Vos recommandations pour 20 jours en Thaïlande

Like in any country that developed its infrastructure long after ours, as soon as you leave the well-trodden paths, it quickly turns into an adventure.
Lots of roads are really narrow, and there are plenty of spots where it’s not safe to stop to take the photo you want.
On top of that, some sections have terrifying slopes. Hard to say if it’s 15%, 20%, or more since, in that region, they apparently only have signs showing 8% It’s especially tight in Pai. The hotel we chose was only accessible via a rough path perched several meters above the rice fields. You could barely make a three-point turn, and there were few places where two cars could pass each other.I don’t want to paint too grim a picture—after all, we managed to visit everything and made it back alive.

Awesome, that’s my favorite!
(Not Pai, which seems a bit too touristy...)
But after all, the driver has to like it too...

Places that match what you seem to like:-Soppong/Pang Mapha (known by both names). An area for hiking (on your own or with a guided trek) and kayaking. There’s also a famous large cave nearby. Easy access to Soppong from Chiang Mai with Prempracha minivans: premprachatransports.com/...o5eHFKa3lVD1dpcUtFeQ== — they now have a monopoly on this route (the bus no longer runs). Cave Lodge (www.cavelodge.com/...mmodation/index.html) is the most well-known accommodation in the area, with reasonably priced bungalows ranging from 300-800 baht depending on comfort, and they organize outdoor activities. The food is the usual bland guesthouse fare, so it’s better to eat at one of the 3-4 small eateries in the village, just 30 meters away—it’ll be half the price and tastier. To get there from the minivan drop-off in Soppong, take a motorbike taxi; all drivers know the place, which is 7-8 km away.
Other family-run guesthouses also offer accommodation and trekking, but they’re hard to find online. You’ll see ads near the minivan stop.Mae Hong Son, the capital of the province with the same name. Ideal for trekking, white-water sports, and visiting nearby villages by songthaew (which you can rent for the day or take the infrequent regular ones). Plenty of accommodations and trekking agencies, with tourism but not too touristy. Getting there from Chiang Mai is similar to Soppong. Two comfortable night buses also connect Mae Hong Son and Bangkok, passing through Mae Sariang but not Chiang Mai.Mae Salong: a long, narrow village with a large Chinese population (and for good reason—I’ll let you figure out why). Great for day hikes (or scooter trips if you can find one) to smaller surrounding villages. A few places to stay, including two right across from each other (and next to the songthaew stop):
-Shin Sane Guesthouse, which I’ve seen there for over 30 years. It’s been modernized and even moved slightly, but the (Chinese) staff remain efficient yet indifferent. Around 500-600 baht.
-Little Home Guesthouse, which I now prefer. Bungalows in a lush garden. Around 600-700 baht.
To get there from Chiang Rai, take a bus to Mae Sai or Chiang Saen, get off at Mae Chan, and then take one of the 4-5 daily songthaews to Mae Salong.
From Chiang Mai, you’ll first need to take a bus (4.5 hours) to Tha Thon (a highly recommended village, but it doesn’t fit your criteria), then one of the 3 daily songthaews to Mae Salong.Chiang Rai. I assume you’ve already read a lot about this city and the sights around it. It’s more laid-back than Chiang Mai. The best area to stay is near Wat Jet Yot. Be careful—there are two bus terminals: Terminal 2, on the outskirts, where buses to other provinces depart, and Terminal 1 in the city center (a 10-minute walk from Wat Jet Yot), where buses to other destinations in the same province leave (and sometimes Greenbus buses to Chiang Mai).Nan. The coolest (and my favorite) provincial capital in the north: compact, wide streets, bike lanes, bike rentals from the municipality (and from AirAsia at the airport), little car traffic, unique temples not to miss, minimal tourism (mostly Thai and only on weekends), plenty of accommodations starting at 600-700 baht (book ahead if it’s the weekend), and a stunning province to explore by car with a driver* (limited public transport north of Nan).
To get there: one daily a/c2 bus from Chiang Rai (5 hours), half a dozen a/c1 buses from Chiang Mai, many minivans from Phrae (some from Den Chai train station), and numerous a/c1, VIP buses, and low-cost flights from Bangkok. Other routes are available too.*To find a driver, ask at the official T.A.T. office or the other one—they’re both on the same street as Wat Phumin.Note: In Soppong, Mae Hong Son, Tha Thon, and Mae Salong (and elsewhere during treks in the north), nights in January and February can be chilly (25-30°C difference between day and night). Bring a sweater—it’ll also come in handy on air-conditioned night buses and trains.Photos of the countryside around Mae Salong, Nan, and Soppong are in this thread: voyageforum.com/...ilandaise-d10760313/I’ll be back later with answers to other questions.

