We thought we’d do some more exploring this time in Chiang Mai, and Dre picked out a CBR 250 to cruise around on. We rode up into the mountains to escape the intense heat, and the cool clouds and crisp mountain air was a welcome relief.

The ride up the mountain was stunning, with clouds literally moving around us and the views taking our breath away.

Our first stop was Bhubing Palace, where the king and queen of Thailand spend their winters. The grounds were extensive, with many different buildings, guest lodgings, a royal temple, and a huge fountain.

We then spent some time riding around the mountain roads, and visited Doi Pui, a coffee growing town, and a Hmong village. It was really modern compared to Hmong villages in Laos and most of the villagers seemed to speak fairly good English.

We also spent some time in Chiang Mai town itself, seeing the oldest temple (which despite being here many times before we hadn’t actually seen), and visiting the walking street to buy some goodies. We are now really looking forward to getting back to Chiang Rai and then Luang Namtha, Chiang Mai is so hot at this time of year so we are hanging out for cooler weather and familiar faces.