Best Location In Chiang Mai?

[seasider]

Hi, i will be in Chiang Mai in a couple of weeks. Just for a few days.

Having never been to CM before i would like some advice on where to stay, mainly, what area.

I have a friend that has organised a hotel at a big discount in Doi Suthep if i require , 4.5* hotel but only two reviews on Agoda so not much to go on except that location had bad reviews (far from the centre?)

Second option is a 4* hotel with a good promotion right now in the night bazaar area(central i guess).

Third option is a 3* hotel down by the riverside with excellent reviews.

Any useful info or opinions would be appreciated.

[rickthailand]

doi suthep to far from everything night bazar and riverside are both great locations for a few days

rick

[Dante99]

Doi Suthep is a lovely place to stay. The best.

[Ulysses G.]

I would stay at the Central Duangtawaan Hotel near the Night Bazaar. It is a good, reasonaby priced hotel with a gym and swimming pool in a busy area for tourists with lots of restaurants and bars and such.

[hellodolly]

doi suthep to far from everything night bazar and riverside are both great locations for a few days

rick

Yes I vote for the Night Bazaar. The riverside is close by.

The riverside covers a lot of area and some of it is not that close to where you would want to go for a few day stay.

At the Night Bazaar you can walk to the river or to the older section of Chiang Mai.

Transportation is always near at hand. Don't let the cheap charlies scare you about the cost of transportation. For the cost of a short trip in L. A. you can get a tuck tuck all day long. All so a songtell.

[moe666]

Any where in central Chiang Mai as it is easy to get around and many things in walking distance. Doi Sethup noway unless you want a 30 min. drive both ways each day.

[WinnieTheKhwai]

I may be slow this morning, but you can stay on Doi Suthep? Or there is a hotel named that? Or a hotel on Suthep Road, or Suthep sub-district?

On where to stay, I usually don't advise first time Western tourists to stay at or near the overly touristy Night Bazar, though no argument that the Duangtawan is a very good and good value option. I would always go fir something in the ok'd town area within the moat.

[Femme]

It really depends what kind of person you are and what your plans are. Near Doi Suthep would be best, but for only a few days I'd stay in the city.

[seasider]

It really depends what kind of person you are and what your plans are. Near Doi Suthep would be best, but for only a few days I'd stay in the city.

What do i want to do? see the mountains, have a look at the night Bazaar,walk around the old city and riverside (if poss),maybe have a beer or two.

I do have a friend who wants to take me around. She has a car and recommended the hotel in Doi Suthep as she has a friend working there and can get a big discount.

Might feel a bit isolated there though, going by the feedback i have been getting on here.

Oh,anyone know what the Suriwongse Hotel is like? Thats the hotel i have seen at a good rate near the night Bazaar.

[moe666]

Having a beer is easy, the rest is hard.

[ludditeman]

Hotel (wherever) + friend in the bed = most fun

[sfokevin]

I would recommend inside the Moat near Rajdamnoen Road & Tha Pae Gate

Tamarind Village Hotel is my favorite but it is a bit pricey...

Others:

Vieng Mantra Hotel

Saithong Guest House

And a new one in a relaxed ExPat area: Chiangmai Boutique House

Make sure if you are here on Sat or Sun to go to the night walking street!

[dave2]

seasider.

re .. Second option is a 4* hotel with a good promotion right now in the night bazaar area(central i guess).

and the name of it is ?

as many have told you for a few days there is no way you want to anywhere outside of

the night bazzar area or anywhere over the river or you will waste a lot of time getting into

the central tourist area around tapae gate . loi kroh , the night bazzar

my advice is look at the duangtawan , royal lanna or raming lodge

re ... anyone know what the Suriwongse Hotel is like?... if you mean the buarawong hotel ?

its quite a nice hotel

dave2

[sfokevin]

Some might not want to go near the Night Bazaar area...

It is ground zero for Starbucks, Burger King, vendors selling same same, bars and whores galore...

But as is said here often... "Up to You"

[Ulysses G.]

It is ground zero for Starbucks, Burger King, vendors selling same same, bars and whores galore...

Sign me up!

[uptheos]

It is ground zero for Starbucks, Burger King, vendors selling same same, bars and whores galore...

Sign me up!

You can keep Starbucks, Burger King, vendors selling and same same bars.

[Ulysses G.]

[sfokevin]

Sign me up!

U very sexy man...

Edited November 17, 2011 by sfokevin

[fritter1970]

No need to book accommodation. Just go to a road called Loi Kroh Road in the centre of the city. There are many, many female "tour guides" who will let you stay at their place for very reasonable rates. You can't miss them. They stand out the front of their "shops" and are so friendly that they will generously invite you to have a drink with them.

