Chiang Mai, the gem of Northern Thailand according to guide books and the Thais themselves, is situated near the Golden Triangle, in the border area of Thailand, Laos and Burma (nowadays called Myanmar). It is a tidy, relatively modern town which has no air pollution problem like Bangkok. As Chiang Mai is in the highlands, its climate is pleasantly temperate. Chiang Mai is also a magnet for the back-packing crowd, so it is easy to find affordable accommodation.

There is much to see in Chiang Mai, e.g. 300 Buddhist temples or “wats”, the old town walls, a big zoo with giant pandas (a gift from China) and of course the night markets full of noise, lights, odors and much more.

Doi Suthep

The Doi Suthep temple mountain about 16 kilometres northwest of Chiang Mai is almost a must see attraction. Once you get to the base of the temple you can either walk 300 steps up or take a cable car. On the top you can an marvel at an intriguing array of statues, some showing influences of Hinduism like the elephant-headed god below.

Trekking

There are multi-day guided treks from Chiang Mai to minority villages in the surrounding highlands. We did just a one day trek to a Hmong minority village.

Muay Thai

Muay Thai kick-boxing is something you should definitely see. We went only to see a free performance and we assume it was a sparring session, as it did not seem to be too serious although still impressive. On the performance stage nearby the “lady boys”-dancing group seemed to be working out of real belief in their cause and not only for their wages, though.

Chiang Mai Zoo

You might also be interested in our article on celebrating Loy Krathong in Chiang Mai

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