Chiang Mai Travel

Chiang Mai Travel information
At north of Thailand Chiang Mai literally means “new city” and has retained the name despite celebrating its 700th anniversary in 1996. King Meng Rai the Great founded the city as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom on Thursday, April 12 1296 around the same time as the establishment of the Sukhothai Kingdom. King Meng Rai even conferred with his friends, King Ramkhamhaeng of Sukhothai and King Ngam Muang of Phayao before choosing the site where the capital of the Lanna Kingdom was to be founded. Henceforth, Chiang Mai not only became the capital and cultural core of the Lanna Kingdom, it was also to be the center of Buddhism in northern Thailand. King Meng Rai himself was a very religious leader who even founded many of the city’s temples that remain important to this day.

Chiang Mai is one of the few places in Thailand where it is possible to experience both historical and modern Thai culture coexisting side by side: the city features centuries-old pagodas and temples next to modern convenience stores and boutique hotels. This dichotomy is best appreciated within the moat-encircled old city, which retains much of the fortified wall that once protected the city center as well as the four main gates that provided access to the former Lanna capital city. Strangely, for many years tourists had mistaken Chiang Mai simply as the base from which they could plan trekking and rafting trips to hill tribe villages and explore other provinces. Once in Chiang Mai, however, tourists are surprised by the fact that there are so many things to discover other than its beautiful and historic temples. Intriguing diversity among ethnic tribes, a number of elephant camps, many cooking and massage schools, numerous outdoor activities, a variety of handicrafts workshops, various cultural performances, and breathtaking scenery make Chiang Mai one of Asia’s most attractive tourist destinations. The phrase "a day in Chiang Mai is enough to see things around town" was once a common expression. Today, two weeks in Chiang Mai may not be long enough for travelers to experience all that Chiang Mai has to offer.

The old city of Chiang Mai is a showcase of the north’s fascinating indigenous cultural identity that includes diverse dialects, a delectable cuisine, distinctive architecture, traditional values, lively festivals, numerous handicrafts workshops, northern style massage, and classical dances. Chiang Mai is also blessed with pristine natural resources including mountains, waterfalls, and rivers. The presence of numerous hill tribes that feature a wealth of unique cultures enhances Chiang Mai’s distinctive diversity. Hill tribe trekking, often combined with river rafting and elephant riding has always been one of Chiang Mai’s greatest tourist attractions. Nowadays there are innumerable activities and attractions both in the city and the surrounding province, including massage instruction and golf. Moreover, visitors can visit workshops where they can learn about the production of silk or silver, and purchase memorable, hand-crafted souvenirs. With such a diverse range of attractions and an equally grand selection of dining and accommodation options, Chiang Mai is a place where both backpackers and luxury tourists can enjoy the ultimate Thailand holiday.

 

Attraction Details :

Huai Nam Dang National

Huai Nam Dang National Park covers an area of 180 square kilometres of Amphoe Mae Taeng, Chiang Mai and Amphoe Pai, Mae Hong Son. Most of the areas are ranged highlands. The mountain has a verdant forest, which is the source of tributaries and various streams. Attractions include:

Huai Nam Dang Viewpoint or Doi Kiu Lom overlooks Doi Chiang Dao and is a superb spot to see sunrise amid cloudy valleys in the early morning.  To get there, drive along Mae Malai-Pai Road to between Km. 65-66, and then take a 6-kilometre access road to the park office.
Doi Chang Viewpoint is located 20 kilometres beyond the Huai Nam Dang Viewpoint.  Only a four-wheel vehicle can make the trip. The scenic views of natural mountain ranges and early morning sea of cloud can be seen from here.

Camping is possible, visitors must bring their own tents and food. For more information, Tel: 0 5324 8491, 0 5322 9636, 0 2562 0760 or www.dnp.go.th. Nearby attractions in Mae Hong Son province such as Pong Nam Ron Tha Pai (hot spring) and Namtok Mae Yen (waterfall) are worth visiting.

SHOPPING STREET

Wualai Walking Street (Saturday Market) The Wualai has been so far known for good quality of silver and lacquer wares. On Saturday evenings, the open-air market will be set up for the famous handicraft area. Do not miss a chance to shop for authentic northern silver, lacquer wares and unique handicrafts. Tourists are enjoy the local foods and Thai traditional performances. The market start from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

 

Tha Pae Walking Street (Sunday Market) Starts from Tha Phae Gate through Ratchadamnoen Road every Sunday from 7.00 p.m. until midnight. There are variety kinds of local products on a reasonable price along both side of the street where Thai and foreign tourists are enjoy walking & shopping without exhaustion.

