Episode 1: https://th.readme.me/p/1948

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Day 4: Mae Kampong Village - Baan Din Johan Homestay

I woke up early this morning to take a shower because I was afraid that the car would pick me up before time. I wouldn't have time to eat breakfast (I'm just greedy).
This morning, my mother made a simple meal as we agreed, which was fried egg with rice. She put the fried egg on top. I asked for only one egg, but what I got was

Fried rice with 3 eggs. Oh my god... I thought I was in a TV champion eating contest. My mom was afraid I wouldn't be full. At that time, I only thought that if I didn't finish it, would they think I was disgusted? But if I finished it, would I burst my stomach? 555. When I ate it, it overflowed, wouldn't it look bad? I thought about it and ate it. I was full and very full when I was halfway through. But because there was so much kindness, I had to eat it in return. Of course, I didn't die. 5555 But I had to move the belt buckle another hole. As soon as I finished eating, the elementary school came to pick me up. It was very punctual. I said goodbye to my mother and Art. I hope to see you again.

Goodbye T_T

The car drove out of the village. Normally, I like to sit with my back bent, but now I'm sitting up straight and proud. The fried egg rice is holding my stomach up. I'm so full.

7:25 AM, I arrived at the Songthaew stop in front of the Sahakorn Market. The Songthaew on this route starts at 7:00 AM and departs every half hour. There was already one Songthaew waiting, and as it started to drizzle, I quickly got on board. We waited only a few minutes before the Songthaew departed, and I enjoyed the cool breeze blowing on my face as we drove.

The cooperative market where the two-row car is parked next to it.

9:00 AM. The bus stops at the entrance of the Arcade Transport Terminal. You need to walk another 200-300 meters. As you walk, you will see the terminal has two sides. The Green Bus to Chiang Rai is on the right side.

I walked to the ticket counter to wait in line to buy a ticket. The earliest ticket was for the 10:10 AM round, which was a VIP bus with 3 seats per row (2 on the left and 1 on the right) for 263 baht. The bus would take 3 hours to reach Chiang Rai Transport. It was actually over my budget because I wanted to take a regular bus, but there was a round at 11:00 AM. I was too lazy to wait. Besides, I had to make time because I had to change buses several times today.

This car, sir. Brand new.

Inside the car, it's very comfortable to sit.

Once the bus starts moving, a staff member will come around to ask each passenger for their destination. For those of us going to the old bus station, we should get off at the Old Bus Station stop.

13.10 p.m. Arrived at the old Chiang Rai Transport Station. As soon as I got off, I saw a small, dark green bus in front of me. It was a bus with a sign that said "Chiang Rai - Mae Sai".

I rushed to ask. When I got the answer that it was through Mae Chan district, I immediately ran to get my things and got into the car to sit.

Wow... so narrow. I hope it's not crowded. I don't know where to put my knees.

Sitting here suffering, it's a fan car, running in the rain, I have to close the windows, but you guys don't turn on the fan, are you afraid I'll get cold? You're so hot...

But it was a bit of a hype, because after a while, the driver played some Mor Lam music. Oh... the atmosphere was great. After a while, the bus conductor walked around shaking the ticket box, tapping, tapping, tapping, to collect the 20 baht fare (depending on the distance).

2:10 PM. Arrive at Mae Chan Market. Tell the driver to stop at the shared taxi stand for Mae Salong, which is less than 100 meters past the market. It's an easy walk.

I walked and found a dark green songthaew (shared taxi) with the route Chiang Rai - Kiew Sai - Mae Salong. After asking, I found out that this round would only go as far as the Kiew Sai parking lot and would not go to the village of Lo Yo. In fact, I would have to change to another car at Kiew Sai. If I waited for the next round, it would be the one that passed through Lo Yo village and went to the final destination at Mae Salong, but there was a risk that if there were few passengers, the car might not leave. So I took this round. Normally, if I went down to the front of Lo Yo village, I would have to call Johan, the owner of the accommodation, to pick me up at the entrance of the village in the morning. But today, Johan happened to be running errands, so we arranged to meet him at the Kiew Sai parking lot. After waiting for a while, the car left on time. The fare was 30 baht and the journey took about an hour.

3:30 PM. Arrived at the Kiw Mae Sai bus stop, a small bus stop like those commonly seen in rural areas.

My stomach was growling so loudly because I hadn't eaten lunch yet, so I decided to grab a bite at the food stall near the bus stop. It's a simple pork noodle soup shop, and a bowl costs only 30 baht.

It's pork ball noodles, but they're buried underneath. I was surprised when I first saw it, I thought it was just noodles (I secretly call it the "hidden pork noodle" menu) lol.

I hadn't finished eating my noodles when Johan arrived. From here to the village of Lo and the accommodation is about 20 minutes away. The view is beautiful all the way, but I didn't take any pictures, haha.

