Review: Baanrimtaling Guesthouse, Chiang Khong, Thailand

Chiang Khong is the place to come if you want to do the land (and water!) crossing into Laos.  We took the bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Khong which takes between 2 and 3 hours…it is a slow journey but quite stress free and calm!  Arriving in the town we walked over to the riverfront and the first place we came across was the Baanrimtaling Guesthouse.  We instantly loved it and knew it would be perfect for relaxing for the afternoon.  It is run by a really lovely woman who has a really good, helpful set up.

After settling into our room on the waterfront we had a delicious phad thai.  Phad thai is one of my favourite thai dishes and in our short time in Thailand I had only had it once so it was a treat!  The noodles were perfect, the fresh smoothie which accompanied it was refreshing and the view peaceful and beautiful.

The owner helped us to organise our boat ticket for the morning and she also booked us onto her free drop off service which takes you to the border.  It really was such a nice treat in the morning to not have to think about where to go and how to get there.  Before this free drop off we enjoyed a tasty breakfast and had a packed lunch of fried rice made up for our journey.  The slow boat to Luang Prabang takes 2 days and there are only snacks on board so it was definitely good to take lunch with us.  The Baanrimtaling Guesthouse is really a great last stay in Thailand, friendly owner and staff, gorgeous food, cheap prices, get your own drinks policy, help for crossing the border…what more could you want?

Food Glossary: Phad/Pad/Phat Thai

Pad thai is simple and delicious!  It is one of my favourite thai meals as it always guarantees to be satisfying and yummy!  It is a noodle dish using tamarind as the base of flavour and egg fried and mixed in along with bean sprouts, pak choi, spring onions, prawns and/or tofu and chicken.  When served traditionally it comes with peanuts on top and a wedge of lime to squeeze over it.  The mix of textures is brilliant and you can make it as spicy as you want (or not) by the amount of chilli you add.  This is one of Thailand's national dishes so make sure you try it when visiting the country!  (note - the 'pad thai' sold on the street on Koh San in Bangkok is not the real thing - it is not using tamarind as the base so it is really just a stir fry, which although is nice is not half as good as the real thing - but is very cheap!)

Food Glossary: Mie Goreng

Mie Goreng is the noodle version of Nasi Goreng and also extremely popular across Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.  In my opinion not quite as satisfying as Nasi Goreng but still a great option that can be found on any street corner.