5 Thing To Do...

[KMixon]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

[Mapguy]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

I suggest you have come to the wrong place to ask! For whatever it is worth, explore the site. It'll take a while. There are many tastes represented here. It is simpler to read one of the better guide books. Anyway, Chiang Mai is a nice place to visit for a couple of days, or more if you like it.

[BlackArtemis]

Doi Suthep

City temple tour

Chiang Mai zoo

Sunday Walking street

Baan Tawai

Doi Intanon

Night Bazar

Mountain treks

Tiger kingdom

Elephant Camp

Monkey show / Snake farm

More than 5 huh?

Avoid Night safari

Better than the usual suggestion of Nok, Gai, Lek, Ann, and Goong...

[millwall_fan]

1. doi suthep

2. Kad Luang (sometimes called wararot Market)

3. The Samoeng loop by motorbike or possibly car

4.Wat Jet Yot one of the oldest and nost atmospheric of the city's temples

5. Wat Doi Kham take a 30 minute horse draw tour through the countryside visiting 7 temples previously

buried under silt for 200 years

[anonymouse]

1. loy kroh

2. spicy

3. Mike's Burgers

4. Night Safari

and certainly don't forget Chez marco's

[BlackArtemis]

1. loy kroh

2. spicy

3. Mike's Burgers

4. Night Safari

and certainly don't forget Chez marco's

mmm gresy red meat and genital warts

[IanForbes]

The others gave a good list. For a nice day hike I recommend the small stream coming down off the mountain from Doi Suthep. There is a nice hiking trail and you can swim in the clear, mountain creek. The Chiang Mai zoo makes a good outing as well if you enjoy walking.

[anonymouse]

1. loy kroh

2. spicy

3. Mike's Burgers

4. Night Safari

and certainly don't forget Chez marco's

mmm gresy red meat and genital warts

..........no.6 would have to be Chiang Mai Ram of course

[alant]

1. doi suthep

2. Kad Luang (sometimes called wararot Market)

3. The Samoeng loop by motorbike or possibly car

4.Wat Jet Yot one of the oldest and nost atmospheric of the city's temples

5. Wat Doi Kham take a 30 minute horse draw tour through the countryside visiting 7 temples previously

buried under silt for 200 years

good selection, i would add wat doi suphan

[brennanstimpy]

1. doi suthep

2. Kad Luang (sometimes called wararot Market)

3. The Samoeng loop by motorbike or possibly car

4.Wat Jet Yot one of the oldest and nost atmospheric of the city's temples

5. Wat Doi Kham take a 30 minute horse draw tour through the countryside visiting 7 temples previously

buried under silt for 200 years

good selection, i would add wat doi suphan

Or not, good lord how many wats can you see before you are watted out? The definitive answer is one.

[BlackArtemis]

Or not, good lord how many wats can you see before you are watted out? The definitive answer is one.

Umm, I could spend an entire day going to different wats and hearing a bit of their history and taking pictures. May times my Thai friends and I have jumped on our lil Mopeds and gone on road trips, many times stopping to see the different wats.

There are so many differences in many wats, Thai, Khmer, and Burmese, you can even estimate the dates based on materials used to build em.

Lots of people spend hours watching the History or Discovery channel, people in Thailand are lucky enough to live it.

[tigerbeer]

i would normally go to a place like TripAdvisor and do research for myself on what would do it for me in a particular city.

[BlackArtemis]

i would normally go to a place like TripAdvisor and do research for myself on what would do it for me in a particular city.

I like trip advisor, but I would like to hear from the people who live in a place, which is why we get these questions.

You might get a glowing review about how cheap such and such was, but Bob the local would tell you that person giving the glowing review paid 2x the normal price!

[orang37]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun KMixon,

Welcome to Chiang Mai. I think if you tell us a little about who you are, your age, whether you are travelling solo, or with partner, or with children, whether you have an interest in Thai culture or Theravadan Buddhist culture, the extent you like outdoor activities, etc., you can get more specific advice and suggestions.

best, ~o:37;

[getgoin]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun KMixon,

Welcome to Chiang Mai. I think if you tell us a little about who you are, your age, whether you are travelling solo, or with partner, or with children, whether you have an interest in Thai culture or Theravadan Buddhist culture, the extent you like outdoor activities, etc., you can get more specific advice and suggestions.

best, ~o:37;

I've got to agree. Many things to do. What are you interested in?

I also agree that TripAdvisor is a great place to look but here, on ThaiVisa, you get the real inside scoop on what to do.

