Eat, Do, See?

[Thailaw]

My girlfriend, baby and I are coming to Chaing Mai next month for a short (4 day) visit -- my 2nd visit, her (and the baby's) first. We are residents of Pattaya. We will not have a car and will be staying in the city. I need recommendations of places to eat and places to go while in CM -- residents should have the best ideas/recommendations, places that off the tourists' path and that will make the trip memorable (for at least she and me). Please recommend restaurants that offer authentic Northern Thai (or interesting ethnic food, such as Japanese--the place YOU would go to for lunch or dinner if you had only 4 days in Chiang Mai; no best burger or steak or fish and chips or meat pies, please) restaurant that can be located by a non-resident. Value for money is the key and preferably with some atmosphere and B1000 for 2 (or less)(more if it is truly exceptional). We will likely avoid (not seek out) seafood, since I doubt the CM can compete on that front with Pattaya. All recommendations will be greatly appreciated. Also, recommendations of places to visit and things to do in Chaing Mai (even if renting a car/driver is required) will be greatly appreciated. Places that are indicative of/exlusive to Northern Thailand would be at the top of the list, as would natural/outdoor/scenic spots. Thanks very much to all that respond. Cheers,

[Thailaw]

And how, pray tell, do I tell the ads for the "great restaurants" from the "average restaurants" from the "truly awful restaurants"? I assume/expect that CM has them all and that they all advertize in the tourist rags -- the good, the bad and the ugly. If I did that in Pattaya or Bangkok, it would be like throwing darts. Not my idea of a useful approach -- I would rather rely on locals who have "tried them all" and know from experience which ones are best. As I said, I have only 4 days and the opportunity for sampling is limited. But thanks for the advice.

[Mapguy]

And how, pray tell, do I tell the ads for the "great restaurants" from the "average restaurants" from the "truly awful restaurants"? I assume/expect that CM has them all and that they all advertize in the tourist rags -- the good, the bad and the ugly. If I did that in Pattaya or Bangkok, it would be like throwing darts. Not my idea of a useful approach -- I would rather rely on locals who have "tried them all" and know from experience which ones are best. As I said, I have only 4 days and the opportunity for sampling is limited. But thanks for the advice.

A very quick fix for you is the line-up of restaurants on "Meals on Wheels 4U," a sponsor I think, of this site. Otherwise, I think you will find this town much more sophisticated than Pattaya in its tastes. But bring money!

[miltonbentley]

For authentic Lanna food at lunchtime Huen Phen on Ratchamankha Road. Excellent food and good value for money

[realthaideal]

I second Huen Penh as well. Also for a classy touch of Lanna with an elegant show by a CM legend, head out to Huan Soontharee (sic) up along the river. This place encapsulates many of the best things of the North in a genuine friendly atmosphere. Soontharee actually lives there as well. It's as if you're a guest in her home while she entertains you.

There's a new mag around town, hard to find outside of the Writers Club n Wine Bar, but Chiang Mai 101 has some informative restaurant reviews. As well City life has an annual restaurant guide project. Maybe try an online search.

And go check out Wat Umong. Not only is this wat quirky and sort of tucked away (read 'uncrowded' or 'peaceful') but kids will love the nature walking around the place, and the pond where you feed the GIANT catfish to make merit. It's fun and the kids are sure to remember having fun.

[happy7]

You can try this website: http://cm-eat.blogspot.com. There's also a post about recommended Thai restaurants. It's a site I started and my own reviews of restaurants in Chiang Mai. Hopefully I'm allowed to post it here, but I'm not making any money from it, except for a few ads! Hopefully it helps. : )

As for places to visit - Doi Suthep temple, Doi Inthanon, Ban Tawai for nice handicrafts. For somewhere less touristy, may be Chiang Dao (btw, great food at Chiang Dao Nest 1), visit the Royal Projects. Also, must go to Sunday Walking Street. Wat Rongkhun ("White Temple" at Chiang Rai is very nice).....

[davyboy]

And how, pray tell, do I tell the ads for the "great restaurants" from the "average restaurants" from the "truly awful restaurants"? I assume/expect that CM has them all and that they all advertize in the tourist rags -- the good, the bad and the ugly. If I did that in Pattaya or Bangkok, it would be like throwing darts. Not my idea of a useful approach -- I would rather rely on locals who have "tried them all" and know from experience which ones are best. As I said, I have only 4 days and the opportunity for sampling is limited. But thanks for the advice.

In Pattaya it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack!

[Thailaw]

Thanks to all for exceptionally helpful suggestions and leads. They will no doubt improve our visit to Chiang Mai.