After a while, we arrived at the accommodation, put our things away, and sat on the mat to enjoy the view from the balcony. There are 8 rooms in total on 2 floors, 4 rooms on each floor. The upper floor is a shared bathroom room for 400 baht per night, while the lower floor is a room with a private bathroom for 500 baht per night. All rooms have fans, so don't worry about being hot. It's cool all the time. Since they are currently renovating the accommodation on the lower floor, only the upper floor is available. The lower floor will be ready in time for the high season this year, but it doesn't matter because we are ready for anything right now.

After finishing packing, I asked Johan for a mat to spread on the common balcony to sit and enjoy the view in front. Oh.....it's so cool, the weather is so good.....Johan excused himself to go work on decorating the room downstairs first.

After a short nap, it was already evening. The fog that was on the mountain in front of me was now quickly moving towards our accommodation. In just a moment, it was all around me. This was the first time I had ever seen fog moving and embracing my body. Usually, I would just see it filling up the space. I was so excited!

I sat excitedly until dinner time and then I was excited again because the food that was served looked unfamiliar but very interesting. Because the food here is prepared in a set of Khantoke for each meal, there is no ordering by the plate. The food depends on what the accommodation will make, which is mostly vegetables and rice, which will come from the garden that they grow themselves. It's very fresh. And this is today's food.

The food was so beautiful and local. I asked the waiter for almost ten minutes before I ordered. I really liked it and it was delicious. The taste was rich and not bland as I was worried. Huh? Or maybe my tongue has adjusted to the local taste ^^ I believe that many people have never eaten this kind of food before. Seeing this, I had to let this meal open up my taste buds. Hehe. After dinner, I sat down for a while and then went to take a shower. Johan let me use the bathroom in the room downstairs because the bathroom in my room was already finished. When I saw it, I thought it would be very beautiful and comfortable to stay in when it was finished. The materials are all natural. The bed is made of bamboo and the bathroom is made of earth and bamboo. It's so beautiful. I'll find time to come back when it's finished next time.

After taking a shower, I sat on the balcony as usual, taking notes, listening to music, and enjoying the cool air. I chatted with Johan for a while before going to bed, exhausted from the long journey.

My room here

The rooms here are made entirely of earth. The furniture is made of bamboo from the village, and the walls are decorated with colorful bottles instead of beautiful mosaic glass. Very creative, designed by Johan himself. After taking a shower, I found the room exactly as I wanted it to be.

Good night for now.

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Day 5: Johan's Earthen House Homestay

I woke up this morning and took a shower. It was sooooooo cold because I don't have a water heater.
But after I finished showering, I felt really warm. I guess my blood was pumping. It felt good...

Is this breakfast for today? Looks delicious!

The meal consisted of Akha chili paste with boiled vegetables, boiled Maew bean pods with pork, stir-fried pork with eggs and chili, and hot mountain rice. To finish, we had tea served in a bamboo tube. Overall, it was delicious. After lunch, we went for a walk around the small, compact village. This is "Loi Yo Village".

Pigsty + vegetable garden of the villagers here. See the roof, that's the pigsty.

The chickens are also raised free-range, their bodies are so firm. It's so tempting...hehe.

Surrounding views

The small village has only a few houses.

Two dogs from the shelter followed us and ended up biting someone's pet dog.

I met an Akha man walking by and he smiled at me, so I asked for permission to take a picture. His eyes were so sweet and charming. ^_^

There are shared taxis that come here, but they are chartered by tourists.

This group, oh my… food for the eyes ^^

The owner of the handmade souvenir shop, a model here..... Props are full.

Flowers by the wayside

And then we came back to have lunch, which included pumpkin soup, clear soup with kale, minced pork salad, and Akha chili paste with fresh vegetables.

Crunchy, crunchy, crunchy, and delicious!

In the afternoon, I sat reading a book, listening to music, and the new friends I walked around with earlier were these two dogs.
The big one is named Rambo, the small one is named Abandoned. I guess they were afraid that the guests would be lonely, so they came to lie down near me all the time. ^__^

After a delicious lunch, we took some photos around the accommodation.

The photos of the accommodation were taken from a distance.

Note: The original text is already in English, so no translation is necessary.

The surrounding atmosphere

The kitchenware, judging from the color around the container, indicates a wealth of experience, the tools of deliciousness.

The museum that Johan built here (forgot to take a picture inside, oops)

Actually, the activities here include a tour of Mae Salong and a hike, but I don't really feel like going anywhere. I'd rather find a place to sit and read a book, listen to music, and just relax. So I'm going to sit on this balcony. The view is so nice, it makes me want to take a nap.

