Quote:
Originally Posted by bigsurbanjo
we're traveling from Bankok up to Chang Rai and doing a loop through Pye with a 2 and 5 year old. we need help with some basic logistics.
best places up north to do activities like elephant rides, river boat trip (rafting), trek with kids and other kid friendly activities.
also need to know best way to get from place to place (bus, train, rental car) we were thinking overnight train to Chang Mai - rent a car to do loop.
thanks in advance.
Cary and Jana  |
Hi Cary & Jana,
It might be easier to fly to either Chiang Rai or Chiang Mai. Bus to Chiang Mai is usually an overnight trip [same with the train] but you can also do both during the day. Buses are cheapest but some aren't that safe [in my humble opinion] due to maintenance and the other lemming on the road. The bus is 10 hours and the train is 12 hours - a long day's journey into night or a long night's journey into day.
Check out Nok Air. About the same cost [getting discount tickets] and only one hour. Also Air Asia. Both are inexpensive - a bit more than either bus or train but quicker and safer.
The activities you're interested in participating in are easily available in Chiang Mai which caters to tourists. I don't think you'll find all that many from Chaing Rai but I may be wrong. I've done trekking into the jungle, rafting and walked through an opium field after riding an elephant. There are over a dozen hill tribes you can visit - probably one of the better, given the age of your children, are up on Doi Suthep. I forget which hill tribe but they are worth a visit. You can even see a photo of Sylvester Stallone in one of the huts - he made one of his Rambo movies in that area! Chiang Mai has much more to offer a visitor that Chiang Rai but you can take a side trip there - and even to the NE corner of Thailand where it joins Myanmar and Laos. In fact you can go into Myanmar [Burma] it's just a short walk across the "Friendship Bridge". There is a fee but can't remember how much.
Serendipity2