Sukhothai could be an option, but since you’ll have already seen the ruins at Ayutthaya and seem to want to stay in the north, I think you can skip it.I haven’t been to any of the three. Marien33 visited Doi Inthanon earlier this year and seemed disappointed—if they don’t reply here, check their current travel journal.You say "a trek" in Switzerland?
The bolded part might be an issue unless you’ve got a well-stocked wallet. Typically, "group" treks have 4 to 5-6 participants plus guides. Either way, to avoid jungle walks falsely sold as "treks" just because the term is trendy, don’t pick one that’s shorter than 3 days/2 nights. For the same reason, avoid any treks that include car rides*, elephant riding, bamboo rafting, or similar gimmicks.
*However, it’s normal for the trip from a city to the actual trek starting point—and back at the end—to be by songthaew.I hate Pai for multiple reasons.Jojoone1:It might be worth it if you dedicate at least 10-12 days (without Pai).I know the town—I’ve stopped there four times, for one to three nights. I’ve also traveled Route 105 (and some of the villages along it) from Mae Sariang to Mae Sot, once in each direction.Samut Songkhram, more commonly called Maeklong. The market’s fun, but you won’t be the only tourist there ... I did it by taking the train independently, which isn’t easy (two different local lines plus a short ferry crossing between them—it took me half a day just for the round trip, but I couldn’t imagine arriving at a rail market by road...).
Photos from the first train ride here: voyageforum.com/...quotidien-d10777060/ I’ll post the second train ride and some market shots soon...No.
It’s super touristy, and it hasn’t been a real market for a long time. Only opens on weekend afternoons. Book your accommodation (overpriced compared to elsewhere) at least two weeks in advance.
What I found way more interesting in Amphawa was the King Rama II Memorial Park... though almost no one goes there.Jojoone1:+1.

Thanks so much, Thierry, for your super detailed replies. I’ve got plenty to read and study tonight.No, it’s also a trek here. I don’t know why I wrote "une". 🤦‍♀️

Thanks for all the different links on VF. Unfortunately, the site is bugging again—I can’t open the links. I’ll try again tomorrow.

Hello,
Maybe a few leads here or thereMy message is coming in pretty late because things were glitching like crazy +++ and I couldn’t post a reply on your thread 😡😡😡

Great, some reading for the weekend! :) Thanks Jean-Marie.

Hi everyone,We’re back after spending three weeks in Thailand. Thanks to all of you for your many tips. We discovered beautiful things, saw stunning landscapes, and really appreciated the kindness of the Thai people.To our great delight, we were also able to observe animals in their natural habitat. Lots of birds—the Thale Noi Lake is especially a paradise for birdwatchers—water buffaloes, swimming monkeys, langur monkeys and gibbons, countless bats, lizards, monitor lizards (including a very large and beautiful one in Lamru National Park), thousands of colorful fish, and even a small shark!We mainly got around using private taxi drivers, private boats, tuk-tuks in the city, a domestic flight, and the overnight train between Ayutthaya and Chiang Mai. No regrets there—everything went smoothly, the drivers were always on time, and incredibly kind. The overnight train was a great experience.Our highlights:Koh Ngai Islandthe Thale Noi Lake in the Phattalung region, especially the early morning boat ridethe Chiang Mai area, where we took several small excursions, including two days in the mountains in a non-touristy spot with a Karen guidethe boat trip to see the swimming monkeys between Bang Tabun and Bang Chakrengthe Khmer temples in Ayutthayathe day on Cheow Lan Lakethe day around Laem Sack with dinner on a *krachang* in Phang Nga Bayour snorkeling spots, the feeling of being in a giant aquariumWe also enjoyed:our two nights in Tup Keak, which is definitely the best option for the beach and sightseeing in this very touristy regionthe little detour to Khao Nai Luana Dharma ParkBangkok for two days was also interestingWhat we liked less or not at all:disrespectful tourists in some places, but this is a general issue, not just in Thailandthe railway market in Samut Songkhram—too touristy, but we knew that going inKhao San Road in Bangkok isn’t really our thingour last night in Khao Lak—practical before an international flight from Phuket, but this kind of beach resort really isn’t for us. Luckily, we found less touristy things to do, like Lamru National Park with its monitor lizards and beautiful little beach.It was a varied trip and perfect in terms of pace for us. The fact that we’re early risers is a definite advantage. Very few people at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, and also very few at Wat Phra Doi Suthep, Cheow Lan Lake—our boat was one of the first to leave, we were alone in front of the famous three rocks, and as a result, we were ahead of the other boats all day.I’m not sure if I’ll have the energy to put together a more detailed travel journal—the fact that the forum isn’t very active is a real deterrent for finding the motivation.Thanks again to everyone!

Hi there,I hope you were at least there when a train actually passed. And by the way, did you go by train or by road?No pressure—there’s someone I know who’s been on forums for nearly 30 years and still hasn’t managed a proper travel journal...

Thanks Carmen (what a pretty name!) for this feedback.That’s also why I won’t be writing a new journal. And yet, I already have so much to share from this second trip, which was already so different from the last one...! But I have a problem with silent crowds... And I don’t like soliloquizing. I already talk to myself enough in my daily life...
As far back as the ancient origins of forums go, they’ve always been a place for exchanges and sharing ideas—not a place where a crowd listens to one person talking without ever responding. That’s got another Latin name, too...