Sanpatong Buffalo Market

Sanpatong Buffalo Market

If you are visiting Chiang Mai and you want to experience an authentic, local market without the the tourists then the Sanpatong Baffalo Market is well worth the effort. This Saturday-only market definitely caters to the local crowd. On sale at the market, you will find fresh fruit and vegetables, clothing, everyday household items, farming hardware and yes, Buffaloes!! The market now spans both sides of the main 108 highway with the bulk of the market (and livestock section) being on the north side of the road. If you are…

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New Cruise from Chiang Kong to Luang Prabang

Chiang Kong to Luang Prabang cruise

We are delighted to announce that Travel Hub are now appointed agents for the highly-rated Shompoo Cruises. Shompoo Cruises is  a cruise operator offering Mekong River cruises from Chiang Kong (Thailand) to the Unesco World Heritage town of Luang Prabang The cruise commences in the town of Huay Xai, Laos (on the opposite bank of the Mekong from Chiang Kong, Thailand) and you will cruise in style and comfort for two days downriver to Luang Prabang. On route, you will overnight in the quaint riverside town of Pakbeng where various accommodation options are…

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New bus services from Thailand to Laos

Udon Thani to Vang Vieng Bus

Three new international bus routes are planned to connect Thailand with Laos. The first route to commence this year will be the Udon Thani to Vang Vieng route. This route will commence at Udon Thani (Airport)  and follow through to Nong Khai, Vientianne and then on to Vang Vieng. A direct bus for those travelling from Thailand all the way to Vang Vient is great news! further details so far released about this new service as follows: There will be one daily departure covering the 288Km in around 7 hours.…

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Mae Klang Luang Trail Doi Inthanon National Park

Pa Dok Siew Waterfall - found along the Mae Klang Luang Trail

Doi Inthanon is one of Thailand’s most well know and well-visited national parks and is home to Thailand’s highest mountain Doi Inthanon. Doi Inthanon attracts tens of thousands of visitors every year, but most of these visitors only stick to driving the main highway to the highest mountain and to the easily accessible waterfalls and viewpoints along this route, only a very small fraction actually get off the main paved road to get deeper into the park to see what else Doi Inthanon offers. Most miss out on seeing the…

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Elephant Valley Chiang Rai – Maybe Thailand’s most ethical elephant sanctuary!

Elephant Valley Chiang Rai

In Travel Hub’s endeavour to offer more ethical elephant activities to our inventory of trips and tours we took a trip to Elephant Valley Chiang Rai, and we have to say that we encountered some of the most content and happy elephants that we have seen in a long while! If you are doing one of elephant Valley’s programs you will probably be greeted by Jack the manager. Jack is super knowledgeable about elephants and has been working with elephants for many years, he has brought his experience and knowledge…

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Best time of year to visit Chiang Mai

View over Chiang Mai from Wat Doi Kham

So What is the best time of year to visit Chiang Mai? If you do have the luxury of choosing the time of year to visit northern Thailand and the wonderful city of Chiang Mai, then you may want to consider the best time to visit. November is a great month as the rainy season is coming to an end, waterfalls are flowing full, the air is clear, views are great, the forests/landscapes are extremely green, the rice in the rice paddies is nearing maturity and after many months of…

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Baan Tong Luang – 5 Hill Tribe Village

Karen Long Neck at Baan Tong Luang

Baan Tong Luang is a hill tribe exhibition village situated in the Mae Sa area about 30 minutes drive from Chiang Mai. This village has been set up to display the lifestyles and cultures of five different hill tribe groups which typically reside in the north of Thailand. The village is separated into around five zones with each hill tribe ethnic group residing in its own zone. At Baan Tong Luang you will find, Akha, Lahu, Lisu, Karen and Padaung (Karen Long Neck). The village is quite picturesque and nestled…

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Chiang Mai to Luang Namtha bus – Buses arriving in Luang Namtha

Bus Chiang Mai to Luang Namtha

We have had a couple of reports from our customers who have booked the Chiang Mai to Luang Namtha bus through our office. On arrival at the small bus station in Luang Namtha which is situated about 10km outside of town, they have not found any public transport options (usually a tuk-tuk or songtaew) to take them into town. The scheduled arrival time is 08:30 pm but I am aware that this bus is often late arrival and after 10 pm can be common and maybe the tuk-tuk drivers have…

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Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2022

Chiang Mai Flower Festival 2016

As of writing this post the Chiang Mai Flower festival 2022 has not yet been confirmed. But with Covid vaccinations well underway, it is highly likely that this festival will proceed in 2022. The Chiang Mai Flower Festival will be held on the first weekend of February. For 2022 this should be the weekend covering the dates of 4-6th February The format of this festival has remained the same over the past 10 years or so and it should follow the same format in 2022. Here is the quick rundown…

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Travelling to Laos? – Beware of scams!

Chiang Kong Huay Xai Immigration Office

Important notice for those booking bus and boat tickets to Luang Prabang and other destinations in Laos. We recently had a report from a very unhappy customer saying that they were the victims of a scam while in Chiang Kong after purchasing a Chiang Mai to Luang Prabang bus ticket through Travel Hub. Briefly, the report was as follows; the passengers were required to change buses at the border in Chiang Kong. The changeover takes place at a hotel called Portside. On this change over they were asked by a…

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