A crackling fireplace ...

You've probably read much about the rain and the floods in Thailand lately which have affected many parts of this low-lying country.

I personally have not seen rain for about 3 weeks as I've moved about lately from Chiang Mai to Samui to Bangkok -- lucky timing I guess -- but one thing's for sure is that up here in Chiang Mai the wet season is well and truly over as we slip into three month's of beautiful refreshing winter.

Forget your image of what winter is. Here the days are blue skies with temperatures in the 20s, or even 30s. But it's the mornings and evenings which get interesting. Down to about 6-12 degrees in the mountains of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai provinces at the moment.

So you can pull out your trackie daks and beanie and footy jumper, and sit around a crackling fireplace nursing a heart-warming tipple, jing jing.

If you've never experienced this side of life in Thailand, you should. November to February is really a magic time of year up here.