[IanForbes]

I also agree with orang. Everyone has their own interests and unless we know what yours are then it is hard to give detailed answers. Only a certain group want to frequent the bars and night clubs. They are seldom the same group that want to go trekking in the hills. Then, there is another group that want to study the history and culture of Thailand. There is a lot of each within a day's trip of Chiang Mai. We just have to know what your interests are.

[femi fan]

The others gave a good list. For a nice day hike I recommend the small stream coming down off the mountain from Doi Suthep. There is a nice hiking trail and you can swim in the clear, mountain creek. The Chiang Mai zoo makes a good outing as well if you enjoy walking.

It'd be great if you could give me enough info to get started on that trail. Sounds very nice indeed.

[KMixon]

I have been doing my research; guide books, trip advisor and other sites but I thought asking you all would also be a good idea. The point being if people mentioned a few of the same things multiple times, it really must be worth it. Also, many of the sites and guidebooks aren't completely up to date, or have a tiny review section.

Thank you Thank you Thank you for those who gave your great opinions!

[miltonbentley]

1. Art Cafe for a Mexican Breakfast

2. Huen Phen for a Lanna lunch

3. Chedi for an English afternoon tea

4. Galae Restaurant for a Thai dinner

5. Woodys for a midnight Aussie burger

All in the same day of course

Take the next day off

[miltonbentley]

Also I forgot to add if you have an interest in food pay a visit to Muang Mai Wholesale Market it is an eye opener for first timers to Thailand.

[KMixon]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun KMixon,

Welcome to Chiang Mai. I think if you tell us a little about who you are, your age, whether you are travelling solo, or with partner, or with children, whether you have an interest in Thai culture or Theravadan Buddhist culture, the extent you like outdoor activities, etc., you can get more specific advice and suggestions.

best, ~o:37;

I will be traveling with my husband and we are both in our late 20's early 30's. We are interested in seeing as much as we can, and of course a nice place to enjoy some beers afterwards. To be honest, there isn't a lot we wouldn't be interested in, with the exception of some red light shows. None of that please. Everythiing else, bring it on! Thanks.

[KMixon]

OK, I suppose I will be more specific. No clubs!! We aren't interested in loud, obnoxiously bad music and no sitting or standing room. And besides, the hubby does not dance. A nice bar on the other hand is great. Beer gardens are my fav. We are both fairly outdoorsy people so hiking would be enjoyed as long as the journey isn't too deadly and weather permits. I love going to markets. I think seeing the thai people here, is one of the best ways to get the feel of a culture...and the steals you find are pretty nice too. A wat or two will have to be in the cards! I am not tired of them and find them fascinating and beautiful. and of course FOOD!! As much as I have read about this mexican restaurant I think we might have to give it a go. There are tons of authentic mexican food places where I live so I will have to try it out and compare. One of my fav cuisines! Sometimes when we travel, we just start walking in a random direction and see what we get. Most of the time it works out, but some cities are safer than others. Again, thank you for taking your time to suggest some things. Once again, ThaiVisa comes through for me!

Kelly

Edited May 15, 2009 by KMixon

[T_Dog]

I've asked my visitors what they have enjoyed the most and it boils down to three things:

1.) Meeting the kind people of Northern Thailand.

2.) Riding elephants.

3.) Shopping, mainly getting great deals at the Saturday and Sunday walking streets.

[IanForbes]

The others gave a good list. For a nice day hike I recommend the small stream coming down off the mountain from Doi Suthep. There is a nice hiking trail and you can swim in the clear, mountain creek. The Chiang Mai zoo makes a good outing as well if you enjoy walking.

It'd be great if you could give me enough info to get started on that trail. Sounds very nice indeed.

The easiest access to the trail is off the Doi Suthep road. It is about the second or third switch back up the road from the bottom where the zoo area is located. There is a small parking area on your left going up hill. There are usually a few vendors selling food on the weekends. Here are just a few photos...

[drtreelove]

I will be visiting Chiang Mai this summer and I want to know what 5 things you would reccommend as must see/do. Please and thanks!

You’re coming to Chiang Mai at a nice time of year, summer is the rainy season and my favorite; the air is clean, the trees and crops are growing and its green everywhere.

If you like nature more than cities, then there is a lot to see in addition to the main tourist attractions. Many of the suggestions already given are good, and if you have never seen elephants up close, or tigers, monkeys, snakes, pandas, Thai bar girls and boys and katoeys, and glitzy temples, then those venues may be interesting for you.