The sun was shining brightly a moment ago, but now it's raining heavily. There's some fog, but it's not very thick and it's not flowing into the accommodation like yesterday. I can't help but be excited again ^^

During the day, Johan would come and chat with us periodically when he was free. However, it seemed that he was really busy as he was rushing to get the accommodation ready in time for the high season in October.
And then it was time for dinner, for which I was asked to help out as a kitchen hand for Johan's parents, who were the chefs.

Here's my dinner: stir-fried pumpkin from the mountains (I thought it was papaya at first), it's delicious; minced pork omelet; stir-fried tofu with herbs (this one is very delicious).

After eating, I took a shower and continued to sit on the balcony to take notes as usual. After a while, Johan and his friends came to sit and chat until late at night before saying goodbye and going to sleep. From my conversation with Johan, I could see his strong determination to make this accommodation a success. His eyes were full of determination throughout our conversation. Johan would always share his ideas about decorating the accommodation, asking how guests would like it if they did things a certain way. He also said that if customers had any ideas, they could share them, as he wanted to get a variety of perspectives.

After a while, I went to bed. Good night, Handsome Village.

As for the expenses, I will pay them all at once tomorrow when I check out.

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Day 6 : Homestay Baan Din Johan - Pai

I woke up to take a shower in the cool air and the cool water was so refreshing. Today I have to make time because I have to travel several times to catch the bus to Pai not too late because I didn't book accommodation. I have to allow time to walk in to find accommodation for 2-3 places.

After finishing breakfast, which I shared with Johan, I paid the bill and we set off. A little while later, Johan's mother brought out a bracelet she had woven from local fabric and materials. I told her I would take it to my mother, and when she heard that, she gave me another one to wear on my wrist. Johan's mother then tied the bracelet I had chosen onto my wrist herself, while speaking in the Akha language, which I didn't understand. But from her eyes and the way she hugged me goodbye, I could tell it was a blessing. Johan translated it for me later, and it was a blessing for something.

At 8.10 am, Johan drove his car to park and wait for a ride to the Kiew Sai Tai bus station. During this time, Johan would wait as a friend until he got a car. After waiting for 20 minutes, the car arrived.

The songthaew, a vibrant orange vehicle, plied the route between Tha Ton and Mae Salong. After a short while, it arrived at the Kiew Sai Tai bus stop, where it paused for a mere five minutes to pick up passengers before continuing its journey to Tha Ton. The fare for this leg of the trip was 50 baht.

After traveling for almost an hour, we arrived at Tha Ton Pier. From here, we had to take a shared taxi to Fang District. As soon as we arrived, the car was about to leave, so we hurried up and put our bags on the car. The car we took was a yellow shared taxi, Fang-Tha Ton route. From here, the car will run for almost another hour. The fare is 23 baht.

At 10:40 am, I arrived at the Fang bus station. The bus was parked prominently in front of me. It was an orange Chiang Mai-Tha Ton bus, a fan bus. The 11:00 am round trip cost 80 baht and took me to the Chang Phuak bus station in Chiang Mai. The journey took almost 3 hours.

There will be checkpoints along the way, approximately 3-4 points.

2:25 PM. Arrived at Chang Phuak Bus Terminal. I rushed off the bus and headed to the front of the terminal.
I boarded a red songthaew that was waiting there to go to the Arcade Bus Terminal. The fare was 10 baht.

2:50 PM. The bus will arrive at the Arcade Transport Station. You can walk to buy a Prem Pracha van ticket to Pai. The ticket booth is a small shop opposite the Prem Pracha bus stop. It's beautiful, clean, air-conditioned, and you can wait inside. But now I'm hungry, so I'm eating noodles next to the ticket booth. The earliest bus is at 3:30 PM. The fare is 150 baht.

3:30 PM. The bus departed with a full load of passengers. On the way, it rained heavily, making me a little nervous because the road to Pai is full of curves. It's going to be a fun ride.

7:00 PM. Arrived in Pai. The bus will stop at the Prem Pracha Transport Station in the middle of the Walking Street. Get off the bus and turn left from the bus stop to find your accommodation. Walk to the end of the Walking Street and turn right for another 50 meters until you reach Villa de Pai. There are 3 types of rooms here: Dorm for 80 baht per night, Bungalow inside for 300 baht per night, and Bungalow by the river for 400 baht per night. I chose the room by the river because it has a better view. You pay for the accommodation when you check in. The room has a private bathroom, fan, TV, and most importantly, a hammock ^^

After packing my things, I went out to find something simple to eat. I ended up at a boat noodle shop. I slurped down something hot, refreshing, and full-bodied. This bowl of small, beef, waterfall noodles for 40 baht was hardcore. The blood... it was intense.

