The U Choose program at the 41-room U Chiang Mai (70 Ratchadamnoen Rd., Sri-Poom, Muang, 053-327-000. www.uchiangmai.com) lets you decide when it comes to what pillows, mini bar items, tea selection, soaps, iPod music and even DVD’s you want in your room. The service is available through the hotel’s website, reservation center or at the hotel. The hotel is currently offering a U Discovery package (price starts from B5,400/night). Spend your nights in a Superior room and explore Chiang Mai with their half-day tour for two people, daily scheduled heritage talks, guided walks and bike rides. And to make sure all that culture doesn’t leave you too stressed out, you can indulge in breakfast wherever/whenever (available till 11:30pm) and no matter how late you check in, you don’t have to check out until the same time. Through Oct 31.

MAE HONG SON

Hazy Haven

If your idea of fun is relaxing in the morning fog while sitting on top of a hill, camping out in a national park or bathing in hot springs, then there’s only one solution, head north to Pai! Here you can do it all, as well as visiting the nearby temples and taking a raft along the Pai River. If the whole camping thing sounds a little bit too much like roughing it, you can still stay close to nature at the newly opened Northern style resort Vimarnkiri (128 Moo 2, Viangnea, Pai, 053-699-827. www.vimarnkiri.com) which offers three types of wooden houses to choose from: villas, family houses and VIP houses. Prices start from B900 and include breakfast.

CHUMPORN

Down and Do Twenty

Live like a soldier. Eat like a soldier. Kill like a soldier. Woops, we forgot our counselor told us killing is very bad—you won’t get to do that last bit. But you do get to embrace you inner Rambo and experience what life is like for our proud fighting men and women at the Amazing Green Adventure 2008. Backed by the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the Fun Adventure program (B1,000/person) takes you around this genuine military boot camp in Udomsak, Chomporn (Udomsak Boot Camp, Wangmai, Chumporn, 02-682-9880, 02-741-1900). Visit their museum and monuments, learn about their army’s proud history and compete in teams in various sports such as mountain biking, shooting, archery, kayaking and other water sports. Bring your own tent and stay for free or opt for their accommodation (B200/night). The program is inclusive of one dinner, one lunch, a free T-shirt and a DVD recording of all the competitions. Let’s go grunts! On Oct 18-19.

Time Saves Money