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Chiang Mai Archive
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Advice if You’re Moving to Chiang Mai
Posted on May 8, 2013 | 1 CommentI recently wrote a big long email worth of tips for someone about to move to Chiang Mai. It’s stuff that’s applicable to most people so I thought I’d repeat a slightly edited version of it here. This is a bit of brain dump but hopefully it makes sense. ... -
Magic Travel Blog – Trip Update 4
Posted on December 21, 2012 | 5 CommentsPriorities are a funny business. They are often so muddled and difficult to sort out. But then, once in a while, something cuts through it all and your priorities become clear. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Trip update 3 left off with us in Sihanoukville, Cambodia. We had just... -
We Need A Home Base
Posted on November 9, 2012 | 12 CommentsOver the last year Tanya and I have travelled through Malaysia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Taiwan. Right now we’re back in Australia with our families enjoying the Australian summer and looking forward to a baking hot Christmas. We’re also in the process of planning for next year. Think About The... -
Magic Travel Blog – Trip Update 2
Posted on August 10, 2012 | 2 CommentsThis entry is part 2 of 3 in the series Magic Travel Blog Trip Updates Time for Magic Travel Blog’s Trip Update 2! It has been about six weeks since we last did an update. Our first update was from Kuala Lumpur all the way through Malaysia, into Thailand, up... -
Nagi of Mekong Slow Boat Cruise From Chiang Khong to Luang Prabang – Pre Day 1
Posted on June 20, 2012 | 6 CommentsThis entry is part 1 of 4 in the series Nagi of Mekong Slowboat CruiseThe two day Nagi of Mekong Slow Boat Cruise from Huay Xai to Luang Prabang in Laos lasted about 2 and a half weeks! It all started when we were researching options for getting from Chiang... -
How to get from Chiang Khong, Thailand to Luang Prabang, Laos easily.
Posted on June 18, 2012 | 6 CommentsHeading to Luang Prabang, Laos from Chiang Mai or Chiang Khong, Thailand is fairly typical for most travellers these days. Why go to one country when you can visit two on your holidays! There are many ways to reach Luang Prabang in Laos from Chiang Khong or Chiang Mai in... -
How to get from Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai easily
Posted on June 6, 2012 | 6 CommentsHow exciting! We were finally going to Chiang Rai. And stopping there for a few days. This is how we did it. Chiang Rai is just over three hours north of Chiang Mai. We have gone through Chiang Rai a number of times when doing visa runs to Tachilek in... -
Mae Hong Son Loop Day 7 – Pai to Chiang Mai
Posted on June 3, 2012 | 3 CommentsThis entry is part 8 of 9 in the series Mae Hong Son Loop Time to leave the hippie mecca that is Pai and return to Chiang Mai. Supposedly there are 762 curves between the two towns. We talked about stopping somewhere along the way but, looking at the map,... -
Mae Hong Son Loop Day 1 – Chiang Mai to Mae Chaem
Posted on May 21, 2012 | No CommentsThis entry is part 2 of 9 in the series Mae Hong Son Loop The big day has finally arrived! We woke up early, checked out of the fairly nasty place where we spent our last night in town and headed to Mr Mechanic to pick up the motorcycle that... -
Mae Hong Son Loop Preparations
Posted on May 20, 2012 | 3 CommentsThis entry is part 1 of 9 in the series Mae Hong Son Loop The Mae Hong Son loop is a well known motorcycle tour of north west Thailand. It includes the towns Chiang Mai, Pai, Mae Hong Son, an assortment of smaller towns and villages and takes you through... -
Malaysia to Japan – Trip Update 1
Posted on May 18, 2012 | 4 CommentsThis entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Magic Travel Blog Trip UpdatesOh my. The photo above was taken so long ago! It was a self portrait taken out front of the Perth International Airport in Western Australia. Back on the 1st November 2011. We have both changed... -
Chiang Mai Motorbike Rental
Posted on May 16, 2012 | 2 CommentsA motorcycle, big or small, is a great way to get around Chiang Mai. The traffic is, of course, a little dangerous but having your own transport really comes in handy. No more arguing with tuk-tuk drivers or wondering where all the songteaws are at 11pm when you’re trying to... -
Muay Thai Fight Night In Chiang Mai
Posted on May 14, 2012 | 1 Comment“Tonight!!!!!! Proooooooofesssionallll Thai Boxingggggg!” That is what you hear every evening coming from the car that has been decked out with fancy speakers and playing very loud and crazy Muay Thai music. Flyers are also distributed at every corner in the tourist district of Chiang Mai. If you are sitting... -
