Chiang Mai Travel Forum

Hi there,

We're going back to Thailand for our honeymoon and have three full days in Chiang Mai.
We've done a bit of research and there seems to be so much to do there.

Can anyone recommend to us what we should concentrate on while we are there in terms of sightseeing.
Also we're staying in the Holiday Inn (formerly Sheraton) and wondered how far away our hotel is from these attractions.

Is Chiang Mai like the rest of Thailand i.e. you can hop on a sky train or bus or tuk tuk to get where you need to be???

Cheers

Rach and Liam : )

I was in Chiangmai in February 06 with two friends. We booked a seelor(4 wheel cab) and paid 1000 bahts for a whole day. The driver, Montein took us everywhere including up the hills to visit a Hmong village of the meo tribe. We also visited Doi Suthep but could not enter the Phu Ping palace as the Queen was there for a visit so it was closed to the public. We also went to Samkampeng to see the local crafts being made. We wanted to visit the markets and try the local food and Mon helped us to order. Unfortunately I've misplaced his card but will post the info if i find it. He can even help to arrange a trip to Chiangrai and the golden triangle.
There's lots to see and do in Thailand and I'm sure you'll enjoy your visit.

Hi Rach and Liam,
I managed to find the card that Mon gave me. His name is Montain Bootsadee and his mobile no. is 09-4329536. He's very pleasant and obliging and was a great help.
Cheers.

The Holiday Inn, formerly the Sheraton, formerly the Westin, is a very nice hotel. BTW, it has a wonderful buffet.

However, it's not really walking distance to the Old City or even the Night Bazaar.

Sky Train - WOW, that would be COOL!! But unfortunately,'no have'.

busses - Yes they have city busses, but the scheduling, is how can I say this, sporatic. Amazing THAILAND!!

songtaews (communal red taxis) - A terrific way to get around Chiang Mai. You flag one down, and tell them where you are headed. If he's going in that direction, you'll hop in the back, and away you go. You'll pay the 20-baht fare when you get out.

tuk-tuks - With two people, I think this might be your best bet. You will need to bargain, but the fare from the Holiday Inn to the Night Bazaar should be 40-60 baht.

note: Since it's now off-season, the drivers need the customers, so it's a 'buyers-market'.

Regarding the communal red-taxi/songthaews--well, I would not expect that the fare is always 20 bahts and you should ask first and/or negotiate the fare before getting in. Otherwise you might be in for an unpleasant surprise. Generally it's 20 bahts for short distances, as around up to 3-4kilometers but after that, expect to pay more. Songthaews are a great way to get around. Just note that at night, there are a lot less than daytime and they do charge more.

One pleasant visit if you're into elephants is the Mae Sa Elephant Camp which is about 30 minutes outside of Chiang Mai (to the west). It's one of the largest I've encountered and the elephant show is quite interesting too. They may have a website so you might google or yahoo them.

Another worthwile destination though quite a distance from Chiang Mai but a great place to visit for honeymooners and is packed with culture is Sukothai, a UNESCO World Heritage site. If you've got extra days, it's not so far from Chiang Mai.

I AGREE, you should have an agreement with the driver on price, BEFORE you get in.

The red-taxi territory is 'Muang' Chang Mai, which essentially includes ALL the tourist areas in Chiang Mai.

The fare for the Thai people for the red taxis is 15-baht; so at 20-baht, you are essentially paying an unofficial 5-baht falang (foreigner) surcharge.

The driver might well hold up three-fingers, indicating 30-baht. If you're cool with that, hop in; if not, there will be other taxis coming down the road.

The prices you MUST make sure you are in agreement with in advance, is for the tuk-tuks.

Great thankyou so much for your help, much appreciated!! Rach : )

If you are in Chiang Mai on a Saturday or a Sunday, you should go to one of the walking streets. I describe it in my blog http://my-lanna.blogspot.com, which shows you the other markets too and has links to the homepages of guesthouses and hotels and videos.

Here's a great website which showcases the magnificent beauty of Chiang Mai : http://www.mapjack.com. Check it out! It's really cool.