Chiang Mai Travel Forum

WHat is best to see and do in and around CHiang Mai? My wife and I will be there for six days in June. WHat destinations are best done with a guide and what can be seden unguided?

There are a ton of things to do in the area. some of the "must see" things are:

* The wat atop the local Doi Suthep mountain. Simply gorgeous architecture and views of the surrounding valley.
* Take a cooking class. Enjoy learning some of the great cuisine of Thailand, often taught by local chefs and cooks.
* Visit the zoo. While it sounds a bit corny, the Chiang Mai zoo has a fabulous exhibit for two panda bears (given to Thailand for the 60th birthday of the queen a few years back). Watch them playing and cavorting around their area.
* Trekking. There are treks into the jungle which range from one afternoon to multi-day excursions. You can ride elephants, or take bamboo rafts down the river.
* Visit the highest point in Thailand. Doi Inthanon is a great place to go hiking, see some of the local flora and fauna, as well as see some of the farming communities that have sprung up in response to the governments attack on opium growing... they mostly grow strawberries instead.

Most things can be done unguided (except the elephants and cooking class, of course). If you're feeling up to the adventure, rent a motorbike and scooter around the town and local environs. It makes the trip there a bit more rewarding and liberates you from city bus schedules and tour groups.

If you have other questions, don't hesitate to email me or check out my Chiang Mai page.

Hi

To be honest, we were rather disappointed by Chiang Mai and still don't understand why it is called 'Rose of the North'. Think the city itself is rather boring and has not too much to offer (just a couple of temples and the National Museum). Found the night market a tourist trap, being overcrowded and commercialised.

A couple of nice things to do/see of course:
- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, halfway the mountain with stunning architecture and views of the city
- Phuping Palace - further on the Doi Suthep hill - is open for public (except when the royal family is staying in the palace).
- Bor Sang, umbrella village, try to avoid the very commercialised huge market in the centre of the village; coming from Chiang Mai there is a much more authentic smaller market on your left hand side
- San Kamphaeng Hot Springs
- Lamphun, a rather quiet city south of Chiang Mai with a nice temple.

happy travels
Jaap

In addition to Chiang Mai, if you have a 2 or 3 days to spare, why not go further north to Chiang Rai. I like Chiang Rai for its peaceful atmosphere and beautiful ancient temples. You can also travel further north to the border town of Mae Sai and Golden Triangle (one day trip).

We went to Pai which is about 4 hours by bus north of Chiang Mai and really enjoyed it - was quiet and bit laid back town with nice surroundings. Is quite popular for tourist looking to get away from the craziness of some other Thai towns and I enjoyed it. Like one of the above replies I was a little dissapointed with Chiang Mai.

If you love animals, don't miss the elephants. There are many camps around. The ones that are worth supporting:
http://www.elephantnaturefoundation.org/go/park
http://www.tatnews.org/others/1785.asp