Take a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai which takes a mere hour and ten minutes. You'll arrive in the beautiful city of Chiang Mai in the afternoon and stay your first night in the Old City.

The country’s northern capital of Chiang Mai has sat surrounded by the nearby mountains since its inception in 1296. You will have the best time in the city, no matter what you choose to do, just make sure you pick a good time to visit.

One of the biggest appeals of Chiang Mai is its' food and the best way to spend your first evening is getting a taste of it from one of the city’s famous night markets. Influenced heavily by their northern neighbours of Burma, China and Laos, some must-tries are Northern Thai Sausage and the yellow egg noodle curry Khao Soi.

Make sure to get a Satay or Northern Thai-style salad. Make sure you leave some space for a delicious Mango Stick Rice, my absolute favourite dessert to have in Thailand.

Related Article: The Best Chiang Mai Accommodation Options From Budget To Luxury

The city’s old town is wonderfully accessible by foot and has dozens of beautiful temples to explore. It's beautiful to have a wonder around in the morning as you'll see many monks walking through the street collection early morning alms offerings.

Some of the most popular are Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chiang Man. As well as Wat Phra That Doi Suthep that watches over the city from its mountaintop perch which you can easily reach with one of the many red Songthaews.

There are plenty of other lesser known temples outside the Old City square if you are feeling a bit more adventurous. Simply take a Songthaew or drive yourself if you feel confident riding a scooter. I suggest checking out Wat Umong and Wat Suan Dok.

For more things to do in Chiang Mai, have a look at my huge Chiang Mai travel guide which covers all the things to do in town.

In the afternoon, jump on a minibus to Pai, northern Thailands worse kept secret hippie town. The bus ride takes around four hours subject to traffic. The road to Pai is pretty windy and I recommend taking a motion sickness tablet before as it can get a bit rough depending on the softness of your driver.

Salt-water pool, free wifi, restaurant & bar serving Thai and European food, complimentary bus shuttle and only 150 meters to the famous Walking Street, await you when you checking into Family House.

So near and still a world away from Pai's town centre, Family House sits in peace and quiet surrounded by beautiful mountains and is a great place to stay especially for couples. Choose one of the 23 air-con modern-looking self-contained bungalow rooms with private bathroom.

Check current room rates on Booking.com | Agoda.com

A mere 10-minute scooter ride from the center of Pai, Jungle Zone sits secluded between the wonderful green scenery of Pai. If you want to marvel at the sun set over the jungle and mountains from your hammock, away from the bustle and party scene in town, then this is the place for you!

Choose from small basic bungalows if you're looking for more privacy or sleep in a mixed dorm for as cheap at US$5.50! Breakfast is included and you will get exactly the chilled out vibe you were possibly looking for in Pai.

Are You Looking For A Volunteer Project In Thailand?

Fancy helping out in a hostel, family homestay, NGO or eco-project in return for a free stay?

With Worldpackers, you can exchange your skills for accommodation!

How Does Worldpackers Work?

Worldpackers connects you with hosts around the world. You simply work for a few hours a day and get accommodation for free. What an epic way to see the world! And it's possibly the most amazing way to immerse yourself in the local culture.

You could be volunteering during your vacation time, an extended backpacking trip or even while taking a gap year, there are so many different offers and minimum stays. 

What You Could Be Doing

There are lots of opportunities, from teaching English, sports, helping with tour guiding, painting or work on a farm. Yes, even your business skills can be put to work. There are volunteer opportunities such as admin work, web development and social media.

Worldpackers Promo Code

You are able to browse the Worldpackers website for volunteer opportunities for free. Once you want to apply, you pay a yearly membership fee which allows you to apply for as many volunteer opportunities all around the world as you like.

Check out Worldpackers for all volunteer opportunities around the world. Enter promo code BREATHINGTRAVEL at checkout to get USD 10 off the annual membership fee!

Despite its' hippie beginnings, the small town of Pai now thrives on tourism while still offering visitors the chance to kick back and relax.

One of the key attractions is the Tha Pai Hot Springs. These natural hot pools are nestled in the forest and offer a nice contrast to Pai's town center. Of course, you cannot miss the night market referred to as Walking Street.

Pai is famed for its healthy vegetarian cuisine served in many unique laid-back cafes and bars. For those wanting a bit more adventure, there are some amazing waterfalls like Mo Paeng and Pam Bok, the natural phenomena The Land Split and the Pai Canyon. You can easily rent a scooter and drive yourself, traffic is not very heavy around here, but it's a good idea to have a bit of scooter driving practice before you take off!

