My holiday in Thailand ended with four days in Chiang Mai, in the north.
The overnight express train from Ayuthaya was comfortable and quiet, so I arrived in Chiang Mai refreshed after a good night's sleep, unlike my sleeper journeys to the south and back, both of which involved sleepless nights.
In Chiang Mai I stayed at U Chiang Mai, a pretentious and overdesigned but nevertheless charming and comfortable boutique hotel. A large traditional Thai house forms the core of the hotel, and modern accommodation wings have been built around it. Because few tourists were around, I received a special discount. Ground-floor rooms have access to swimming pools, and upper floor rooms have their own balconies, each one containing a seat big enough to hold two people and lined with silk-covered cushions. The location is wonderfully central, and the in-room coffee is excellent.
On my third day I did a day trip to Fang, further north (see separate gallery).