accommodation and eating options, but a surprisingly wide choice of accommodation for such a small town awaits -- and since it's not crowded, some good deals are to be had. (None of this tripling of prices for high season like you see in Pai.) Many of the accommodation and eating places are on the riverbank, which is a plus. For budget accommodation, we recommend  North West Guesthouse, or if you want to splash out try River House Hotel. You can also find some of our restaurant and bar suggestions here.

If you're coming from the Chiang Mai direction, ride, or drive, or cycle along the Hot road. You'll pass through lots of mountain vistas and pine forests, and it's really almost worth going to Mae Sariang just for the scenery en route. From Mae Sariang plenty of buses head up via another scenic route to Mae Hong Song, or if you have time you could return to Chiang Mai via Khun Yuam and Mae Chaem, via an equally picturesque road leading round the back of Doi Inthanon. (Transport details for Mae Sariang can be found on this page.)

The road to Mae Sariang.

But best of all: not many other people go there. Even in the high season you'll certainly avoid the crowds and get to see an attractive and off-the-beaten-track part of northern Thailand -- a good reason in its own right.

Tags: Burmese border, Chiang Mai, Hot, Khun Yuam, Mae Chaem, Mae Hong Son, Northern Thailand

Having found out I had to go to Vientiane for a meeting my first reaction was #@!* -- what a trip, or words to that effect, until my wife pointed out there was a Chiang Mai to Udon Thani flight (CNX-UTH). This is extremely convenient, with Nok Air running a twice-daily flight for a little over 3,000 baht. (Prices vary depending on the day of the week, flight time and so on but my morning one was 3,300 baht.)

Check out the paint job!

When we booked they had a morning flight at 11:20 and an afternoon flight -- but we've since checked times again online and just come up with gibberish, so best to check with a travel agent. Flight was 80 mins on a 36-seater prop plane (known technically as a small one.) At Udon Thani a shuttle minibus service runs to the bus station for 80 baht, and from there Issan's your oyster! An international bus service direct to Vientiane from Udon Thani airport also operates for 80 baht per person, taking about two hours including visa formalities. It runs throughout the day every couple of hours or so.

Only slight problem was that it is supposed to be an express service, so they don't like waiting around at the border and I was counting on a visa-on-arrival at the Friendship Bridge. If there's not many people in the queue you should be okay, but otherwise the bus won't wait. If the worst comes to the worst there are plenty of taxis and tuk tuks waiting on the Lao side to whisk you into Vientiane. Just don't forget to take your bag off the bus when you arrive at immigration!

Since we don't have any pix of the not very photogenic Udon bus station to hand we'll stick a couple of pretty photos of Vientiane instead:

Over to Judy Garland for this caption.

Although if you do like a soundtrack with your blog post you might want to check out this awesome version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow instead. One more for good luck then ...

Still life Beer Lao.

It was less than four hours from Chiang Mai to Vientiane, so we easily made it for sun-downers at the excellent Sengtawan Riverside. Cheers!

Tags: Beer Lao, Judy Garland, Nok Air, Udon Thani, Vientiane

Any self-respecting country laying claim to 'wilderness areas' has to have them! Reports of large ape-like creatures emanate from remote mountain and forest areas of every continent bar Antarctica: the Sasquatch or Bigfoot of Canada and the United States, the yetis of Siberia, yowies of Australia and abominable snowmen of Tibet -- and Southeast Asia, with its stretches of dense and often little-known jungle, is not immune.

What lies beneath?

(This post actually comes with a soundtrack, so at this point you may wish to click this link.)

Malaysia in particular has persistent reports of creatures at home in Endau Rompin national park, or check out this report from Setapak forest. Laos and Vietnam have sightings of 'hairy wild-men' from the Truong Son mountains along the remote border area (see here) and Cambodia, the Kulen yeti.

With an estimated 15% forest cover, Thailand is not traditionally a yeti hotspot, but we uncovered similar legends on a visit to Nan province's Mae Charim national park. Mae Charim lies in a mountainous region of eastern Nan, backing onto the Lao border, and contains extensive forest area and very few inhabitants.

Rom Khlao Village

In fact part of eastern Nan is even known as the 'empty quarter' and in Mae Charim there is just one village: the Hmong settlement of Rom Klao. We began our trip in Rom Klao where we met up with our old friend, former communist guerrilla, ex-hunter and now local guide Pha.

Pha, resident of Mae Charim.

As we hiked through the forest I asked Pha what wildlife was found in the area; I knew elephants crisscrossed the border between Nan and Xainyaburi in Laos and tigers had been confirmed in the area but ...

Unsuspecting trekkers in Mae Charim.

"Well plenty of deer, boar, leopards and wild cat species, macaques, some gibbons in remoter areas and then the big hairy black things," he said.

We've known Pha for years and he's a pretty down to earth sort of chap. He's spent his whole life in these forests so our curiosity was piqued.

"You see them most on that mountain over there," continued Pha, pointing to a steep, jagged limestone outcrop we could just make out some way off through the canopy. "Daytime's not a problem. They're nearly always only seen at night but after dark no one in the village would come down here, that's for sure!"

They walk upright, are around six-foot tall, covered in dark hair, and potentially aggressive -- villagers report attacks and even fatalities. Fanciful legend, distant folk memories of when Neanderthals still shared the earth, a result of eating the wrong kind of mushrooms or are they really out there in the forests of northern Thailand just waiting to be discovered?

Whatever your opinion, Mae Charim is a beautiful part of the country and there's great trekking and rafting on the park's Nam Wa. If you wish to do either -- or search for yetis -- then Fhu Travel in Nan are probably your best contacts. Oh and please send us a photo for our blog if you do come across a dark hairy stranger!

A great national park for trekking ... and yeti spotting.

Tags: big foot, Endau Rompin, Phnom Kulen, sasquatch, Setapak, Truong Son, Xainyaburi, yowies