And while I do not want to get into a debate on the relative merits/sophistication of Chiang Mai vs. Pattaya, Pattaya does have some fine restaurants. However, value for money is not easy to find. The very good ones that advertize heavily (and are therefore well known) are grossly overpriced, which comes, I suspect from the large number of tourists with less budget constraints than residents. To find good food and good value takes some time and sampling, but they are there in Pattaya. But we are looking forward to our trip to CM, and I will have a better idea of the relative merits of the two cities after our trip.

Thanks again. Choke dee, krap,

[chiangmaibruce]

Just a few quick comments/suggestions:

* Chiang Mai is large and spread out. It is also difficult to find places. I would suggest the car with (local) driver option as being worthwhile for someone in your situation

* Citylife web site is at www.citylife-citylife.com and worth exploring just to see the range of attractions on hand. If you can get hold of a magazine then even better - it's pretty good

* There are MANY restaurant reviews if you scroll through the threads in this sub-forum. To speed things up you could use the search function (see top right this page)

* One northern Thai restuarant we frequent is very close to the Airport Hotel. No idea of its name or the street name, but find the hotel and you will see it on the corner of the main road that runs to the airport. Try the Chiang Mai curry they serve there - very tasty.

[mcgriffith]

A post was deleted.

Please no personal attacks or anything that could be construed as flaming, etc.

Thanks for your understanding.

[Thailaw]

Thanks, CMB. We will try the restaurant close to the Airport Hotel (assuming we can find it).

I have looked at threads recommending restaurants in Chiang Mai, but in most cases the directions given were difficult for a local, never mind a visitor, to follow ("go to the 5 way intersection from the 3 way intersection from Wat Suntitan and turn right..."), which is why I made my inquiry. I have seen recommendations for The Riverside, and intend to try that one one evening. Others also look very interesting (one in/close to Hang Dong), but it will depend on how far they are and how difficult to get to. In any event, we have some very good suggestions and a blog with more, so we can certainly find good places for 4 days from what has been recommended. Always can use more if anyone knows of an especially "special" place. Thanks again.......

[rrose070]

If you like seafood, there's a fabulous place on Canal Road, heading towards Hang Dong, called Im Pla Pao. It was hard for us to find because the sign is in Thai, but it's near a market and has a fountain with lights at night. INCREDIBLE seafood and a fantastic bargain - we stuffed 4 people, with beer, for just about 500 baht exactly. I wish I could give better instructions, but can't recommend this place enough! Another, equally good value but further out, is called "102". I can't begin to give directions there, though. We always go at night and I'm on the back of the bike

[Thailaw]

Thanks, rrose! The seafood place sounds perfect and not too difficult to find if the fountain and lights are working -- we'll give it a try. I won't venture to "102" unless a cab driver know of it and how to get there, but I will certainly ask a few. Thanks so much!!

[rrose070]

Oh and (I'm directionally challenged) it's on the mountain side of the road.

[PeaceBlondie]

The seafood restaurant is most likely on the mountain end of ring road #1, but instead of entering from there, it is best to head south 50 meters to the U turn. So it is on the canal road, Klongchonpratan Road, between CMU and the Night Safari.

Visitors to Chiang Mai should realize that almost nobody, including chauffers, knows where anything is, well enough to explain it in Thai, Angrit, or Togolese.

[kennkate]

I can recomend A taxi and driver.

He took me to Mai Sai from Chang Mai and back. All day 11 Hrs in Total cost 2500 Plus a bit of Lunch

Good steady Driver and speeks A little English

You will have to PM me for his Mobile No If you are interested.

No self interest here. I was pleased that I felt Safe and the price was right

Will pick up at time to suit you .

[rrose070]

Visitors to Chiang Mai should realize that almost nobody, including chauffers, knows where anything is, well enough to explain it in Thai, Angrit, or Togolese.

Or me!

[Asmerom]

Thanks, rrose! The seafood place sounds perfect and not too difficult to find if the fountain and lights are working -- we'll give it a try. I won't venture to "102" unless a cab driver know of it and how to get there, but I will certainly ask a few. Thanks so much!!

I cannot believe your innocence ( I can't spell "naievte") in believing that you can find a restaurant in a town you don't know from the above directions; " on the Canal Road heading towards Hang Dong' and "being near a market and a fountain with lights at night". No landmarks, no mention of kilometres, hopeless. Do you know "The Canal Road"? Do you know there are two or three roads " heading towards Hang Dong"? Do you know if Hang Dong is N, S, E or W of Chiang Mai? Near a market!! ; give me a break. That's like saying its near a Seven Eleven. I've been here for six months. I know The Canal Road. But I wouldn't venture down it looking for a market and a fountain to find a restaurant.