Ton Kong Market is convened on Saturday mornings in the Sansai-Tonkok community of Tambon Fa Ham, Mueang, Chiang Mai. Visitors could view and purchase local goods, local delicacies, organic vegetables, flowers, and decorative plants. There are demonstrations of quail farming techniques and cultural presentations by the community’s local youth group, vegetable cultivation by the agricultural group, and the ancient drum presentation by the folk handicrafts group. Visitors could also take a boat trip to observe lifestyles of communities along the Ping River.

Handicrafts Walking-street in San Kampaeng is a great place to view and purchase handicraft goods, foods, souvenirs, and enjoy  the ancient San Kampaeng music show. This walking-street takes place every Saturday from 15.00 to 22.00 hrs.

Ratchaphruek Garden

Ratchaphruek Garden is situated 10km southwest of Chiang Mai, in Mae Hia sub-district.  Nestled in a lush mountain landscape, this 400 rai (240,000m2) of land is indeed a picturesque setting -- not only the garden itself with its many plant and flower species -- but also its unique and delicate artwork and architecture which enriches the minds of its visitors with its seductive natural beauty.

The area was the site for the Royal Flora Expo 2006, the world most beautiful international horticultural exposition.  

This exhibition commemorated the auspicious occasion of the 60th anniversary of the crowning of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.  The Association of International Horticultural Producers (AIPH) gave the expo A1 status, its highest honor.  Ratchaphruek Garden is truly the fruit of this special event.  The garden has been carefully maintained and developed, and is a splendid resource for agrotourism, as well as being a learning and research centre for the public and a meeting-place for farmers to share knowledge.

Ratchaphruek Garden offers many attractions:        

Ho Kham Royal Pavilion - This pavilion is the symbol of the garden.  It features traditional architecture in the style of Lanna, Northern Thailand.  The Pavilion has high ceilings and steep multi-tiered roofs, exquisitely guilded in ancient technique.  Visitors will be amazed by the uplifting beauty of Lanna wisdom and craftmanship.

The insides showcase paintings of King Bhumibol many activities aimed at the improvement of life for all Thai people.  These works are an innovative juxtaposition of modern and traditional styles.  The artists employ subdued tones of grey, red and gold, imbuing their work with a strange, dreamy quality.  These paintings feature backgrounds drawn from the stylized tradition of temple mural paintings, with crisp -- almost photographic -- forms superimposed over them, imbuing the paintings with a surreal, otherworldy quality.

The Pavilion also houses the gorgeous Tree of the Ten Kingly Virtues.  It is comprised of layered orbs of gold Bhodi leaves, and symbolizes the fact that the King provides a garden of spiritual shade for his people.

Corporate Gardens - Presented by various organizations and state enterprises, the Corporate Gardens showcase sustainability and eco-friendly agricultural techniques.  The philosophy of these Gardens is driven by His Majesty tremendous insight and ingenuity to improve his people well-being.  The idea is to spread knowledge and provide a model which can inspire those who visit the Gardens to internalize His Majesty theories and to go on to learn and care for the world.

International Gardens - This is an area where visitors can enjoy unique and innovative landscaping as well as horticultural highlights from 33 countries around the world, such as Japan, India, Bhutan, and South Africa.  Not only does the International Garden include plants, but each country beautifully showcases its particular identity through architecture and art.

Indoor Exhibition - The indoor exhibit consists of hydroponics, a tissue culture nursery, as well as a dome for tropical plants and buildings for desert and temporate plants.

Outdoor Exhibition - The Outdoor Gardens includes water plants, a lotus garden, plants from each province in Thailand, plants which are believed to be auspicious, plants from Buddhist history, and plants painstakingly trained into incredibly beautiful shapes.  There is also a building which exhibits information on the history of Thai horticulture.  The enormous Outdoor Garden showcases the diversity of tropical horticulture.

Rare Plants - Ratchaphruek Garden displays rare plants including the 'Royal Palm' and the 'Double Coconut', which stand at the garden entrance, and ancient pine trees which species dates from 250 million years ago.

'Royal Palm' – The smooth gray trunk, which is swollen at the base when it is young and at the middle when it is mature, sculpts the palm into a bottle shape. Its strikingly tall trunk can reach up to 20 metres in height, and its deep-green leaves make for an attractive tropical look.  