Khao Soi Gai – Chiang Mai’s Curry Noodles
Posted on May 13, 2012 | 1 CommentThe above is a photo of Khao Soi Gai that we ate often when staying in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The meal consists of some rich brown gravy, softened egg noodles, a chicken leg, topped with crispy fried egg noodles. It all comes with a mixture of pickled vegetables, a... -
The Cost of Living in Chiang Mai, Thailand – A Monthly Break Down
Posted on May 11, 2012 | 14 CommentsThe below is how much it cost us to live in Chiang Mai, Thailand for a full calendar month. From the 7th February 2012 to the 7th March 2012. There are many apartments on offer in Chiang Mai. Some that are a lot cheaper than the one that we stayed... -
Chiang Mai Accommodation – Ban Jed Yod Review
Posted on May 9, 2012 | 9 CommentsHeading to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand for a month or longer? Check out Ban Jed Yod in the Chet Yod/Jed Yod area of the north western part of Chiang Mai. We loved it here. It is safe to say that if we were to go back to Chiang Mai... -
Thai BBQ – All you can eat BBQ meat for 99 Baht
Posted on May 7, 2012 | 8 CommentsAll you can eat BBQ meat for only 99 Baht each. Who could say no to that? We certainly couldn’t. After all, 99 Baht is only around $3 and it is all you can eat meat! Thailand’s version of a barbeque can not be missed. It is a social... -
Chiang Mai Walking Markets – Shop Till You Drop
Posted on May 6, 2012 | No CommentsIf you are coming to Chiang Mai, bring money and a big bag. The shopping in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand is unbelievably good. And, mostly cheap. We have highlighted what we believe to be the best places for all things plus an added ultra touristy market for good measure.... -
Teeth Whitening in Chiang Mai Thailand
Posted on May 2, 2012 | 2 CommentsI just had my teeth whitened. It might be slightly vain but while we’re in Thailand and have access to significantly cheaper dental care I thought I’d go for it. Barring a Ross from Friends style outcome it seems unlikely I’ll regret my teeth being too white. Years of tea... -
Chiang Mai Restaurant – Icedea Icecream Restaurant Review
Posted on April 30, 2012 | 4 CommentsSavoury Foods that are actually made out of icecream? Awesome! That is how we reacted when we saw the sign for an icecream concept restaurant called icedea – Ice(cream I)dea at The Ring, Nimmanhaemin Soi 17, Chiang Mai, Thailand. There was no doubt about it, we were going to... -
Wiang Kum Kam in Chiang Mai
Posted on April 29, 2012 | No CommentsWiang Kum Kam is the remains of an ancient city that preceded modern day Chiang Mai. It sat on the banks of the Ping river which frequently floods. This lead the city to eventually be abandoned around 700 years ago. At that time the city of Chiang Mai was established... -
Chiang Mai Women’s Prison Massages
Posted on April 25, 2012 | 4 CommentsHave you ever been into a prison and got massaged by a female prisoner? No? Well we have. And we recommend it to everyone! The Women’s Correctional Institute in Chiang Mai, or Chiang Mai’s Women’s Prison, in Northern Thailand is an awesome place to be massaged. By Prisoners. Prisoners! Excitement... -
Tanya’s Dentist Diary from 2012 in Chiang Mai, Thailand
Posted on April 23, 2012 | 4 CommentsNot many people like going to the dentist. I, on the other hand, really enjoy it. I have had a lot of problems with my teeth in the past. A mixture of poor dental hygiene as a young adult, the genetics I was lucky enough to receive and teeth grinding... -
Thailand Visa Run – Chiang Mai, Thailand to Tachilek, Myanmar (Burma)
Posted on April 22, 2012 | 10 CommentsSigh. Living in Thailand or even just being a tourist in Thailand can be hard work some times. Thailand has a number of different visas available, all of which have their own rules you must abide by. For example, a Tourist Visa. As of April 2012, a tourist who flies... -
Chiang Mai Walking Tour Map Revisited
Posted on April 18, 2012 | 2 CommentsChiang Mai, Thailand isn’t a dinky town. It is a city. And a big city at that. Coming back to Chiang Mai after a two year hiatus surprised us. The city was just as beautiful as we remembered but a lot of new apartment buildings had gone up and a... -
How to get from Ayutthaya to Chiang Mai easily
Posted on April 16, 2012 | 3 CommentsNight trains (with sleeper) are awesome. You not only get a relaxing ride across the countryside. You also get a bed to sleep in for the night. No accommodation to pay for! There are quicker and sometimes cheaper ways to get from Ayutthaya (or Bangkok for that matter) to Chiang... -
Bikes, bikes, bikes
