Chiang Mai, Thailand (April, 2015)

We redeemed 35,000 United Mileage Plus Miles per person plus $76.36 per person in taxes (210,000 miles total plus $458.16) to fly from Perth to Chiang Mai, Thailand (through Bangkok), then from Chiang Mai to Phuket, then from Phuket back to Perth (again, through Bangkok).  Our connections were good (no more than 2 hours in the Bangkok airport).  This was a pretty good use of United Mileage Plus points, as the tickets were selling for around $4,000 each. You are allowed one stopover when redeeming United miles, so we took advantage of this and it didn't cost us any extra to go to both Chiang Mai and Phuket.

We spent 4 nights in the Chiang Mai area (between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai) and 9 nights in the Phuket area (including Koh Phi Phi and Mai Khao).

Bollard and Whipperman kids in front of Le Meridien Chiang Mai.

We booked the Le Meridien Chiang Mai using 3,000 Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) points/night for 2 of the nights and when we arrived, we upgraded the room to a suite with an additional 1,875 points per night.  So, 4,875 points per night netted us a Suite, complete with free breakfast and lounge access.  The lounge was great at this hotel and there was rarely anyone else there, which made it nice since we were traveling with our 4 kids and the Bollards were traveling with their 3 kids.

In Chiang Mai, we rode elephants, watched an elephant show, and then got to play with the elephants.

Eliza, swinging on the elephant's trunk

Eliza, Sawyer, and Zander riding the elephant down into the river.

The boys enjoying the elephant show.

Zander, riding one of the elephants from the show.

Cody, Ryder, and Nash on the back of the elephant.

Nash, riding bareback.

Then we took a journey down the river on bamboo rafts...

Whipps and Bollards floating down the river on a bamboo raft.

Ryder, with Max and Tate on the bamboo raft.

Then we went to see the long neck tribes...

Nash, with two cute little girls from the long neck tribe.

Sawyer, testing out the metal coils on her neck.

Eliza and Tori, long-necking it like the locals.

Zander with a long neck.

Ryder with a long neck.

Then we visited a snake and reptile center...

Ryder holding a huge iguana.

Zander with the huge iguana.

Nash, with a big snake around his neck.

Zander with a big snake.

Eliza...um, loving having a snake around her neck.

Smile Eliza...

Ryder with a giant scorpion.

Cody, staring down the giant scorpion.

Giant cobras, and these guys were leaning down to kiss them...crazy!

This is as close as any of us dared to get to the giant cobras.