CHIANG MAI, Thailand -- If Bangkok is overcrowded and dirty, Chiang Mai is a comparably manageable, more laid-back city. Noted for its proximity to outdoor adventures, Chiang Mai also has a cooler climate.

From Bangkok we traveled the more than 400 miles northward to Chiang Mai via an overnight train. A one-way ticket for a sleeping berth costs about $20 per passenger at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong station or $50 per person through a Thai travel agent. Sleeping compartments were sold out on our train, so we were glad we booked with an agent.

The sleeping compartment was austere and not altogether clean. Justin encountered a rat in the communal bathroom at one end of the sleeper car, and we killed a cockroach in our cabin; however, the bed linens were freshly washed. We were able to buy a delicious, cheap dinner for two ($4.50), and by traveling overnight we saved a day's travel, maximizing our time abroad.

In Chiang Mai, we stayed at Little Home Guest House (not to be confused with Little Guest House). The only real difference I could find between a motel and a guest house was that at the guest house they don't make your bed for you every day. But you do get to see the same friendly employees every day, always ready to sell you bottled water for less than 60 cents per liter -- and we were centrally located between the old city and a more modern business and shopping district that's home to an extensive night market. (One caveat: Little Home was quiet during our stay but a nightclub was being built next door.)

Chiang Mai is a thoroughly walkable city that moves at a slower pace. It's also less expensive, from meals to Thai massages given on site at a Buddhist temple (just $4 for one hour).

Justin became a fan of Black Canyon Coffee, the Starbucks of Southeast Asia, and spent a day in a Thai cooking school ($24). I spent a day biking ($46, including lunch) down Doi Suthep, a nearby mountain.

Together we went on a daylong jungle trek ($24, including lunch) that included an elephant ride, a hike to a waterfall, lunch, visits to tribal villages and bamboo rafting on the Mae Wang River.

Our guide, Aui of Amporn Tour Chiang Mai, was terrific and revealed an interesting cultural trait by wearing a long-sleeve sweatshirt in 90-degree weather.

Just as many Americans long to be tan, many Thais would prefer to have lighter skin, as evidenced by Aui's attempts to avoid the sun and the pale-skinned Thais in many billboard advertisements.