holiday in Chang Mai ?

[Joinaman]

Hi there

looking to visit Chang Mai in a few weeks , maybe stay for about 7 days

Driving from Nakhon Phanom so will have car to get around once we are there

Any suggestions for a reasonable place to stay for me and the  Thai missus 

would like somewhere close to some nice bars, eating places, live music, play pool ?

Maybe stay a few days in 2 or 3 star place, then finish in a 4 or 5 star for a bit of luxury

will need free parking, pool would be nice, maybe breakfast ?

best places to go and see, either in Chang Mai itself or anywhere within easy driving distance ?

Thanks , any advice welcome 

 

[sirmud63]

try using agoda.

[Joinaman]

Well i never thought of that, Dohh!!!!!

Agoda, booking .com are good to show hotels and prices sometimes, but on the ones i use, they don,t tell me what the areas like, what is good withing walking distance, if its noisy, or anything else

Maybe you have a better version, 

[sharktooth]

TripAdvisor far better than Agoda in my opinion.

[Bill97]

Welcome to the CM TV Tour Guide Service. Niemanhamen Rd area is made for you. Look no further.


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

[sirmud63]

50 minutes ago, sharktooth said:

TripAdvisor far better than Agoda in my opinion.

trip advisor , way to many fake reviews. 

never had a bad experiance with agoda in 7years.

[sharktooth]

2 minutes ago, sirmud63 said:

trip advisor , way to many fake reviews. 

never had a bad experiance with agoda in 7years.

Last three hotels I stayed in I got the same price “walk-in” as agoda were advertising. Ignore the “1 review” fakes on TripAdvisor and read the others. I used agoda for years, but got pumped by them one too many times.

[ramrod711]

Somewhere around the night bazaar area off Chiang Klan rd. is probably where you will find the largest assortment of hotels. There are many restaurants in that area and a nightly market. Enjoy your vacation

[Joinaman]

thanks Ramrod

thats what i was looking for, someone to say which is a good area to stay in 

I use Agoda and Booking.com plus others, most times ok, but sometimes have ended up in places a bit out of the way

want to see the city, see some nightlife, but also to go out into the hills and see other things

thanks again to everyone, even Sirmud63, lol

[mikey88]

Broadly speaking you need to be in the old city.

...if you find some hotels you like you can message me and I’ll comment on the area if you like and give you my opinion.

[Gruff]

Pornping   Mae Ping  and Manninarakorn  Hotels are all very centrally located and i think are about the standard you are looking for. Pornping used to have a nice little place on the roof for a drink or snack

 

Edited December 31, 2017 by Gruff

[thaibeachlovers]

Don't turn up and expect to find a place in anything with a star near the Night Market area. Doubtless there would be something if you looked around, but a lot of places are full. The Chinese invasion started a few weeks ago.

 

Nightlife in Chiang Mai 555555555555555555

It's dead by 11pm or so, and what there is before hardly qualifies to have that title. There are a few barbeers along Loi Kroh, and a ladyboy show at Anusorn market, but I don't even bother as it's so quiet, and all shuttered by midnight. A good movie on tv is more exciting and I don't need to take out a mortgage to watch one.

However, if foot massages floats your boat, it's paradise, and temple lovers wet themselves up here.

 

PS, traffic is diabolical, and finding a parking space is a problem, except at shopping malls.

Edited December 31, 2017 by thaibeachlovers

[1FinickyOne]

Walking around the old city especially the NE quadrant has a lot of charm to it... Night bazaar area fro shopping... IMM Hotel is pretty centrally located and has easy parking around the back... For something a bit nicer with a pool you might try Yaang Come or Siripanna... or go a bit out of central area to Centara - which will be easier for going to the out of town points of interest... the zoo can be nice for an afternoon, Doi Suthep... I tend to avoid the Tiger Kingdom type tourist areas, and did not enjoy the Night Safari... have fun.

[Thaitoknow]

On 30/12/2017 at 2:21 PM, sharktooth said:

TripAdvisor far better than Agoda in my opinion.

Tripadvisor is nonsense. People can leave reviews who have never stayed with you.

You get all your friends to leave good reviews or rival business can leave bad reviews.

[sharktooth]

1 hour ago, Thaitoknow said:

Tripadvisor is nonsense. People can leave reviews who have never stayed with you.

You get all your friends to leave good reviews or rival business can leave bad reviews.

But only stupid people fall for them...

[thaibeachlovers]

On ‎12‎/‎31‎/‎2017 at 3:50 PM, kenk24 said:

Walking around the old city especially the NE quadrant has a lot of charm to it... Night bazaar area fro shopping... IMM Hotel is pretty centrally located and has easy parking around the back... For something a bit nicer with a pool you might try Yaang Come or Siripanna... or go a bit out of central area to Centara - which will be easier for going to the out of town points of interest... the zoo can be nice for an afternoon, Doi Suthep... I tend to avoid the Tiger Kingdom type tourist areas, and did not enjoy the Night Safari... have fun.

LOL. We are diametrically opposed on two things. I enjoyed the Night Safari and would like to have had more time there ( on a tour ), but I didn't like the zoo at all.

 

I wouldn't recommend the IMM hotel simply because of the traffic in that area. If having own car I'd stay further out and park in a mall carpark during the day when in town.

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

LOL. We are diametrically opposed on two things. I enjoyed the Night Safari and would like to have had more time there ( on a tour ), but I didn't like the zoo at all.

 

I wouldn't recommend the IMM hotel simply because of the traffic in that area. If having own car I'd stay further out and park in a mall carpark during the day when in town.

always good to have other opinions.. the night safari was for me nothing more than a zoo that you ride through on a tram with a spotlight... trying to simulate spotting them in the wild... I have not been to the regular zoo in a few years and have heard others say it has become a bit rundown. 