Best of luck!!

[happy7]

Thanks, rrose! The seafood place sounds perfect and not too difficult to find if the fountain and lights are working -- we'll give it a try. I won't venture to "102" unless a cab driver know of it and how to get there, but I will certainly ask a few. Thanks so much!!

I cannot believe your innocence ( I can't spell "naievte") in believing that you can find a restaurant in a town you don't know from the above directions; " on the Canal Road heading towards Hang Dong' and "being near a market and a fountain with lights at night". No landmarks, no mention of kilometres, hopeless. Do you know "The Canal Road"? Do you know there are two or three roads " heading towards Hang Dong"? Do you know if Hang Dong is N, S, E or W of Chiang Mai? Near a market!! ; give me a break. That's like saying its near a Seven Eleven. I've been here for six months. I know The Canal Road. But I wouldn't venture down it looking for a market and a fountain to find a restaurant.

Best of luck!!

Here is the address and phone no. for Pla Pao (hope it's the same one)

Pla Pao

216/2 Klongchonlapratarn Rd.

Tel: 053-806 603

I'd say the most important thing is the phone number - you can get the driver to call for directions if he doesn't know where it is.

Edited January 19, 2009 by happy7

[Asmerom]

Here is the address and phone no. for Pla Pao (hope it's the same one)

Pla Pao

216/2 Klongchonlapratarn Rd.

Tel: 053-806 603 I'd say the most important thing is the phone number - you can get the driver to call for directions if he doesn't know where it is.

By the way, the Canal Road, which won't be named as such on most maps is the 121, West of the 108 (which also goes South to Hang Dong). If you continued South on the 121 following the frequent BLUE tourist signs to THE ROYAL FLORA EXHIBITION ( I would guess roughly 15 kilometres-15 minutes) you might think it worth half a day or more to visit this FREE, fantastic and absorbing floral display. Acres of gardens, trees, and plants from all parts of the planet beautifully displayed. A real visual treat. Better than a visit to the Zoo. But you should go there too, perhaps. Everyone else does.

[Thailaw]

Thanks, Happy. You have saved me from my aparent niavity -- at least as far as navigating the roads of Chiang Mai is concerned. In most places, the name of a restaurant, the street it is on and direction to travel, and a noticable/identifiable landmark would be adequate to find a restaurant--especially with a cab driver that is moderately familiar with the city and its places of interest (I don't expect we'll be walking). But maybe CM is that unique.

I have yet to see a post on any thread recommending restaurants that provided distances. Of course I'd prefer more -- a map would be great! But, with some help, I think what rrose provided is enough to get me there, and I appreciate that. I will now make a point of going to Pla Pao -- but I do have an address and phone number -- but I won't use them unless I need to. And I'll wear a blindfold!

[Thailaw]

Thanks, Asmerom, the Flora Exhibition is a superb choice and one that I am sure we will find time for. I have heard that the flowers in CM are superb, and the exhibition provides a great opportunity to see them -- all in one place. Much appreciated. I expect we will also find time for the zoo, but more for the baby and for some opportunities for photos. Thanks again.

[Asmerom]

Thanks, Happy. You have saved me from my aparent niavity

I will now make a point of going to Pla Pao -- but I do have an address and phone number -- but I won't use them unless I need to. And I'll wear a blindfold!

Well, it seems you, like me, are not immune to being alphabetically challenged ! "aparent niavity". Oh dear !! Back of the class, please. After about half a dozen attempts, with results like "did you mean gravity? ; did you mean nativity?" I eventually discovered that "naivete" is spelt just like that. And "apparently", is apparently spelt just like that.

Now maybe you should write out that phrase 40 times before you start out.

And please let us know if you found Pla Pao navigating by only the pointers you were well-intentionally given ; a fountain, bright lights and a market, later qualified as being at the mountain end of the road. If you go at night maybe you could enlist the stars but you'd need to remove your blindfold.

[Thailaw]

I did not realize I was (indeed, I was not) in school or the office when I wrote my reply. For most/all of us, the standards for our casual writing and our professional writing are very different. I believe that my response was clear to everyone that read it -- that should be the standard applied -- not some pedantic effort to nit pick each and every word, which is a waste of your time and mine. Your second reply was helpful and appreciated; your first and third were not.

[Asmerom]

I did not realize I was (indeed, I was not) in school or the office when I wrote my reply. For most/all of us, the standards for our casual writing and our professional writing are very different. I believe that my response was clear to everyone that read it -- that should be the standard applied -- not some pedantic effort to nit pick each and every word, which is a waste of your time and mine. Your second reply was helpful and appreciated; your first and third were not.

You certainly are a touchy customer.