Wanderlust Travel Magazine (UK)
Northern Thailand Highlights
1
Chiang Mai
Capital of the north with a walled old town at its hear and hidden pockets of ancient culture to explore.
2
Pha Mon
The most authenticfeeling settlement on the trek through far-flung mountains near the Burmese border.
Food & drink
Typical Lanna (North Thai) dishes are milder than southern food, with meat (specially pork) curries, steamed veg and deep-fried things, always served with sticky rice. More familiar Thai food is ubiquitous in the cities; many restaurants assume that foreigners don’t like it too hot; if this is not the case, ask for ‘local spicy’.
In the hilltribe villages, you will be served rice and a variety of simple
3
Tham Lod Caves
A vast network of limestone passages and cathedral-sized caverns hung with stalactites, accessed via rafts on a subterranean river. Now a major tourist attraction.
4 Hloyo
A welcoming village where Akha culture thrives in dramatic mountain scenery.
5
Baan Suan Pa Forest
Inspiring projects replacing deforestation and opium with sustainable agriculture and responsible tourism.
6
Chiang Rai
A small, relaxed riverside city with the gleaming white Wat Rong Khun temple and a fizzing night market. dishes including pork and veg, and also often offered ‘whisky’, the strong locally-distilled rice spirit.
Further reading & information
Thailand (Lonely Planet, 2020)
Fieldwork by Mischa Berlinski. (Farrar, Straus & Giroux Inc, 2007) novel set in Northern Thailand.
www.tourismthailand.org
– official tourist website.
Exotic birds are profuse in the forests. Look out for the outlandishlooking great hornbill with its bright yellow head and 1.5m wingspan.
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