Chiang Mai was never part of my travel plans but after hearing so many great things about it, I had to go and see what it was about - and boy am I glad I did. The city centre is amazing, with all its cute streets and wonderful shop fronts, it really does stand out and isn't somewhere you would want to miss.
It’s also home to hundreds of Buddhist temples, including 14th-century Wat Phra Singh and 15th-century Wat Chedi Luang, adorned with carved serpents and amazing architecture. As well as many spas and massage parlours for total relaxation.
Getting there: For those on a budget, I would recommend either taking the bus or train from Bangkok. It takes between nine and 12 hours in total, so it is best to travel over night so that you can get some sleep in place of a hostel. Both can be booked via 12Go Asia and you will see costs are very cheap (my bus ticket cost me £15 one way). If you are travelling by bus like me, I recommend booking yourself on the VIP buses, as they come with all the luxuries, including a hostess and various beverages/food throughout the journey. If you get the sleeper train, then be sure to book 1st class or 2nd, otherwise you are going to be uncomfortable and won't have any air conditioning.
Where to stay: There are many places to stay, from nice hotels, hostels and guest houses. All come with various price tags, so it all depends on your budget. I chose to stay in Rose Guest House & Restaurant, which is a cute little place right in the city centre in the perfect location for all of the city sights. It came with a cheap price tag of 125 BAHT a night and if you stay over four nights, expect to pay 90 BAHT, which is just over £2, bargain! I would recommend booking it direct as it is cheaper that way.
Places to visit: Chiang Mai is full of things to do, whether it's in the city or further out, it can cater for everyone. You could easily spend a week or more here and find many things to fill your time, at literally zero cost. However, if you are like me and only have a few days then you will need to make your trip fairly compact, to feel like you have seen Chiang Mai at its finest. The places that I visited during my stay that I would highly recommend are below. I managed to take some pretty cool photos too, which you can see below.
Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep: The most sacred and famous temple located in the mountains in Chiang Mai. Approximately 30 minutes drive out of the centre, with some amazing views and temples on the way, it is a must to anyone visiting. It is simply amazing but it is full of tourists, so be prepared and also note that you will have to climb over 300 steps to get to it.
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar: This is a daily street market that runs from 3pm to midnight every day and many stalls selling merchandise and food, all of which is reasonably priced.
The city centre: The city centre itself held a special place in my heart. Every street I turned down had a character of its own. From cute little shop fronts, beautiful flower displays, graffiti art, temples, tranquillity and madness, Chiang Mai truly has everything and is so unique to anywhere I have been before.
To truly enjoy the city and explore, I decided to wake up early, take my map and my GoPro camera and lose myself for the day. The whole time I was lost but it was the first time in a long time that I was taking in the things around me and it was amazing. Every now and again I would find myself walking into some amazing temples (Wat Lok Moli and Wat Chiang Mun), sitting in random cafe shops drinking a smoothie or coffee. It was relaxation that I hadn't felt in such a long time. I was enjoying my surroundings and was immersed into a new culture - without a care in the world.
To finish off my tour of the city, I visited the Phra Singh Temple, which is one not to be missed. With beautiful buildings, monks and a lot of history, I found it to be really interesting, as I wanted to see how the monks fit into their surroundings and learn about their culture. I was also lucky and timed it right, as I managed to get blessed by a monk, who wished me well on my travels.
And finally, a must for anyone travelling or visiting Chiang Mai...
Elephant Nature Park, the well-known and highly regarded sanctuary and rescue centre for elephants, approximately 60 kilometres north of Chiang Mai City. I had heard about it from people back in the UK and the internet had noted it as the best, so I knew it was the place I wanted to visit. It was fully booked until March but with some determination and convincing (as a solo traveller) I managed to get booked in. This is never guaranteed, so I would advise you to try and book at least a couple of months in advance if you wish to visit. If you are unable to, you can visit many of the other parks available, however the quality of care and freedom of the elephants is something to be questioned.
Anyway, there I was ready and super excited for my 8am pick up. The full day (with a 5pm drop off, including lunch) included feeding the elephants, pampering them and bathing with them, as well as bamboo raft ride down the river (which almost had me in a few times) all for 2,500 BAHT, which is definitely worth the money as it will be an experience for life. To get to see such beautiful creatures up close and see how they interact with each other, is amazing. They are such gentle animals and it is upsetting that there are so many being mistreated in the circus and in logging across the region.
These are just a few options of things to do but the top 25 can be viewed here.
So hopefully as you can see from my post, Chiang Mai is simply wonderful and the complete opposite to the madness of Bangkok. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting this amazing city, I recommend that you to make time in your schedule to visit and trust me, you won't be disappointed.
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