After finishing, I stopped by for a refreshing drink at this shop, "Pra-Thom 1". Previously, this shop was All about coffee, but it has recently changed owners while still maintaining the original decoration style.
I ordered a mango+lime smoothie for 50 baht. It was very concentrated and refreshing.

After enjoying a leisurely drink, it was time to head back to the hotel. As I walked through the night market, I didn't pay much attention to anything, thinking I could come back tomorrow.

After arriving at the accommodation, I took a shower and then lay down to swing on the hammock and play. After a while, I fell asleep.

Good Night

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Day 7-10 : Pai

I want to sleep in late today because I don't have any plans to visit Pai. I've already been there last year. During my 6 days in Pai, I didn't do much. I rented a bicycle and rode around, ate, slept in a hammock, listened to music, and read books. I won't be reviewing Pai day by day, but I'll share some photos from day 7 to day 10. ^^

Additional photos of the accommodation taken during the day

A private bed in the room, no one to搶, perfect for reading books.

The house where I stayed.

The lawn is right next to the accommodation. The thick trees are the Pai River.

This is a list of restaurants that I visited and took photos of.

Pai Siam Restaurant on Walking Street

Madame Ju Coffee Shop

Located at the same intersection as NONG BEER restaurant, directly opposite each other. Beautifully decorated in a vintage style.

Medio de pai Restaurant

i'p Burger & Grill

From the walking street, enter Soi Wan Chalerm for just 5 meters. The shop is on the left hand side. You can actually see it from the walking street. The menu I ordered at first was the ostrich burger, but it was sold out, so I changed it to the crocodile burger.
I've never eaten this kind of meat before, so I tried it. I ordered it with a can of Coke for 105 baht.

After trying it, it was delicious. It didn't smell bad, it wasn't tough, it wasn't greasy, I don't want it anymore. Oh, just kidding... It's delicious, I like it.

"First Grade" Shop

The name has changed from the original shop, All About Coffee. I like the strong drinks here.

This is a concentrated beetroot smoothie, I was surprised when it was served, I thought it was blood.

Lemon Thyme cafe

Located right next to Villa De Pai, it's a small and lovely shop.

Highly recommend this menu: mango + passion fruit smoothie. It's thick and satisfying, with passion fruit seeds for a crunchy bite. Delicious and fun for your teeth!

The atmosphere while walking or cycling during the day

This city is perfect for cycling, there's so much to see. I really love my "Art City". ^_^

This is the most important landmark for people who come here, it's the walking street.

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Day 11 : Pai

After staying for 5 days, the money ran out, so I had to plan to return the next day. Yesterday, I called to book a bus ticket from Nakhonchai Air at 1624. They will inform the booking number for us to pay at 7-11. I booked the 12.05 pm round, arriving in Bangkok at 9.30 pm. It's First Class, priced at 778 baht, but there was a promotion at that time, so I got a discount of 150 baht, which is equal to the price of a van from Pai to Chiang Mai. Hehe. Oh... this price does not include the service charge that you pay at the counter service for another 25 baht.

Then I cycled to pay for the Nakhonchai Air ticket, which I had to keep the receipt slip to submit at the Nakhonchai Air counter at the Akhet Transport tomorrow.

I have booked a Prem Pracha van ticket back to Chiang Mai for tomorrow at 7:00 AM. The ticket costs 150 baht. I will keep the slip for you to show when you board the van tomorrow.

This is the travel schedule of the Prem Pracha van from Pai.

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Day 12 : Pai - Chiang Mai - Bangkok

I woke up early in the morning, took a shower, packed the rest of my things, and walked out to hang the key on the door at the counter of the accommodation.

Grabbed some rice porridge for 30 baht to fill my stomach before heading out. An empty stomach can lead to motion sickness on the road.

7.00 a.m. Departure

10.00 a.m. Arrive at the Arcade Transport Station. Walk to a small coffee shop in front of the Nakhonchai company to leave your luggage.
However, as there was still some time left, I went out to find coffee at the mall next door. After sitting and drinking coffee at Vavi Coffee for a while, I walked back to the Nakhonchai ticket counter. Show the receipt slip to confirm and receive the actual ticket. Then I went to pick up the luggage I had left. The deposit fee was 20 baht.

12.05 p.m. The bus departed. On the way, there will be 1 meal provided. This is because Nakhonchai buses do not stop for lunch like other companies.

Inside the bus

The food is ready for you.

10:30 PM. Arrived in Bangkok. In the late-night car, I turned on some upbeat music. This is the way to go. ^ ^

During the rainy season, I was able to enjoy myself so much. Now that it's the cold season, let's try it out. Find some free time to relax your body, breathe fresh air, and try traveling like this. Along the way, there are many things to see and find.

This trip is now complete. I hope this information will be useful for those who are looking for places to visit in the north.

See you on the next trip, thank you.