 

I recommended the IMM mostly for its location. I would say that Pratu Thapae is the center of CM... a good spot especially for a first timer... personally, I do stay a bit further out usually but as long as not going during rush hour,  I don't find CM traffic intimidating... I know others get worked about it, but compared to other large cities, it is not so bad. 

[sfokevin]

Here is my pick for s hotel... Its inside the moat but tucked away... Easy walk to Loy Kroy Rd for pool & nightlife... Sunday night the evening walking street is nice on Rachamendoen Rd... make a point to do an evening walk to Wat Chaefi Luang!... they have parking but make sure to reserve before you arrive....

 

http://lamphuhousechiangmai.com/facilities.html

[Gruff]

On 12/31/2017 at 8:37 AM, sanemax said:

Who is "resentful and bitter "?

Its just the bar owners, the bar girls and the "drink all night and sleep all day" mob that are annoyed about the 12 30 pm closing  

 Not necessarily i prefer a late night drink when the air is cool. I don't like to drink a lot so my routine (if not for early closure) would be to go out late and first drink  about 10.30 to 11pm ish.  Just because someone likes to drink late shouldn't mean they are categorised as you have done!

[thaibeachlovers]

20 hours ago, kenk24 said:

always good to have other opinions.. the night safari was for me nothing more than a zoo that you ride through on a tram with a spotlight... trying to simulate spotting them in the wild... I have not been to the regular zoo in a few years and have heard others say it has become a bit rundown. 

 

I recommended the IMM mostly for its location. I would say that Pratu Thapae is the center of CM... a good spot especially for a first timer... personally, I do stay a bit further out usually but as long as not going during rush hour,  I don't find CM traffic intimidating... I know others get worked about it, but compared to other large cities, it is not so bad. 

Something wrong there. When I went to the night safari I attended the show they put on, which is why I enjoyed the experience. I also went on the tram.

Unfortunately as I was on a tour I didn't get to look around by myself. 

Seems you missed the show, which was the part I liked best.

 

I don't find C M traffic intimidating, I find it insane, and there was nil planning done on the roads which are a disgrace.

Every time I had to drive there I hated it.

[masuk]

On 30/12/2017 at 3:00 PM, Bill97 said:

Welcome to the CM TV Tour Guide Service. Niemanhamen Rd area is made for you. Look no further.


Sent from my iPod touch using Thaivisa Connect

First flight over Nimman 0600!!!

[1FinickyOne]

1 hour ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Something wrong there. When I went to the night safari I attended the show they put on, which is why I enjoyed the experience. I also went on the tram.

Unfortunately as I was on a tour I didn't get to look around by myself. 

Seems you missed the show, which was the part I liked best.

 

I don't find C M traffic intimidating, I find it insane, and there was nil planning done on the roads which are a disgrace.

Every time I had to drive there I hated it.

It seems traffic in CM bothers a lot of people. It's a city, there are other cars and motorcycles doing what they do... much better than Bkk where you don't drive so much as sit and wait... and you are correct, I did not see a show but a really impressive entry building... and a silly tram right... 

[sfokevin]

You would think when they built that moat they would have put in at least one underpass... 

[Gruff]

A coulple of other suggestions for your hotels OP.. The Royal Panerai Hotel can sometimes price as low as 500 baht and it is excellent value for money rooms at that price. It is just on the outside of the North East corner of the moat has undergrond car park and the sister hotel a few doors away (Royal Penninsular) does a reasonable buffet breakfast. A very short walk to a number of bars in Soi 8 or 9 Moon Muang. For an upgrade for the last couple of days (whilst i have not stayed myself)  i have heard very good reports of the De Chai Colonnial Hotel which is very central in a quiet Soi behind Thapee Road. Not sure about parking there though

Edited January 3, 2018 by Gruff

[Scott]

Troll post reported and removed along with a reply. 

[Joinaman]

thanks guys

Going there for a week from this friday

Have booked the Maninarakorn Hotel for the first few days so we can see the town and then move out to the Viangngam Lanna Villa for the remainder

Looking forward to seeing Chiang Mai, but not sure about the drive there and back, about 817 ks each way

But at least i get to see a lot more of Thailand than just jumping on a plane

Thanks  again to all

 

[thaibeachlovers]

21 hours ago, Joinaman said:

thanks guys

Going there for a week from this friday

Have booked the Maninarakorn Hotel for the first few days so we can see the town and then move out to the Viangngam Lanna Villa for the remainder

Looking forward to seeing Chiang Mai, but not sure about the drive there and back, about 817 ks each way

But at least i get to see a lot more of Thailand than just jumping on a plane

Thanks  again to all

 

Good choice of hotel. Near all the important places.

[ChristianBlessing]

Pornping   Mae Ping  and Manninarakorn  Hotels are all very centrally located and i think are about the standard you are looking for. Pornping used to have a nice little place on the roof for a drink or snack
 

Still does. Great for a nightcap.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

[Justfine]

With a car better to stay outside the city. CM has bad traffic but without the fun of Bangkok.

 

Stayed near night mkt and old city before. Didnt find much charm. Just lots of tourists hence the nick Farang Mai.

 

 

[Justfine]

On 15/01/2018 at 12:03 AM, Joinaman said:

thanks guys

Going there for a week from this friday

Have booked the Maninarakorn Hotel for the first few days so we can see the town and then move out to the Viangngam Lanna Villa for the remainder

Looking forward to seeing Chiang Mai, but not sure about the drive there and back, about 817 ks each way

But at least i get to see a lot more of Thailand than just jumping on a plane

Thanks  again to all

 

Id spend 2 weeks driving and enjoy the trip. Stay a couple of nights in each province. CM city isnt that interesting. Nice province but city is touristy and pretty fake.