Welcome to Chiang Mai, the Rose of the North

Chiang Mai is located 700 km North of Bangkok, main city in the north and ancient capital city of the Lana Kingdom. Built in 1296 on a promontory, west of the Ping river, it was surrounded by solid thick walls and a moat to defend itself from invasions. Nowadays, the wall still stands in many parts and now delimits what is called the "old city" and represents now just a small part of the city.

Chiang Mai is mostly known for its numerous temples and it hosts, actually, not less than 300 (as much as in Bangkok), many of them being superb and not to be missed !!

Chiang Mai is also renowned for its quality wood and its wooden furniture and decoration objects factories. When you will stay in finely furnished and decorated high grade hotel rooms, all these furniture certainly comes from Chiang Mai... So if you plan to buy some furniture, this is the best place in Thailand, as most of the resellers of quality furniture in the kingdom get their stuff from Chiang Mai.

One can say that, indeed, most of the handicraft from Thailand actually come from this area and this is why Chiang Mai is a special place for shopping and its night market (night bazar) is famous in the whole world.

But Chiang Mai is much more than its temples or markets, it is all the Lana culture, the freshness of the mountains, the ricefields everywhere, the trekking in the jungle, walking or on the elephantback, rafting in the Ping river, and mostly, its extremely charming rythm of life for such a big city. And, finally, being the main city of the North, Golf players will be in heaven too, with not less than nine international class golf courses around Chiang Mai.

And for the night owls, Chiang Mai is a big city, and offers a wide variety of bars and nightclubs to satisfy all of them.

Discover the wonders of Chiang Mai

In Chiang Mai, the main goal when going on excursion is to visit a temple, you will find , indeed, 300 temples in the city and its area, and it will actually be difficult to have a walk in Chiang Mai without crossing several temples, some of them absolutely splendid.

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is surely the first name of temple which comes to the mind of all travellers when it comes to Chiang Mai temples, it is indeed the most renowned temple of all the area. The temple is actually outside from Chang Mai, about fifteen kilometers away, standing on a mountain of more than 1000 m high. Once at the top, you will still have to climb 309 marchs to reach the temple itself. The temple is made of several buildings and a splendid chedi, some guenine relics of the Buddha are kept in the pagoda in the center of the temple, making this place a pelgrimage place for thousands of buddhists in the world. Galeries, decorated with tens of statues of the Buddha facing the center, are running along all four walls of the temple, adding even more energy to this mystical place.

Wat Phra Sing is the most known temple in Chiang Mai after the Wat Doi Suthep, this is a superb temple with many statues and wall paintings. Wat Chedi Luang is certainly the most impressive temple in Chiang Mai with its huge chedi. Wat Suan Dok is splendid, with many chedi, hosting the ashes of the Royal family of Chiang Mai, it is a favorite among tourists especially at sunset. Wat Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai, built in 1296 at the same time the city was built.

Wat Ku Tao is another favorite among tourists, nice temple with a chedi, especially for its calm and serenity one can enjoy below its gigantic banyan tree.

But there are many other temples, like the Wat Chet Yot, a replica of the Mahabodi temple in Buddhagaya, in India, or the Wat Wiang Kum Kam splendid temple made of stone aside the river.

And this is just to name a few among the most famous temples of Chiang Mai, as the city and its outskirts is full of temples of different sizes and from different periods. Feel free to enter, just make sure you respect local customs and always be dressed correctly when you visit temples or holly places.

Discover the many activities in chiang Mai

If you will definitely visit many temples in Chiang Mai, many other activities await you as well.

And one of the pictures that comes to the mind when speaking about Chang Mai is the elephant, you will indeed have the opportunity to see many elephants and even to make some Elephant trekking in the jungle. Many agencies offer tours to bring you in the jungle and visit different elephant park of the area like the Mae Sa Elephant Camp, North of Chiang Mai on the Mai Rim-Samoeng road, or the Pong Yaeng Elephant Camp just 10 kilometers further to Samroeng on the same road, or, much further north, the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp, where you can see elephant working in the forest, lifting trunks of teakwood, bathing in the river and you can even join an elephant trekking in the jungle.

Not far from Chiang Dao are the famous Chiang Dao caves hosting many galeries, all ornamented and decorated with many representations of the Buddha, including a reclining Buddha.

And if you like action, in addition to the trek, you will have the opportunity to enjoy rafting down the Ping river, as many agencies also include it in their tours of the area of Chiang Mai.

The Mae Sae snake farm offers many snakes and other reptiles shows, very interesting, especially if you missed the snake farm in Bangkok.

In the surroundings of Mae Sae you will also find the Mae Sae waterfalls which will please the waterfall lovers.

For all nature lovers, the Butterfy and Orchid Farm, a big park where you can roam around the stunning tropical garden surrounded by colourful butterflies.

Chiang Mai is also famous for its markets, as it is the main trade center of the north of Thailand. There are many smelly and colourful fresh food markets around Chiang Mai. For bargains and souvenirs, visitors will prefer the night markets.

And if you enjoy playing Golf, Chiang Mai offers not less than nine very good golf courses, close to the city, like the Pimanthip Golf Course, just between Chiang Mai airport and the old city, or the Chiang Mai Gymcana Golf Club, South-East of the city Walls, before the river. And you could also take your chance to practice on the famous Royal Chiang Mai golf, among others. And this is just to name a few, just have a look at the map to view all Golf courses around chiang Mai.

Nightlife in Chiang Mai.

The attraction which will be offered, as soon as you arrive in Chiang Mai, by your hotel staff or agencies is the Kantoke Dinner, and this is certainly the attraction any visitor in Chiang Mai has done. It is actually a dinner with a show, where you will look at classical shows of the northern Thailand culture while eating 5 or 6 typical dishes of the area, served on a tray. Some Kantoke restaurant have up to 100 tables, saying 400 persons ! And the show is going on every evening...

The other main night activity in Chiang Mai, are, of course, the night markets like the night bazaar, the most renowned market of Chiang Mai, covered daily market covering not less than 10 blocks !! You will find any kind of food to taste the delight of the North, but also and mainly, many stalls of souvenirs and handycraft of anykind at absolutely unbeatable prices. Most of the tourists coming to Chiang Mai know this is the best place for shopping, including teakwood furniture and other superb wooden decoration objects.

On Sundays, you will also have the Sunday walking street market, a market literally improvised in the streets from Tapae Gate up to the center of the "old city", including adjacent streets. The sellers just set up their stalls along the streets and the full district is only for pedestrians for all the night. An institution in Chiang Mai and a good alternative to the Night Bazaar, but barely known by tourists.

On saturdays the Saturday Walking street market takes place from Chiang Mai Gate to Tippanet Road, a shorter version of the similar sunday market.

And for all the night owls fond of nightlife, Chiang Mai also offers a wide variety of choices, with, of course restaurants of all kinds serving cuisine from all over the world, where you will enjoy special french stuffed crepes or a maroccan couscous, not mentionning the classic pizza, and to follow the night, you will have the choice among many bars, without hostess, where you can listen live music played by local bands, or with hostess, as in many big cities in thailand, to spend the night or more...

Finally, Chiang Mai even hosts numerous Lounge bars and night clubs to push the night up to its limit in a cozy or frenzy atmosphere...