Thailand forum

Hi Amanda,

For Chiang Mai, give exacto's excellent Chiang Mai trip report a read.

For trekking, both Mae Hong Son and Pai are terrific alternatives to using Chiang Mai as a base. The trekking is better in that there's generally a lot less driving involved and the villages are less touristed than those out of Chiang Mai.

That said, Chiang Rai is also a good trekking destination. Many people opt for Pai or Mae Hong Son because the towns themselves are comfortable places to hang out for a while in, while Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai are mid-sized cities.

See the following story for more advice on trekking in Thailand.

Lastly, Sukhothai is well worth a look, so if you can squeeze in an overnight stay there you won't be sorry.

With 12 days you could do something like:

1 Bangkok
2 Bangkok
3 Bangkok then a night train to Phitsanulok, followed by morning bus to Sukhothai
4 Sukhothai
5 sukhothai
6 Chiang Mai
7 Chiang Mai
8 morning bus to Pai (or MHS)
9 Pai trek
10 Pai trek
11 Pai trek
12 bus back to Chiang Mai then north to Chiang Khong to cross into Laos

Hope that helps!