The Tale Of SiriKitty Ends Here

5 days 4 nights in Chiang Mai on holiday with Diva D, Melee and SiriKitty was long enough to feel guilty about leaving the boys at home. But I am lucky that the husband is supportive of such endeavours, and (unlike my fellow blogger Jewelle) beloved son is old enough to fend for himself for a couple of days. To be honest, with only boys at home, I needed some girlie downtime. After places and tickets were booked, Diva D emailed the holiday packing list: 1) Yoga clothes 2) Chill clothes 3) Pretty, casual clothes 4) Comfy 'nightmarket blitz' footwear 5) Flipflops 6) Evening slippers 7) Bikinis & Pareos 8) Accessories: Sling bag for shopping. Camera/Phone/Laptop charger. Evening purse. Magazines, preferably the mini ones from Europe, or slim gossipy ones like Hello. Books, preferably Chick-Lit. We were sorted like bob. And Chiang Mai, during the Festival of Lights, with its colourful markets and cheap spas, is as good as a girlie getaway can get.

We stayed 3 nights at The Chedi and on our last night we gave B & B Baan Orapin a try. Our days at The Chedi were filled with asanas, breakfasts and lying by the pool. Our nights in Chiang Mai were filled with dinners with extremely spicy Tom Yams on the menu, night markets galore and enjoying the lights and sounds of Loy Krathon with the Thai folks on the streets. Melee, Diva D & SiriKitty even had time for tea at the yoga-inspired pool area of the Mandarin Oriental, and a shopping spree at Vila Cini (a store like Jim Thompson that sells various Thai silk accessories). I may have resisted the female hormones DoBuy at first. But not for long. I think I DO need a gorgeous orange and pink striped silk pouch to put my tissues in. Being on holiday with the girls make you feel like a shopper. Even if you are not one. To wit. See our lovely silk slippers at the top. The girls felt that buying the same slipper, albeit in a different colour (but of course), will embody the spirit of our holiday. It's unbelievable, the justifications a woman can think up when there's silk and feathers involved.

And being that's its a holiday, we took a lot of pictures.

My dear friends Melee and Diva D love a good holiday, are the best shoppers bar none, girlie (but tough, of course), make great travelling companions.

At The Chedi we enjoyed having breakfast at the breakfast nook by the river, and spending lazy hours by the pool.

Diva D, Melee, Suki with SiriKitty on her shoulders, and the yoga crowd, plus husband.

Paul, his mother Celia, and wife Tanya, out on a Tuk Tuk on Saturday night.

We liked the Baan Orapin, a boutique bed & breakfast, and Opas, its shy and helpful manager. The Baan Orapin is a bed and breakfast run by third generation guest house owner Opas and his family. Our room was lovely with a four poster bed and large clean bathrooms.

SiriKitty at the Mandarin Oriental for afternoon drinks. The white plaster sculptures surrounding the pool, set in their various poses were a surprise.

As soon as you arrive in Chiang Mai you come across Chiang Mai Oasis Spa pamphlets with its 500Baht discount vouchers on selected treatments at airport, hotel and restaurant counters. Service includes a free pickup and return in the cute Oasis Spa vans. Reasonable massage, great staff and surroudings, its affordable too, and therefore not to be missed.

Vila Cini on Charoenrath Road for some christmas shopping.

Thank God for VAT.

The End.