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Chiang Mai, Thailand

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Wow! You've got to go here! Chiang Mai, Thailand, is one of my favorite places in the country, if not Asia. Almost everyone I've met on my travels seems to love the place. 700 kilometres north of Bangkok and close to Myanmar (Burma) and Laos, Chiang Mai is the 'capital' of northern Thailand.

What's great about Chiang Mai is its laid-back feel. Sure, it has a rush hour like any city (the population is officially 200,000 but it 'stretches' to other towns to total a million). But it has endless quiet, leafy streets that are superb for leisurely strolls and bike rides. Trees, temples, monks and friendly smiles are everywhere!

What's unique about the city is its 2 kilometer square moat, a 700 year old defense system.

Many of the moat walls remain

Part of the walls remain. It's a lovely feel to be 'inside', in the old city, where most of the oldest Chiang Mai temples remain.

Chiang Mai was cut off from much of the outside world until the 1920's. Before then, riding on an elephant or a river journey were the only ways to get here. So this isolation has helped keep its charm!

Looming over the city is the impressive Doi Suthep Mountain (Doi means mountain), just a few kilometers away. If you get lost in the city, it's a great way to get your bearings!

To see a map of the city, including temples, the airport, train and bus stations and roads, have a look at my Chiang Mai Map.

Chiang Mai accommodation is excellent value. You can stay in a simple, clean room for as low as 5 or 6 US Dollars. You can also stay in some of the most luxurious hotels in the world. I've visited many guesthouses and hotels to help you decide where to stay. All of the pages below have a map to help you locate your accommodation. I've given many hotels and guesthouses their own 'page' with photos of the rooms and the building and details such as the cost and facilities as well as what I thought of the place.

To see guesthouses INSIDE the moat, see Chiang Mai Guesthouses for more information.

For more luxury, see Hotels in Chiang Mai for hotels inside the moat.

To see restaurants, cookery schools, coffee shops, massage schools, temples and more inside the moat, click HERE.

To see more details and pictures of guesthouses east of the moat, nearer to the city's river and 'center', see Chiang Mai Guesthouses 2.

To see hotels east of the moat, near to the river and center, including many huge ones, see Chiang Mai Hotels 2.

To see restaurants, markets, temples and bookshops and more to the east of the moat, towards the river, click HERE. This is this same map used to locate hotels east of the moat.

To see guesthouses, hotels and some luxury apartments to the west of the moat, a bit closer to Doi Suthep mountain, click HERE. You can also see a few restaurants and places of interest. This area is a new area of Chiang Mai and a popular place for Thais to visit because of the many fashionable bars and restaurants.

To see 5 more places to stay near to forested Wat Umong, in a lovely quiet area of the city near to Doi Suthep mountain, click HERE.

I've been here 5 times now and each time I haven't really wanted to leave.

Young monks walk along Suthep Road

Aside from its tranquillity, it's a great place for adventure activities. You can:

go downhill mountain biking.

speed down rivers whitewater rafting or kayaking.

swing through forest treetops.

go caving and rock-climbing.

go trekking to see hill-tribe villages.

go bungee-jumping, off-road buggying, paintballing.

....and more, all not far from the city.

There's also good opportunities to get close to animals:

At Tiger Kingdom, you can play with a baby tiger or interact (preferably not play!) with a full grown one.

You can visit rescued elephants in a natural habitat at Elephant Nature Park or, if you prefer,

ride an elephant.

There's a large, international standard zoo and a night safari.

The city is famous for its huge Sunday market and the night bazaar market, with a wide variety of products for sale, particularly local art and handicrafts.

And don't forget to get a massage in Chiang Mai. (how can you, massage shops are everywhere!), It's a world famous center for traditional Thai massage.

Picturesque moat along Moon Muang Rd, near Tha Pae Gate

I'm forever meeting people who are here to study in a massage school.

If you want to learn more about Thai food, you can join one of the many Thai cooking schools.

There are many places to learn meditation, yoga, reiki, tai chi and more. A very healthy vacation!

If you can tear yourself away from the country's beaches, make Chiang Mai, Thailand your next stop!

To see information about getting to and from Chiang Mai by bus, air and plane, head to this page.

To see some photos of people in and around the city, visit this page.

To see some more photos of in and around the city, click HERE.

Places to Visit Near Chiang Mai

Doi Inthanon National Park, where you'll find Thailand's highest mountain, at 2565 meters.

Meung On Cave and 2 Hot Springs, 40 kilometers north-east of the city.

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