We visited Chiang Mai this year from 8th Mar-5th Apr and had to stay inside a fair amount. If it's similar smog for you, you probably won't want to do any hiking at lower levels because it's so dangerous. We did visit Doi Inthanon during our stay and this was the view showing just how bad the smog was at the time (hopefully this link works!):

https://notbritsabroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_20190329_102453-640x480.jpg

We did manage to do a few outdoor activities like Doi Int and ziplining but we wouldn't go out in the city without face masks on. Actually, we ended up spending a lot of time in the cinema and indoor restaurants. That being said, CM is a really great place to visit and there's loads to do there. Just be safe when you visit if it's smoggy. I don't regret going at all and loved it regardless of the smog but it would've been nice to walk around more.

Had one of the nicest meals ever with the fishermen and their families when I tried to buy some of the crabs they were preparing (tried because they would not let me pay) at Chao Mai. good to hear it remains undeveloped

In Quy Nonh, you have the ebautiful Cham Towers (two in the middle of teh toan and the most beautiful in Ban It 20 km north.

Dalat is a darling. Here are my travel notes :

I loved Da Lat . Attention: it is at 1500 m altitude, and often windy, so you need warm clothes from December to end of March. The excellent Dreams Hotel of the charming Mrs Dung was full (it is often so), so, I ended up in her brother’s hotel (as charming!) at the Thien An, as good and in a quieter section of the street, and with the same celebrated enormous buffet breakfast, a whole meal by itself. Free mountain bikes (you need all the speeds!), motorbikes 4$ manual, 5$ automatic (don’t take the auto, no engine brake, so, you burn the brakes). 272A Phan Ding Phung 063 352 0607 and 0608 thienanHotel@vnn.vn. If you prefer a delightful homestay house, Mrs Nhon’s Mai An, with 6 rooms and a terrace overlooking the hills. 24$, breakfast 1$50. No bicycles; Motorbike rental 10$. Mai An Villa, 7 Nghia Bac Son 063 382 1291 (no email).
Backpackers will find happiness at the two Peace Guest House 64 and 67 Truong Cong Dinh (take the 2nd one, the first one is not well kept). peacedalat@gmai.com
Lots of restaurants ! My favorites ? The wonderful bistro Nhat Ly (88 Phan Dinh Phung); delicious copious food at low prices (don’t go before 20:00, it is generally full) and the more elegant Trong Dông (220 Phan Dinh Phung), where I had 3 wonderful meals (try the eels, divine!).
I started with the visit of the famous Da Lat sites:

• Bao Dai Villa: pure Art Déco and much simpler than I expected for an emperor.
• The Crazy House, a surrealistic architectural delirium reminiscent of Gaudi’s masterpieces; it is also a hotel with 5 crazy rooms. To be seen to believe it !!!
• Linh Phuoc Pagoda, another delirium, but baroque this time.
• The beautiful colonial villas of Tran Hung Dao Street, a true open air Art Déco museum: It seems that they are now part of a hotel complex, but I could not find any Reception.
• The 5-Star Dalat Palace Hotel, another art Déco masterpiece (1932), its little brother the Du Parc (ex-Novotel) and the very colonial restaurant Café de la Poste (atrociously expensive!).
• The railway station, a copy of the Deauville one

The next 2 days of motorcycle rides out of Da Lat, to go to some wonderful places:
• The summit of Lang Biang Mountain(2100 m), from which you have a spectacular view of the entire region, and the interesting new XQ Historic Village (I “zapped” the Love Park, even the locals think it’s ridiculous).
• The Dalanta Waterfalls, 5 km South on the Saigon road ; beautiful ; the river then goes into a narrow canyon over which you can ride a cable car. If you don’t like to walk, a frightening impressive roller-coaster goes down to the falls.
• The very beautiful Elephant Waterfalls – thac voï - 27 km West of Da Lat (take Hoang Van Thu Street and follow the signs « Ta Nung » ; you go down a long pass and arrive in a valley with hills covered with coffee plantations ; cross Ta Nung, direction Nam Ban ; the waterfalls are on the right at the exit of Nam Ban. ATTENTION: going down to the falls is very tricky through a canyon of enormous boulders; you need walking shoes and a sure foot, and forget it if it rained.

It seems to vary. I caught the van from southern bus terminal to Mai Klong and it took 3hours and we had break for 30mins. For the first half of the journey there were only 2 passengers but another half dozen got on during the break.

Others however have simply gone A to B with no break such as the Chanthaburi to Kabin Buri vans or the Narathiwat to Hat Yai one.

Hi Simon,

That's so helpful, thank you. I knew I wouldn't get a tour for that length of time, but certainly for 14 days or 10. I didn't realise I'd have enough time to head up to Chiang Mai after landing, so that's great. I'm thinking now that as long as I have my first Hostel destination booked in Bangkok, I will probably meet people there. Therefore doing it myself might be best, as long as I remember I must be in Singapore for my flight to Auckland 22nd Dec! Apart from that, I guess I can do whatever :)

Thailand has guesthouses and hotels for low prices. Hostels are crap and not used that often as poor value.

Easier to meet people doing things like day tours or multi day tours.

