When we arrived in Thailand, we'd been on the road for over seven months and our energy level and enthusiasm had decreased quite a bit. We weren't ready to go home yet but we did start counting the days.
The first stop on our two week tour of Thailand was Chiang Mai in the north of the country.
We stayed at a great hotel in Chiang Mai. It was an oasis of calm in the bustling city. We took lots of time to just hang out at the hotel and we loved not having to navigate or negotiate or do anything else that would strain our weary brains.
When we ventured out of the hotel, the best thing we did by far was to have a traditional Thai massage. Thai massages are much stronger than North American massages and they can leave you feeling worse rather than better if they're too strong. Lucky for us we found a great spa where they knew how to create a relaxing atmosphere and we got two awesome massage therapists who got the strength of the massages just right.
Our only adventurous activity in Chiang Mai was a zip-lining trip. We were in a very international group of tourists and we had a great time roaring high above the jungle.
We didn't do a lot of sightseeing in Chiang Mai because we were both feeling under the weather but we did visit a couple of wats (Buddhist temples).
Our stay in Chiang Mai was good but we couldn't help but think ahead to our next stop - four days on the beach in south Thailand. A holiday from our holiday was just what we needed!
Vanessa and Blake
The first stop on our two week tour of Thailand was Chiang Mai in the north of the country.
We stayed at a great hotel in Chiang Mai. It was an oasis of calm in the bustling city. We took lots of time to just hang out at the hotel and we loved not having to navigate or negotiate or do anything else that would strain our weary brains.
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| We spent lots of time hanging out by the pool |
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| The area around the pool looks even better at night |
When we ventured out of the hotel, the best thing we did by far was to have a traditional Thai massage. Thai massages are much stronger than North American massages and they can leave you feeling worse rather than better if they're too strong. Lucky for us we found a great spa where they knew how to create a relaxing atmosphere and we got two awesome massage therapists who got the strength of the massages just right.
Our only adventurous activity in Chiang Mai was a zip-lining trip. We were in a very international group of tourists and we had a great time roaring high above the jungle.
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| We've got our gear on and we're ready for action |
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| Holding on is optional |
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| Dancers always point their toes no matter what they're doing |
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| Rope bridges connected some of the zip-line stations |
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| A self-portrait as we zipped between the trees |
We didn't do a lot of sightseeing in Chiang Mai because we were both feeling under the weather but we did visit a couple of wats (Buddhist temples).
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| Large statues of Buddha dominate each of the wats in Chiang Mai |
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| The inside of the wats are very colourful |
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| There are life-like statues of monks throughout the wats |
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| Vanessa and Buddha |
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| Vanessa had a good chat with a monk about what a monk's life is like |
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| It was a hot day and everyone was looking for shade |
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| Tuk tuks are the easiest and cheapest way to get around town |
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| Us trying to look relaxed in the back of a speeding tuk tuk |
Our stay in Chiang Mai was good but we couldn't help but think ahead to our next stop - four days on the beach in south Thailand. A holiday from our holiday was just what we needed!
Vanessa and Blake