Related Article: The Ultimate Travel Guide To Pai

Use the morning to have a fantastic breakfast or explore Pai's sleepy center a little bit more. Then you'll continue your northern Thailand itinerary by taking a bus from Pai back to Chiang Mai, again taking roughly four hours.

You will stay in Chiang Mai again for the night but maybe choose your accommodation in a different part of town this time.

I love the area around Nimmanhaemin Road which is usually only referred to as Nimman. There are actually quite a few really cool places to stay at!

Nimman is alive with students and young people as it's close to the Chiang Mai University. Also, the Chiang Mai Zoo and the modern MAYA Shopping Mall which was only opened at the start of 2014 are located here.

MAYA Mall houses a big cinema as well as few cool bars on the rooftop on level 6. The views across to Doi Suthep mountain and over the houses of the otherwise flat town of Chiang Mai are pretty amazing and worth checking out in both day and night time.

Time to explore Chiang Mai and all it has to offer a bit more and get adventurous!

Choose to go on a day trip outside of Chiang Mai, hit the zip-line and fly through the mountains, jump on a whitewater rafting, go on a mountain-biking trip or simply hang by the nearby lake, there is really so much to do in Chiang Mai!

Related Article: The Best Day Trips Out Of Chiang Mai

There are many popular 1 and 2-day trekking tours. And of course, you can opt to trek for longer too if you have the time. Just make sure you don't visit in the humid and hot season as hiking gets pretty though even though you are in the cooler mountain area.

Situated 15 km from Chiang Rai, the exquisite ivory decadence of Wat Rong Khun, also known as the White Temple is definitely a must-see. Continuing the colour theme at the other end of the spectrum visitors can visit Thailand’s Black House (Baan Dam) with its dark structure and decorations made from hundreds of animal antlers, shells and skins.

The Mae Fah Luang Art & Culture Park is another of Chiang Rai’s highlights and includes a museum of artefacts from the surrounding Lanna area, several Buddhist temples and an amazing collection of antique and contemporary art. And yes, there is a daily night bazaar in town too!

Alternatively, could you take a Golden Triangle day tour all the way up to the border where the three countries Thailand, Myanmar and Laos meet. However, I found the tour to be a lot of driving and not seeing enough or what I saw was actually very touristy so I don't think I would do this again.

If you decide to go on a 2-day trek, you will most likely stay at a local hill tribe village in the mountains overnight. Otherwise, there are plenty of options right in town or a little outside as well.

Not right in downtown but there is a free shuttle to the center and therefore Maryo Resort is a beautiful place to stay if you want to relax and be a little away from all the busyness. Or you can rent bikes and cycle around. The staff is super friendly, there's free wifi, 24 hr security and an outdoor pool set between pretty green gardens.

You'll either finish off trekking back to Chiang Rai on your last day or wake up in Chiang Rai to explore more of town.

Finally, jump on a bus back to Chiang Mai in the afternoon and head off to the airport to catch a plane to Bangkok which only takes about one hour.

There are tons of things to do at any time of the day in Bangkok, but in the evenings and at night times the city really comes alive with street vendors, markets, rooftop bars filling up and music blaring. If you're in for having a good time, you'll surely find it here!

Related Article: The 6 Top Sights Not To Miss In Bangkok

There are four main areas where most people stay in Bangkok.

#1 Sukhumvit

Sukhumvit is especially for the partygoers, shoppers and easy access to the Skytrain to get around. Traffic around here is usually pretty heavy as it's quite spread out but then there is always Uber.

Recommended Accommodation in Sukhumvit:

• Splurge in a truly beautifully designed hotel: Volve Hotel Bangkok | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Great mid-range place to stay: Tints of Blue Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Stylish budget accommodation: One Day Hostel | Booking.com | Agoda.com

#2 Siam

Siam is very trendy and highly recommended for power shoppers while the area also has many family-friendly while boasting with even more food choices. It's not a very authentic part of town.

#3 Silom

Silom is considered the financial district, heaps of accommodation options from budget to luxury and the area is quite compact and walkable with the famous red light district/Patpong located here too. Easy access to public transport like both BTS and MRT.

#4 Khao San

As part of the Old City, the area around Khao San Road is packed with many of the main attractions like the Grand Palace, Wat Pho and Chinatown is not far from here either. Many young people and backpackers stay around here. However, there is no public transport connection in form of BTS or MRT and getting to other parts of town can be tricky, especially around rush hour.

Recommended Accommodation around Khao San Road:

• Splurge right on the riverfront: Praya Palazzo Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Mid-range: Nanda Heritage Hotel | Booking.com | Agoda.com
• Great on a budget: Bed Box Khao San | Booking.com | Agoda.com

Are you planning to travel to Northern Thailand anytime soon and still have questions? Shoot me an Email!