I've never met anyone who hangs around hostels in Thailand.

Monteverde is a rainy/foggy/misty/damp year round...Aug it can be a mess...

if you are beach people, then you will be dissapointed with Manual Antonio, as its a small beach, very touristy and people trying to sell you junk...most all other beaches in CR are desolate for miles and only a few beach goers or surfers...MA is fine for a night on way to Sierrpe/DB...

You want to take in the great drive around Lake Arenal, which is from La Fortuna to Nuevo Arenal, Tileran, Canas...then up to Santa Elena/Monteverde...

Tortuguero Lodges are isolated and you have to use their boats, eat their food, and be isolated...

I would stay in the village where you have access to much cheaper excursions/guides and dining options, and you have the river on one side and 300 meters the ocean...

I would travel from SJO to Arenal and the mountains first, its cooler, you have the Hot Springs and many more intimate and rustic or luxury lodges to chill and relax 2-3 nights. Tortuguero is very hot, humid and you almost need a swimming pool if staying at a lodge to relax...it is also easier to get a car, then head NW to Arenal, Monteverde, and you if you like to hike, head to Rincon, or Tenerio, then to Samara...

You could drop car in Quepos/Manual Antonio, Osa Shuttle to Sierrpe and boats to DB-then from there, fly DB back to SJ, and then head to Tortuguero, boat/taxi to Cahuita etc etc...or, get a car again, and go to Sarapiqui, then Tortuguero, Cahuita and drop in Pt Viejo...

Also, Cahuita is 2-3 nights max...

Do you like to fish?

There really is no snorkeling on the Pacific side of CR, its mainly rough surf and more for surfing, there is no reef.

On the Caribe side, you can snorkel in Cahuita NP and also Punta Uva area, and kayak down to Ganduca from Manzanillo, but its nothing special, and the small dead reef is a good 200 meters off the beach...so be careful.

Scuba diving is about the same. Best on pacific side would be off Drake Bay at Isla Cano. Not cheap though...

Then in Punta Uva on the caribe side, again, nothing special...but cheaper....

If wanting a really cool beach scene and have a car, and you have time, I would head to Mal Pais/Santa Teresa, this is a very hip and cool areas most tourist dont go, just surfers...great beaches, and some great boutique lodges on the beach...

http://www.tortuguerovillage.com/en/

https://nicoyapeninsula.com/malpais/

Places I love...intimate, romantic, rustic, family owned

http://www.malpaisbeach.com/milarepa/ (Mal pais)

https://www.jinetesdeosa.com/ (Drake Bay)

https://lunalodge.com/ (Carate- Enter Corcovado via La Leona south of Pt Jimenez 2 hours)

https://www.hotelcapitansuizo.com/ (Tamarindo)

http://www.albylodge.com/Home_Java_Version/Englisch/Cabins/cabins.html (Cahuita)

https://lacarolinalodge.com/ (Tenerio/Rio Celeste)

https://costaverde.com/ (Manual Antonio)

http://www.cabinaspuntauva.com/images_eng.html (Punta Uva-Caribe)

http://www.villasdelcaribe.com/ (Playa Chequita-Caribe)

There used to be a Niue local here on TT and he invited me. :-)
But by staying with locals I also meant formal accommodation owned by locals, like guesthouses, homestays, whatever.
Everyone speaks fluent English.
I arranged absolutely nothing in advance.
You can get pretty much everywhere by bike, and most attractions are along the coast. I had no problem finding anything.

Marinduque is quite a laid back place.
Flight from Manila used to be 2 x daily but not sure of frequency now.
I stayed at the Aussie Pom guesthouse, self catering but lots of little sari sari stores for a light meal and beer.
10 minute walk down the beach a Brit guy had a resort...quite good for an evening meal and relaxing drink, but take a flash light for the walk back along the beach or slightly longer walk along the main road...

Kiri Sakor is a little remote but you can ask at your hotel/guesthouse about van/share taxi to the border (about a 100 miles 3-4 hrs.) at Cham Yeam/Hat Lek. You can get a van to Trat (about 50 miles 1.5+ hours) after you cross into Thailand. Be careful of van services that claim to take you all the way to Trat. Crossing into Thailand is easy/fast, free visa waiver on arrival.

Hello again, I wish you a happy and peaceful 2019. I have been “off grid” and away from 21st century technology enjoying times in North Wales. To the matter in hand: I flew from Addis to Dire Dawa and spent 3 nights there, staying at the Africa Hotel, safe, comfortable, good food and kind staff, glad I saw that town. Then I took a local bus to Harar, easy to do. I spent 3 nights, 4 days in Harar. I stayed in the old walled town. I organised my accommodation via: haiku_harrar@yahoo.com. I had a wonderful time with the family I stayed with. Hailu has worked with local folk for many years to set up stays in local guesthouses within the walled city. I hired him for 2 1/2 days, to acquaint myself with the walled city, and also a bus ride to a camel marke out further east.. Rimbaud is my favourite French poet, go see why he went there! There is now, again, a train from Addis that way. Fly 1 way, bus or train on your way back. Enjoy the coffee, Harar is reknowned, even in Ethiopia. Pauline x