But if you’re like me and you enjoy getting out of the city and seeing nature and local people and their villages, farms and lifestyle, then I have some additional alternatives for you. As IanForbes has mentioned, Doi Suthep-Pui National Park at our doorstep has some great nature experiences to offer and a whole lot more than even most locals and expats see. Wat Prathat Doi Suthep is ok for a tourist temple experience, but the mountain above that point is where it starts to get interesting for me. My favorite temple is Wat San Ku, at about 1600 meters near the summit of Doi Pui; a 700 year old Buddhist temple ruins, no walls, no monks, no images, usually no people; only the peace and power of the mountain and the beings who have walked there before. It’s a quiet peaceful place to sit, do Tai Chi or just enjoy a special place. If the resident tortoise comes out of the woods to greet you, then you will be truly blessed.

Also near the summit are a couple of Hmong or Meo hilltribe villages; one is definitely on the beaten tourist track, any red pickup mini taxi (songtiew) from the Zoo can take you up to Ban Doi Pui with its food stalls and handicrafts shopping lane. But further along past the Doi Pui visitor center and camping site, just past the CMU coffee farm, is a more isolated and typical village, Ban Khun Chang Khian. There is a trail leading out from this village, back down to the park headquarters, which has the most heavily forested and biggest trees on the mountain, with dense jungle stream crossings and high trail viewpoints.

There are more and better hilltribe and trekking experiences available further out of town if you hook up with a good tour company. This will give you the most exotic and interesting experiences, unique to northern Thailand. The hilltribe museum in Chiang Mai will give you a good preview of the different hilltribes in the area. Black Artemis has suggested these mountain treks, and also Doi Intanon, which is a great mountain to visit, with many attractions to take in and inns to book a stay.

One of the best temples IMO is the hillside cave temple at Chiang Dao; besides being a unique physical setting, I feel drawn by a peace and spiritual awareness that I don’t always feel at the city temples.

There is rice grown everywhere and it is a beautiful green during the growing season; most tourists miss it when they come in the fair weather winter season. Some of the most beautiful farming areas near Chiang Mai are just north of the city in the Mae Rim and Mae Taeng districts. The Mae Sa valley with the Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden and further on with the Samoeng loop will give you a good scenic experience.

Bring a good umbrella and waterproof shoes. Raincoats can be too hot, unless you’ll be renting a motor bike, then you’ll need to pack a compact raincoat for those sudden monsoon downpours. I hope you enjoy your visit. Don

[elektrified]

Or not, good lord how many wats can you see before you are watted out? The definitive answer is one.

Umm, I could spend an entire day going to different wats and hearing a bit of their history and taking pictures. May times my Thai friends and I have jumped on our lil Mopeds and gone on road trips, many times stopping to see the different wats.

There are so many differences in many wats, Thai, Khmer, and Burmese, you can even estimate the dates based on materials used to build em.

Lots of people spend hours watching the History or Discovery channel, people in Thailand are lucky enough to live it.

I agree. I love checking out the Wats and taking photos. There is so much history, and the different architecture is fascinating for me. But to each their own...

[KMixon]

Well kiddos, we are here. So far, Chiang Mai is our fave place!!! We rented a motorbike and are taking the Samoeng Loop tour today. We drove up there shortly yesterday and I was totally blown away. We also ate at mike's and I think I had the best bacon cheeseburger of my life. Crazy, come half way around the world to eat a good ole american cheeseburger. Totally worth it. WEll, Thanks again for all the suggestions. Maybe I will see you around!

Kelly

[Scrubber]

1. loy kroh

2. spicy

3. Mike's Burgers

4. Night Safari

and certainly don't forget Chez marco's

Here is a good case of 1 + 2 = 4

[Scrubber]

OK, I suppose I will be more specific. No clubs!! We aren't interested in loud, obnoxiously bad music and no sitting or standing room. And besides, the hubby does not dance. A nice bar on the other hand is great. Beer gardens are my fav. We are both fairly outdoorsy people so hiking would be enjoyed as long as the journey isn't too deadly and weather permits. I love going to markets. I think seeing the thai people here, is one of the best ways to get the feel of a culture...and the steals you find are pretty nice too. A wat or two will have to be in the cards! I am not tired of them and find them fascinating and beautiful. and of course FOOD!! As much as I have read about this mexican restaurant I think we might have to give it a go. There are tons of authentic mexican food places where I live so I will have to try it out and compare. One of my fav cuisines! Sometimes when we travel, we just start walking in a random direction and see what we get. Most of the time it works out, but some cities are safer than others. Again, thank you for taking your time to suggest some things. Once again, ThaiVisa comes through for me!

Kelly

If you like beer gardens, then make sure you pay a visit to Xanadu on the roof of Hillside 4 Condo (the building at the back) on Huay Kaew Road. They do a Heineken beer buffet from 6 to 9pm for 119 Baht. You get stunning views of Chiang Mai and as drunk as you like at the same time!