The best of 2012

Bangkok by night

For me personally the best (most memorable travel-wise) of 2012 was staying a few days at  "Palm Lodge Resort, Sikio", eating at "Savan Dao French Restaurant, Savanakhet", making a motorbike trip to Nan province, sit on top of Phu Thap Boek and of course always very happy to be ..... back home. Because a house is not a home without someone to come home for. And the worst things of 2012?  I tend to forget that kind of happenings.

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Travel Tips : Suggested motorbike routes in Nan province

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Route 1081 to Bo Klua Motorbike riding in Thailand, especially in North Thailand (Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Nan) is becoming popular. Not only for Big Motorbikes but also for scooters and even some people do the same routes by bicycle ! So in a serie Suggested Motorbike Routes I will show you some great routes to ride. Some people will ride routes like this in 1 day but you could also do it slow and take 2 or 3 days (you will see much more). I am now I think motorbike riding for more as 10 years in Thailand, to read my reports of motorbike riding see  Motorbike Trip Reports Nan Province . For more information about Nan province have a look at  Destination Travel Guide Nan . And of course I start this serie with Nan province, one of Thailand's last remote provinces with stunning mountains, waterfalls and National Parks. And paradise for motorbike riding. And because Nan province is so remote the roads are not busy and relatively safe to ride. All trips start in Nan to
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About accommodation in Nan town

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Although Nan province is (luckily) not as much visited by tourists as example  Chiang Mai , there is a good  variety of accommodation all over Nan province. Currently there are quite a few new Guesthouses, Homestay's and Hotels being openend in  Nan town  and  Pua . As said Nan province is not busy tourists like Chiang Mai but during Public Holidays / Long Weekends (especially during the cool season) many Thai people will find their way to Nan province. During those days it might be a good idea to make a reservation in advance. Be aware that when using booking websites like   Booking, Agoda or Airbnb.  t hat the term "Nan suburbs" could mean the hotel is in Pua, what is 60 km north of Nan town. Not really a suburb!  As Nan province is not (yet) a tourist destination for foreigners you might experience that staff at your accommodation is not or limited able to speak English. Not all accommodation in Nan province can be booked via Agoda or Booking. Some accommodation do not
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Destination Travel Guide Nan in North Thailand

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Welcome to Nan province in North Thailand where live is still slow and tranquil. Nan province is  tucked away in the most eastern part of North Thailand and was once a sleepy province. And even nowadays Nan province is still one of the most remote & off the beaten track province's of Thailand, where nature blends well with culture and ancient temples. In modern times Nan province has an airport, comfortable boutique hotels and trendy coffee shops, along with picturesque villages in the mountains, but 40 years ago Nan was considered a wild region and sometimes even off-limited for traveling. Time has changed however and the centuries old temples built in Tai Lue architecture style with beautiful murals, green mountains and ethnic minorities are now starting to attract Thai tourists and even slowly some foreigner tourists are coming to Nan province. The main destination for visitors of Nan province is its capital Nan town and nearby surroundings. It is however not the only place
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Relaxing at Lamai beach, Koh Samui

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Lamai beach, Koh Samui - Thailand While sitting in the shade of the Bikini Bar & Restaurant and enjoying a fruit shake I was looking to all the people sitting in the hot sun. I think I would be dead within 30min. But people seem to enjoy themselves sunbathing, swimming or making selfies. It is beach life in 2018 at Lamai beach. For more information about Koh Samui have a look at  Camille's Samui Info Blog . Lamai beach, Koh Samui - Thailand Lamai beach, Koh Samui - Thailand Lamai beach, Koh Samui - Thailand
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On the motorbike along the famous 1148 from Nan to Chiang Kham

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Motorbike trip 2017. With the cool season starting any motorbike rider in Thailand will feel the urge to go riding. Now  I have been riding a lot in North-Thailand already and I am always looking for new roads. So where to go? And how long? As I do not like planning I only did answer the first question when leaving home at 6:30 in the cool and foggy morning ..... first day to Chiang Kham via the famous route 1148. For more motorbike trip reports see  Motorbike Trip Reports. Day 1 from Tha Wang Pha to Chiang Kham As I thought to have an almost full tank of gasoline I did straight hit route 1148 from Tha Wang Pha. While riding to Song Kwae I noticed that I actually had far from an almost full tank of gasoline. So I stopped at the brand new gasoline station just before Song Kwae. Good toilets and even a coffee shop (albeit it was still closed). A bit after Song Kwae I made my first side-track to a waterfall, it was a nice and good road into the mountains, passing a few very small h
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Stone carved lintel at Prasat Phanom Rung in Buriram