   

'Double Coconut' or 'Coco de Mer' – A native of the Seychelle Islands in the Indian Ocean, this palm is mostly grown for ornamntal reasons – the fruits resembling a double coconut contain the largest seeds in the plant kingdom – they are up to 30cm in diameter, 45 cm in length and can weigh up to 14 kg.  In years past, the nuts were believed to have aphrodesiac qualities, probably owing to their similarity in appearace to the female pelvis region. In the 1700, the fruits were sold in parts of Europe for a very high price. The tree was also once thought to be the Tree of Good and Evil in the biblical Garden of Eden.

 

Trams are provided:
20 baht for adults, 10 baht for children.  At present the garden is open only to groups and must be booked in advance. Knowledgeable guides conduct all tours.  The garden is free of charge.  Doors open every day except Monday, from 10:00 - 18:00. For further information call 0 5311 4110-5 fax. 0 5311 4116.

Adventure Acitivities

Eagle Track Zipline is an adventure acitivities, perfectly located under an hour outside of Chiang Mai city center. Situated between three hill tribe villages, up in a hillside with paddy fields and the MaeRam river flowing below, we operate two zipline adventures in a cooperative arrangement with the local Hmong and Karen communities.



The Silver package starts a little lower down the hillside and in addition to featuring nine ziplines, the package also includes impressive features like our zig-zag walk, “Kung-Fu Steps” and a long zipline that crosses the river below it. The admission fee is 2,400 baht.

The Gold package begins at the highest point and features the longest ziplines as well as additional obstacles like our cable bridges, timber balancing beams and nature walk, to make this package the ultimate zipline adventure high up in the jungle.The admission fee is 1,900 baht.
It is open daily from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. For more information, contact www.eagletrackchiangmai.com

Chiang Mai Handicrafts
Baan Tawai  is the village of wood-carving handicrafts. It has been known as the major cultural attraction of Chiangmai for Thai and foreign  tourists.  The best quality and bargains of wood carving items can be found in Baan Tawai.

At present, a wide variety of wood carvings and other decorative items e.g. wood carving, wood-strips, gold leaf wood, antique wood, silverware, lacquer ware, hand-woven textile, basketry and earthenware, can be found in Baan Tawai at Baan Tawai handicraft  Center and Baan Tawai Song Fang Klong Center.

FOOD & Drink

As one of the top tourist destinations in Thailand its not surprising that there is a wide range of authentic international restaurants run by both Thais and foreign expats. Most guesthouses also feature menus that include both Thai and foreign dishes. However, Chiang Mai also features many foods that are part of its own distinctive cuisine, including both those handed down over the generations from the Lanna kingdom and those influenced by its neighbors, especially Myanmar (Burma). 

Chiang Mai specialties include spicy sausage, khao soy (a type of noodle soup), and the ultimate in northern cuisine, a khan toke dinner; khan toke dinners usually consist of several small dishes, such as curries, crispy fried pork skin, and northern style chili sauces, served with sticky rice on a small round table, usually in front of a traditional dancing show, especially if you are a foreign visitor.

Transport Chiang Mai

As the transportation hub for the north, Chiang Mai can be reached via car, bus, train, or plane. Once there, it is possible to rent a car or motorbike, or get around via local transportation including songtaew, bus, samlor, and tuk tuk.

By Train

Express and rapid trains operated by the State Railways of Thailand leave for Chiang Mai from Bangkok’s Hua Lumphong Station six times a day from 8.00 a.m. to 10.00 p.m. The trip takes about 11-12 hours on an express train. For more information, contact tel. 1690, or 02 223 7010, 02 223 7020. Chiang Mai Railway Station, tel. (053) 24 2094, 244 795, .247 462 245 363-4

By Car

Driving from Bangkok takes approximately 8 hours and is best by one of the following routes:

Route 1: Drive on Highway No.1 (Phahonyothin Road) and turn left to Highway No.32 (Asian Highway) which passes Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, Ang Thong, and Nakhon Sawan; then take Highway No. 117 to Phitsanulok and Highway No. 11 through Lampang and Lamphun to Chiang Mai. The total distance is 695 kilometers.

Route 2: Follow route 1 to Nakhon Sawan and then take Highway No. 1 through Kamphaeng Phet, Tak, and Lampang until you arrive in Chiang Mai. The total distance is 696 kilometers.

By Bus

From Bangkok there are ordinary, 2nd class, and 1st class air-conditioned busses leaving throughout the day from Bangkok's Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit 2) for Chiang Mai (8.00 a.m. to 09.00 p.m.) Call 02 936 3600, 02 936 2852, and 02 937 8055 for an updated bus timetable.

Private buses, which can be conveniently booked in tourist centers in Bangkok, are also available. However, the public busses from the Northern Bus Terminal are generally more reliable. The journey takes approximately 10-12 hours, depending on traffic.

