As well as keeping their tourists well catered for, Chiang Mai has an abundance of shiny golden temples which keep the devout happy and on the path to enlightenment. Using a paper map covered in ‘must see’ circles, we spent our first afternoon visiting the main wats of the city. Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, Wat Suan Dok, Wat Umong… There are over 300 in the city and surrounds, each with its own version of elephant, Buddha, guardian animal and offering. They all start to blur into one after a while.

During our time in the city, we reached new tourist heights doing all the things we normally would avoid. I have to say, the experiences we had are now in the long list of trip highlights. The first of these was a Thai cooking class. A white van labelled ‘Thai farm cooking school’ and a tiny Thai woman named Was picked us up at 8.30am. After collecting all the other participants we started the day at the local market, where we were introduced to the ingredients that are stock standard in every Thai pantry. It reminded me a lot of the markets in Vietnam - stalls selling everything from insects to rice, sauces to fresh produce. We headed for the farm after half an hour which was located about 30kms out of the city. The driveway was flanked with chilli, lemongrass and citrus trees, the cooking benches and large dining table set up in the middle of it all. We taste tested our way through the gardens, getting used to the flavours and smells that lie at the centre of every great Thai dish.

We spent the entire day working our way through a 5 course menu, including a curry paste. Daniel opted for red, I went for green - both were created in a large mortar and pestle and both smelt delicious. Was entertained us with phallic and sexist jokes as we stir fried, chopped, sautéed and deep fried. She found the idea of cat meat amusing, and laughed suspiciously as the rest of the group dropped their ‘chicken’ into the pan. All jokes aside, the food we created was bloody delicious. I am yet to try a curry in Thailand that even comes close to our creation. Not to mention the Tom Yum soup, spring rolls and cashew stir fry. The final dish of the day was mango with sticky rice. Using flowers as dye, our plates were a kaleidoscope of blue, purple and pink, decorated with coconut cream, green leaves and fresh flowers. We ended the day with a signed copy of the cooking school cookbook and a warm hug from Was.

Our last night in the city brought with it highlight number 2. The Chiang Mai cabaret show. We ventured out of the city walls under the cover of darkness. The show is performed nightly in a small venue located at the back of the night market, right next to an abandoned stage and the public toilet. Daniel made sure we were sitting at least 2 rows back from the stage, and that we had tables and chairs surrounding us, blocking potential pathways. A guy next to us employed the same strategy, only to be pulled onto stage for an S&M Rihanna reenactment. Daniel was lucky, and managed to escape with only a kiss from a ladyboy sporting lips smothered in thick pink lipstick and a leotard to match. The entire show was a flurry of feathers, glitter, skin, costume and dance. Some of the performers were quite amazing dancers, others used the embarrassment of audience members to hold the attention of the crowd. Regardless, it was a hilarious way to spend a night - albeit in a sea of couples.