🏕️ Day 1: From Chiang Mai to Jungle Vibes – Our Camping Getaway in Mae Rim

After six whole weeks soaking up the buzz of Chiang Mai’s Old City—the longest we’ve stayed anywhere since starting our full-time travelling family adventure—we were starting to feel the pull of the great outdoors again. As much as we’ve loved wandering temples, sampling every mango sticky rice in sight, and dodging scooters in narrow lanes... it was time to swap tuk-tuks for trees.

We’ve always had a soft spot for camping. Even back when we lived in the UK, weekends were often spent escaping to the countryside in a camper van, setting up a tent in the middle of nowhere, or squeezing into the caravan with snacks, muddy boots, and far too many board games. So when we started feeling the itch for nature again, we knew exactly what we needed.

Adventure. Mountains. Camp vibes.
Enter: Pai.

✨ A Little Twist in the Plan

We knew Pai was the place for adventure—it’s basically famous for it. But in true us fashion, we didn’t want to plan everything down to the minute. So with our cases, snacks, pillows, and an open heart loaded into the car, we headed north from Chiang Mai and decided to take it slow.

That’s when we stumbled across something interesting on Google Maps (camping/glamping resorts all the way up to Pai):
Our first destination- Jirung Health Village in Mae Rim, just 30 minutes outside the city. Close enough to be convenient, but far enough to feel like a real escape. It looked peaceful, a little off-the-radar, and had jungle cabins. We were sold.

🛖 Jungle Cabins & Buddha Vibes

Check-in was a breeze—always a bonus when travelling as a family—and we decided to go all in and book two jungle cabins. Tilly’s nearly 13 now and becoming a young woman, so privacy is becoming sacred (for all of us). Honestly, we like our own space too... no shame in that!

The cabins were super cute, with thatched rooftops, woven details, and an ensuite nature toilet (yes, nature toilet... it adds to the charm, we promise). Inside: a fridge, a comfy double bed, and not much else. And we absolutely loved that. It was minimalist, freeing, and just enough.

First things first—we dived headfirst into the outdoor pool, which was perfectly cool and totally refreshing. It overlooks a peaceful little lake where we spotted huge catfish swimming around. We half-joked about fishing for dinner, but luckily dinner was already calling elsewhere.

😴 Naps, Nature & New Perspectives

One thing we’ve noticed since switching to this slower lifestyle: Joe has developed a new love for afternoon naps. He snoozes like a pro these days—poolside, lakeside, basically anywhere there’s shade and a breeze. We now lovingly refer to him as Grandpa Joe. Honestly though, it’s a good sign... that deep chill you only get when your nervous system realises it’s not in fight-or-flight anymore.

What made this place even more special was the on-site temple and meditation space. It’s small, quiet, and tucked into the trees—perfect for a moment of stillness or just sitting with your thoughts (while trying not to think about dinner again).

🍜 Food With a View (and a Slight Splurge)

The food on-site wasn’t the cheapest compared to local eats, but we were feeling fancy as we had hit our 6 month milestone of our travel adventure and honestly—the food was so worth it. We ordered a bit of everything (standard behaviour for us), and every dish was a win. Fresh, flavourful, and eaten with a mountain view that made us go quiet for a moment just to take it all in.

Tilly even tried something new (possibly by accident), and we had one of those lovely meals where no one needed their phone and the only interruption was the wild frog noises behind us!

💚 Slowing Down to Remember What Matters

This little break from the city reminded us why we’re doing all of this.
Why we left the 9–5, the house, the routines.
To reconnect. To slow down. To give our daughter, and us, the kind of memories you can’t buy in a shop.

Sometimes it’s a pool surrounded by jungle. Sometimes it’s a cabin with nothing but a fan and a mossy roof.
And sometimes, it’s just the three of us—laughing over dinner, planning our next adventure, and watching Joe fall asleep mid-sentence. True quality time together, being present in the moment!

✨ Final Thoughts

If you're in Chiang Mai and feeling that familiar itch to escape the noise, breathe in fresh air, and just do something a little different as a family, this little jungle retreat in Mae Rim might be just the thing. It was easy, peaceful, and gave us a much-needed taste of nature before heading off to explore more of northern Thailand.

Sometimes the best memories come from not planning too much—just filling the car with snacks, grabbing your pillow, and going where the road takes you.

And if that includes a nap and a slap up meal with a view... even better!