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Stone carved lintel at Prasat Phanom Rung in Buriram, Thailand Reposting from 2016. Since 2000 I have been many times at Prasat Phanom Rung in Buriram, so above photo is probably from 2003. But what a beautiful piece of ancient art! As the Greater Khmer Kingdom once stretched also out over what we now call Thailand there are many ancient Khmer ruins to be found in North-East Thailand. And they are an example of the high standard of cultivation and technical knowledge that was in South-East Asia already hundreds of years ago. Imagine how they build those temples out of huge rocks that had to be transported many km's. Imagine the art and hard work to make this kind of lintel's. Prasat Hin Phanom Rung is located about 60 km south of Buriram  town. For more postings about ancient ruins / temples click below on the label  Ancient-Temples.  
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Visiting Doi Samer Dao at Sri Nan National Park in Nan

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In December 2017 we made a day trip, or should I say night trip, to Doi Samer Dao at Sri Nan National Park. The National Park is just 16km from Na Noi or 66km from Nan town. Sri Nan National Park is famous for 2 things, Doi Samer Dao and Pha Chu (lovers rock). We did go to Doi Samer Dao what is in the cool season a famous place to visit to watch a sunset over Na Noi, watch the stars (dao) at night and in the very early morning see a stunning sunrise over a sea of clouds above the Nan River. For more information about National Parks in Nan, North Thailand have a look HERE . For more information about Nan province have a look at  Destination Travel Guide Nan . As Doi Samer Dao is a major attraction point (for Thai tourists) the National Park enforces a entrance fee of 20 Thai baht per person for Thai people and non-Thai are privileged to pay 5 times more (100 Thai baht). Not that the latter was enforced when I did visit Sri Nan National Park. And you pay 20 Thai baht for your motorbik
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Cooking school in the jungle of Khao Sok

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Cooking at Rungfah Farm Stay at Khao Sok, South Thailand Khao Sok is home to a beautiful limestone mountain range with a tropical jungle and a huge lake and rivers. A great place to go hiking and kayaking. But what to do when it is raining? Well you go for jungle cooking lessons at  Rungfah Farm Stay  what is located in the jungle of Khao Sok. A young local man and his family have setup an ecological farm stay and cooking school. Here you can learn the traditional jungle way of making Thai food. And of course they have 2 very basic bamboo bungalows where you could stay. But we did go for cooking lessons. So we started with walking around at the farm to collect the food that we would be cooking like fresh bamboo sprouts, duck eggs, herbs and vegetables. Then to begin with our host Yu starts to make a small fire to cook the rice in bamboo containers. We did learn how to remove the coconut from the nuts and our coconut curry was cooked on a small BBQ. For everything natural products
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About Pua in Nan province

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Pua is a district in the northern part of Nan province, about 60 km north of Nan town. A group of 8 villages as Ban Prang makes Pua town. Nowadays Pua is a small provincial town but it is said that Pua was where the Tai Lue and other migrants settled first before settling in what is now Nan town. Although you not find direct remains of the old Pua some temples in Pua are said to be older as the oldest temples in Nan town. And the small city wall is 100% new, and one could even doubt if there has ever been a city wall. Pua town is along the Pua River in a valley surrounded by the mountains of Doi Phu Kha, that are part of the Luang Prabang mountain range. And although Pua at first does not look like a tourist destination it is a great base to stay while exploring the northern parts of Nan province like Manipruek, Doi Phu Kha and Bo Klua. Pua has all you need from simple Guesthouses & Homestay's to comfortable Resorts with swimming pool. And there are a few nice restaurants &
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Travel Tips : Loei province Tourist Attractions map

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Here a copy of the map of tourist attractions from the TAT of Loei. I can recommend : 03 Have a lunch at Huai Krating lake 05 Visit Wat Tham Pha Pu 14 Walk in the Pha Ngam Rock Garden 16 See sunrise at Phu Kadung National Park 18 Watch wild elephants at Phu Luang Wildlife sanctuary 19 Swim at Pla ba Waterfall 23 Visit Phitakon museum 24 Wat Neramit Wipatsana 25 Phra That Si Song Rak 26 Wat Si Pho Chai Saeng Pa 27 Phu Suan Sai National Park 28 Phu Rua National Park 33 Phra Phut Mongkhon Lilatha Buddha image 35 Visit Kaeng Kud Ku at the Mekong River 36 Ancient wooden houses 39 Wat Phochai Na Pung And although not mentioned : 40. A visit to Na Heao border to Laos 41. Walk in the Erawan Cave
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