From other provinces, including Mae Sai, Chiang Saen, Chiang Rai, Nan, Phayao, Phrae, Lampang, Lamphun, Phitsanulok, Sukhothai, Mae Hong Son, Mae Sot, Mae Sariang, Khon Kaen, Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat), and Udon Thani, there are direct busses that service the Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station. Contact tel: 0 5324 2664 for an updated bus timetable.

By Air

Domestic airlines, including Thai Airways, Bangkok Airways, Thai AirAsia, and Nok Air, operate several flights daily between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. Depending on where you are flying from, one of these airlines can also fly you directly to Chiang Mai from Mae Hong Son, Pai, Chiang Rai, and Koh Samui.

From international destinations, visitors can fly directly to Chiang Mai on a number of domestic and international air carriers. While these routes are subject to their economic viability for individual airlines, it is usually possible to fly directly to Chiang Mai from Kuala Lumpur, Luang Prabang, Singapore, Vientiane, and Yangon. International airlines servicing Chiang Mai from those destinations include Silk Air, Lao Airlines, and Mandalay Air.

Getting Around Chiang Mai

To/From the Airport:
There is a licensed airport taxi service available at the taxi kiosk outside the baggage-claim area. Purchase a ticket and present it to the drivers waiting by the arrivals exit area (on your left as you leave baggage claim). The trip will cost approximately 100 baht for a sedan car that seats 4-5 people (with luggage).

From the airport, train station and bus terminal, you can easily get a ride in share songtaew (red mini-bus). To charter a minibus or car, please check the correct fare at the TAT counter first.
Normally, first-class hotels provide complimentary transportation between the airport, railway station, or bus terminals and the hotel for guests who have made advance reservations.

Around Town:
By Samlor or Tuk-Tuk:
For relative short distances you can take a samlor or tuk-tuk, three-wheel cabs that are respectively pedal or motor powered. Fares must be bargained in advance. Short rides within the city cost between 20 and 30 baht. Longer rides may cost as much as 50 baht.

By Taxi:
Meter taxis, nearly identical to those running around Bangkok, are now available in Chiang Mai, where fares likewise begin at 35 baht.

By Songtaew:
Songtaews (red pickup trucks with benches in the covered flatbed portion of the truck) are the most common means of transportation in Chiang Mai. Passengers can hop in and out as they wish. Simply tell the driver the destination and negotiate the price before boarding. Fares range from 10-20 baht depending on the distance, considerably more for long rides up to Doi Suthep, where the songtaew will wait for you to explore and then return you to town, stopping at various sights, such as the zoo, along the way if you wish.

By Bicycle:
Some travelers prefer to ride bicycles around the city as most of the roads and alleys are accessible by bicycle. Bicycles can be rented from bicycle shops and certain guesthouses.

Around the Province:
By Bus:
If you travel to any districts in Chiang Mai, use the Chang Phuak Bus Terminal located on Chotana Road, tel. 053 211 586. Destinations include those located along the northern route (Highway No. 107) which passes through Mae Rim, Mae Taeng, Chiang Dao, Chaiprakan, Fang and Mae Ai. Some buses continue to Tha Ton, the northern-most district of Chiang Mai.

By Rental Car:
All major international car rental companies, such as AVIS, Budget, and Hertz, as well as Thai car rental companies, have various vehicles for rent and are ready to provide suggestions on travel itineraries. The easiest way to locate a car rental company is to ask at the airport or a major hotel, as those are the places where most rental agency offices are located.

While most Chiang Mai roads are in good condition with signs posted in English, be aware that only Commercial First Class Insurance provides full coverage on rental cars (as opposed to limited personal or third party only insurance). Most international car rental agencies will offer this insurance (some only for those with a valid international driver’s license) while local companies may or may not. You may wish to request a copy of their insurance policy and ensure that it states "For Commercial Use". Regardless, inspect rental vehicles prior to rental and drive with caution, particularly as traffic in Thailand can be quite confusing, especially the habit of Thai motorcycles drivers to drive on the wrong side of the road. 

By Motorbike:
For anywhere from 150 to 1,000 baht per day you can hire your own motorbike, which will typically require you to leave your passport as a deposit. Be sure to inspect bikes prior to rental and drive with extreme caution as rental motorbikes are not normally insured and accidents are frequent. Helmets are required by Thai law and foreign visitors unfamiliar with either driving motorbikes or driving in Thailand should drive carefully and obey all local traffic rules (there are numerous one way streets in Chiang Mai city).

Tourist  hotline 1672 

 Be safe & Have fun !