I spent time over the winter holidays in Thailand and Laos, where I saw friends, explored new places, hiked in national parks, and visited temples and historical sites. Starting in the south of Thailand, I made a counter-clockwise loop through the less-visited region of Isan, a couple of stops in Laos, then back into the north of Thailand. I even took the “slow boat” on the Mekong River, but in the opposite direction that most people travel (which made it the “even slower boat”). I didn’t take many photos, but are some of the highlights…
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Southeast Asia 2023 – Thailand: Chiang Rai Trek
My next multiday trek in Thailand started in Chiang Rai with a long-tail boat ride up the Kok River to the village of Ban Ruammit. While still fairly close to “civilization,” the ominously growing cloud cover reminded me of Charles Marlow‘s voyage up the Congo River in Joseph Conrad‘s Heart of Darkness. After buying and packing our food for the trip, we hiked mostly along farm roads and paths, which was a nice contrast to all the bushwhacking of my first trek in the Mae Wang Area. The terrain and variety of weather were familiar to me now but only a bit less challenging: many climbs and descents, both heavy rainfall and dry sunshine, and a wide range of temperatures. My guide and I stayed overnight in the villages of two ethnic tribes that I mentioned in my previous post: Lahu and Akha.
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