[seasider]

No need to book accommodation. Just go to a road called Loi Kroh Road in the centre of the city. There are many, many female "tour guides" who will let you stay at their place for very reasonable rates. You can't miss them. They stand out the front of their "shops" and are so friendly that they will generously invite you to have a drink with them.

Been there , done that in the nineties when i was living ,working (and playing) in Bangers.

Ideally i would like the company of a nice (good) girl which i will have and then some time to wander and explore around the centre and night bazaar area by myself and see where it takes me.

Dave2 : I did mean the Suriwongse Hotel. Well thats what it was called on Agoda. Flash sale and rooms inc breakfast for about 1100 Baht + tax. Not bad for a 4*

The hotel by the riverside that looked interesting was the 'Scorpion tailed Boat village'. Anybody know about this place?

It looks likely i will be staying in Doi Suthep now although i am delaying a bit before booking.

Anyway, thanks for all the good advice, i will let you know what i think of Chiang Mai in a few weeks

[hellodolly]

No need to book accommodation. Just go to a road called Loi Kroh Road in the centre of the city. There are many, many female "tour guides" who will let you stay at their place for very reasonable rates. You can't miss them. They stand out the front of their "shops" and are so friendly that they will generously invite you to have a drink with them.

Been there , done that in the nineties when i was living ,working (and playing) in Bangers.

Ideally i would like the company of a nice (good) girl which i will have and then some time to wander and explore around the centre and night bazaar area by myself and see where it takes me.

Dave2 : I did mean the Suriwongse Hotel. Well thats what it was called on Agoda. Flash sale and rooms inc breakfast for about 1100 Baht + tax. Not bad for a 4*

The hotel by the riverside that looked interesting was the 'Scorpion tailed Boat village'. Anybody know about this place?

It looks likely i will be staying in Doi Suthep now although i am delaying a bit before booking.

Anyway, thanks for all the good advice, i will let you know what i think of Chiang Mai in a few weeks

I don't think you can get farther away from the places that you want to see than Doi Suthep. But it kind of sounds like you don't really have a lot to say where you stay.At any rate I hope you enjoy your stay and consider coming back again often.

The Suriwong Hotel. I believe is right behind the Starbucks on the corner of Loi Kroh and Changklan. Don't know what it is like I think they have been doing some remodeling.

[Rinrada]

Just spent a week in the D2Wan where they have/had a deal of stay 2 nights and get the third Free....pay for breakfast on 3rd.Got upgraded also to 17th Floor...cool.@1100bt a night.Handy for Lion,Bell,CM Saloon,No1 and ....the Rabbit bar which has good old "blowing in the wind "live music... sing along ...takes ye back.

[drnkurmlkshk]

When I first came to CM I stayed at the Raming Lodge. I'd highly recommend that place if the price point is still less than 1200ish. The rooms and hotel as a whole have some real character but not in any of the bad ways. The location is also really good.

[bristolgeoff]

night bazzar area is central burger kings or mac,s close by.also some great hotels in the downtown area.that be my choice plenty of inns to have a drink and enjoy too

Edited November 17, 2011 by bristolgeoff

[ikis]

night bazaar and that area is a pain in the ass even just for a visit in burger king. impossible to park your motorbike, full of tourists and overpriced souvenier crap and singha t-shirts.

wouldn't recommend that area.

somewhere around the moat might be good for a short visit.

personally i do prefer nimman/suhtep/huay kaew/santitham area.

[Ulysses G.]

How many short term tourists have a motorbike? They can park it at the Duangtawan (D2Wan) for free if they stay there anyway, so no worries about parking at the Night Bazaar.

Edited November 17, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[ikis]

little bit OT, but actually almost all of my friends who come to chiang mai as a short term tourist rent a motorbike.

chiang mai is probably one of the best places in thailand to ride a motorbike, traffic is not that bad(it's getting worse all the time..), the mountain roads and all the lakes around are great, but ridicilously expensive to go there by taxi/songthao/tuktuk.

i always tell people who come to chiang mai, short or long term, that the only option is to rent/buy your own motorbike, since there is no good enough public transport and the city is quite big anyway.

[Ulysses G.]

I used to recommend the Montri Hotel - which is now the M Hotel - near Thapae Gate, which is a convienient location, but last summer their rack rates had trippled in price.

I just looked at their website and they seem to have removed the prices completely. Does anyone know what they are asking now if one contacts the hotel directly?

Edited November 19, 2011 by Ulysses G.

[bristolgeoff]

the m hotel is the one where the sunday market goes on.looks nice but in think the ramming hotel in LK is nicer.the traffic is crazy round they every sunday night

[udonguy]

I would stay at the Central Duangtawaan Hotel near the Night Bazaar. It is a good, reasonaby priced hotel with a gym and swimming pool in a busy area for tourists with lots of restaurants and bars and such.

very good advice - I have stayed there