Posted on March 14, 2011 | No CommentsThus far Tanya and I have owned two bikes. The first was while living in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Its name was “Black Thunder.” It was a beast. A 100cc Honda Dream. Note the convenient basket. What you cant see is the kick start pedal. No electric start on this baby!!... -
Sawatdee Krup Thailand
Posted on October 30, 2009 | No CommentsMuch has happened over September and October. First, we had two more visitors from Australia. One for only a few days. The other for three weeks. It’s always nice showing people around. It helps you appreciate the beauty of the place yourself. Tanya finished her first university unit and passed... -
Chiang Mai Walking Tour
Posted on October 4, 2009 | 2 CommentsChiang Mai Walking Tour by Tanya Recently I created a walking tour of Chiang Mai due to a lot of people coming to visit us in Chiang Mai. Yes, the map was copied from the web, and I have used the internet for help explaining some things in Chiang Mai,... -
Flat tire in Chiang Mai
Posted on August 13, 2009 | No CommentsLate Tuesday 12th August / Early Wednesday 13th August 2009 Little old Black Panther had a punctured flat tyre… awww… instead of us writing about it, we took a video. There are four parts for you to view. Enjoy! (Forgive the video quality. It was late, we were tired and,... -
Meditation and Motorbikes
Posted on July 28, 2009 | No CommentsJuly started with one of humanities greatest inventions. The five day weekend. Well it did for me anyway. Tanya had to work. Sucks to be her. Rather than lying around the house or spending the time out on the town I decided to go ahead with our plan to spend... -
A lazy June in Chiang Mai (with tigers)
Posted on June 28, 2009 | No CommentsJune was a fairly quiet month here in Chiang Mai. I’m into the routine of full time work while Tanya is working part time at a language school and doing some uni study. We finally got on the bike and headed up Doi Suthep, a mountain overlooking Chiang Mai. Near... -
Ajarn Tanya and Ajarn Andrew at your service
Posted on April 22, 2009 | No CommentsHowdy peeps, Tanya is back!!!!! Now that that is out of the way, let me tell you what has been happening since the last update After 3 months of money constantly leaving our pockets, visiting and interviewing various schools in Chiang Mai, yesterday we received a phone call asking if... -
Songkran in Chiang Mai
Posted on April 17, 2009 | 1 CommentSongkran, Thai new year, was this week. Aside from the typical new year’s events you’ll find anywhere in the world Thai new year has one distinctive element. Water fights. I believe this started out as a fairly sedate ritual where water would be poured over your hands symbolizing the washing... -
TEFL training – the end of week four and the first day of the rest of our lives
Posted on March 30, 2009 | No CommentsWell, we have finally reached the end of our TEFL course. The grammar test is done and dusted and our last teaching prac is in the bag. On Friday we had a final Thai lesson and the certificate handing out ceremony. Along with our certificates we received the results of... -
TEFL in Thailand – beginning week three
Posted on March 17, 2009 | No CommentsIt’s now Tuesday of week three of our course. Week two was our final week of organized grammar, Thai language and teaching classes. From here on it’s all teaching practice and assessments. Last week we all had to interview a Thai student, transcribe the interview and identify their grammatical errors... -
TEFL training – the end of week one
Posted on March 8, 2009 | No CommentsIts now Sunday afternoon and we’ve reached the end of the first week of our tefl course. Friday was our cultural awareness day. We started the day by going through some elements of Thai culture we need to be aware of. We then headed outside, jumped in the back of... -
TEFL day two
Posted on March 3, 2009 | No CommentsToday was the second day of our 4 week tefl course. Today consisted of three hours of English language grammar instruction, one hour of Thai language instruction, lunch, then 3 hours of teaching instruction and practice. I think this will be the regular format for the first two weeks of... -
TEFL training in Thailand. It has begun.
Posted on March 2, 2009 | No CommentsToday was the first day of our TEFL course (Teaching english as a foreign language). It’s a four week course designed to turn raw civilions into skilled teachers able to confidently walk into a classroom of students. Generally it was a relief to get started as it all appears much... -
Jungle trekking in Chiang Mai
Posted on March 1, 2009 | No CommentsWe’ve just spent the last three days trekking through the jungle around Doi Inthanon, Thailand’s tallest mountain. It was, by far, the best part of our Thailand experience thus far. We started out the first day by being picked up from SG House by our guide Pat. From our home...
