10 THINGS TO DO (AND NOT DO) IN CHIANG MAI

Send

Chiang Mai It is one of our favorite cities in Thailand. We have visited it on many occasions, I think we have lost count! And every time we go we feel very comfortable. Ok, there is a lot of tourist, but if you know how to search, there are lovely places and there is always the option to rent a motorcycle to get away from the hustle and bustle of the (small / large) city and relax in its mountains.

We are going to tell you 10 things to see and do in Chiang Mai in backpacking plan

Chiang Mai is a city that grew a lot. But its historic center is clearly defined by a pit and a wall that was built to defend it from Burmese attacks. Within these walls is the most beautiful of Chiang Mai: its buddhist temples. Although there are more than 300 temples in the city you will soon discover why the Wat Phra Singh It is the most beautiful.

You will also fall in love with the smell of grilled meat skewers, the atmosphere of street restaurants where you can have a good Thai pad and drink a fruit smoothie. The only advice we can give you is: get lost in the streets of the old town and discover your magic corners.

As we have told you, in Chiang Mai there are many Buddhist temples, from many different eras, some very important and others where only the neighbors approach. But all have their charm. We, every time we go to Chiang Mai (which are a few), try to visit new temples. So we could make this guide with the 15 best temples in Chiang Mai.

Although we have to highlight some over the rest of temples. The sacred mountain Doi Suthpe is located a few kilometers from the center of Chiang Mai. The temple Wat Phra That Doi Suthep It is the main attraction (although be prepared to climb a few stairs!) The views from there are stunning ... If you are lucky! The first time we went we only saw one thing: fog! On our second visit the reward was magnificent.

You can climb by renting a motorcycle, or by public transport in one of the many red vans that pass through the city, just for one and ask where it goes. For the more adventurous you can rent mountain bikes and beat yourself up to the top. A few kilometers away is a village of the Hmong ethnic group. We found a total tourist so we do not recommend it.

If, like us, you are fortunate to be in Thailand during Loy Krathong, go to Chiang Mai: this is where the party becomes more spectacular. Thousands of lanterns and boats will light up the sky and the river and you will live an unforgettable moment. If you want to know more about this party, check out this post.

Update 2019: the truth is that we had never stopped to think about the environmental impact that all lamps and loy krathongs have on the surroundings / rivers of the city. Thanks to Carla's Suitcase, which we met just a few days ago in Chiang Mai, we realized that, indeed ... everything that goes up low and although it is true that the lamps are mostly biodegradable, they are also made of metals. In addition, loy krathongs often clog rivers and lakes, with harmful effects until they are removed. Come on, we have begun to look with other eyes at the lamps that we liked so much. Even so, the festival is worth seeing, mostly because of the beautiful temples and activities in the city.

Chiang Mai has become one of the Mecca of digital nomads. There are many who spend long periods here, working with their computers from their apartments or ... From coffee shops! In Chiang Mai there are lots of super-beautiful coffee shops, and with good coffee. Just don't expect Thai prices, probably a capuccino costs here more than in Rome.

Here we tell you the best coffee shops in Chiang Mai.

Before coffee a good meal has to come. In Chiang Mai there is an excellent cuisine, formed by the mixture of different flavors and cultures, and that offers a totally recommendable experience to the traveler. Let yourself be advised by the specialty of each restaurant, though, try to order no spicy!

There are several typical dishes of this area of Thailand, such as soup khao soi, or the kaeng hang lei. You will also find restaurants of all kinds. Check out our Chiang Mai restaurant guide.

Chiang Mai is the perfect city to learn something new. Do you like cooking? You can take a course like this and learn to cook homemade specialties! Do you like massages? You can receive massages and learn to give them! Do you like martial arts? Learn the basic movements of Muay Thai, the Thai national sport… Or dare to play a game of sepak takraw (without breaking your hip). Here he who does not learn is because he does not want to!

Chiang Mai is a good port of departure for some of the most beautiful trekkings in Thailand. One or several day trekkings can be hired with virtually all city agencies. Make clear from the beginning what you are looking for and what you do not need: they usually offer trekkings that pass through mountains, rivers, jungle and the controversial towns of ethnic minorities (which are almost always not authentic if not touristy).

You will surely arrive in Chiang Mai after having traveled km and km walking through Bangkok, examining the ruins of Ayuttaya or Sukhothai, so now just take a few days off. Take the opportunity to hit a whim (there are several cheap accommodations with a pool, see this article), to chat with other travelers, to write your travel diary and update your blog. Even the most inveterate traveler needs a few days off. And Chiang Mai is the perfect scenario.

There are several cities near Chiang Mai that are worth exploring: we advise you to spend a few days in Pai where you can relax and savor the most hippie corner of Thailand. And don't miss a visit to Chiang Rai. The town itself did not amaze us but you have to go to see the white temple: amazing!

If what you want is to disconnect from the asphalt and people, go on an excursion to the national parkDoi Inthanon National Park,It is located about 100km from Chiang Mai. You can admire the highest mountain in Thailand with its 2,565m, bathe in icy waterfalls and enjoy temples and a charming place. There are tours that depart from Chiang Mai daily.

What if rent a motorcycle In Chiang Mai, in addition to moving through its alleys, climb Doi Suthep and reach the farthest temples, you can take a circular tour of its nearby villages. Check out our tour of the Samoeng Loop. And more near Chiang Mai are the ruins of the lost capital: Wiang Kum Kam.

Around Chiang Mai there is a weird business: that of animals. Going around with the motorcycle we have seen shows of monkeys, snakes, tigers, elephants, bugs and many more. Obviously it is business that they train and mistreat animals in exchange for some coins of the tourist on duty who thinks he is watching an exotic show.

We are totally against it. On our first trip to Thailand we went very gravy and decided to go to an elephant “recovery” park where we saw how the trainers had metal skewers ready to be used in case the animal did not do what it had to do (draw , play with a ball, walk). Very sad.

¿Cuidadín! In the past, everyone spoke well of Elephant Nature Park but it seems that it is NOT recommended anymore. We leave you here the Faada statement and here we leave you a list with the animal recovery centers in Thailand, where things are done well. Remember that the fact that you do not see abuse does not mean that there is no abuse. The guys from Conmochila explain it very well here.

Apparently a center that is doing things right is the Chang Chill.

* Since we updated this information we have been contacted by different travelers who, after visiting the ENP, were left with a good feeling. We simply report the FAADA statement. We have not recently visited the park and we have no personal experience, but seeing photos on Tripadvisor and other networks there are still small things that do not convince us (they told us that the elephant baths were already canceled but there are photos of the month of August that prove the contrary). As in everything, what we advise you is to inform you and choose for yourself (we would love to tell you what you think about the return).

And what about thefamous Tiger Kindom? Tigers are sedated all day to allow tourists to approach and take a picture. A horror. Do not go.

These are our opinions and we do not want to criticize anyone, we already say that we ourselves paid for an elephant trip on our first trip, yes, if we had had an idea of the circus that is mounted ... nor would we have done it by far!

Take care of them!!

In short, Chiang Mai is both a perfect place to spend time without doing much, relax and write as a reference point to plan adventure excursions and learn more about this area ... Yes, being responsible! These are our ideas of things to see and do in Chiang Mai, which is your favorite?