Chiang Mai (Thailand)

Advantages: Accomodation - budget to 4 star hotel, wide transport options
Disadvantages: 10-12 hour train or bus from Bangkok, dirty streets & buildings

City displays many points of historical architecture including city walls, gates & moat, amongst the several hundred large and small temples. They are some of the few attractions which are free, almost all the others having a two-tier pricing structure - pennies for locals, pounds for foreigners. That situation sums up the attitude of locals towards rich foreign visitors - everyone attempts overcharging unless you can speak some Thai to them. There ...
...the city offering overr 17,000 bedrooms, with prices ranging from below 2 UK pounds per night to around 100 in the highest class out-of-town resorts. There are about a dozen 3 and 4 star hotels inside the city with more scheduled. The budget to mid-range accomodation is mainly clustered around the East Moat and Thapae Road which joins the old city to the river. To find a large list of accomodation, pick up one of the several free advertising magazines ... Read review

Advantages: see op
Disadvantages: see op

Chiang Mai is one of the biggest cities in the North of Thailand and I’m lucky enough to have recently returned from there. I visited Thailand for a fortnight as a break from a trip to Singapore visiting relatives, and although I’ve been to Thailand before, this was my first trip to the North and to Chiang Mai. I had spent 2 days in Pattaya before we set off on the journey up to Chiang Mai, that took a 2 hour trip to Bangkok and then a 16 hour coach ...
...as I’d been told that Chiang Mai was a nice quiet retreat after spending time in the bustling atmosphere of Bangkok and Pattaya. My first impression of Chiang Mai – Woooah this place is different! I’ve visited Thailand a few times and never known somewhere quite so peaceful or beautiful. The first thing to strike me was the mountains, everywhere you looked there was mountains. Ok, so that may strike some people as boring but honestly, it was absolutely ... Read review

Advantages: great base for exploring from; great value
Disadvantages: can get busy in season

...lucky enough to have visited Chiang Mai a number of times and always found it to be a city that is well worth a visit. It is only a short (cheap) flight from Bangkok and, whilst it is still a city it is only a fraction of the size of the capital. The benefit of that is that it offers a different type of experience from the more commonly seen parts of Thailand, namely the beaches. There are a few sights to see in the city but the main attraction ...
...range of other excursions from Chiang Mai including a number which will take you on elephant treks through the jungle. Most of these give you the opportunity to travel in a cart pulled by buffalo and/or go rafting (gently) down the river as well as on an elephant ride and are most definitely worth going on. Most folk do not get many chances to ride through the jungle on an elephant so just do it! In the evening the Night Market is a must - lots ... Read review

Advantages: Fitter, Happier, Cleaner.
Disadvantages: The Overnight Train.

Chaing Mai is the capital of the Northern Thailand province of Chaing Mai. With a population of just over 160,000 people it is the perfect urban getaway from the strangling density of Bangkok. The weather is also a little cooler than the capital and its centre is beautifully contained within a square moat. There are a range of options available in getting to Chaing Mai from the capital. We took an overnight train which left Bangkok at 10 in the evening ...
...day. You can also bus it which takes around 12 hours. Many of the agencies on the Khao San road offer a VIP bus to Chaing Mai. The last alternative is to fly which would probably be best for those with limited time. Our single train journey cost us 500 Baht each (12 Euro). ACCOMMODATION We stayed in 2 guesthouses while in Chaing Mai. The first, SK house was chosen for us by our trekking agency. As part of our trek we would get the night we arrived ... Read review

Advantages: The trekking is the main attraction although Doi Suthep and the shopping are both appealing
Disadvantages: More relaxed and less polluted than the Bangkok but still suffers from an abundance of touts and pollution

Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand and the 'capital' of the north, it was also my destination of choice in seeking to escape the horrendous pollution of the nation's capital. Northern Thailand and Chiang Mai in particular are mostly visited by those that wish to go trekking through the jungle and mountain regions that typify the area. This is not to say that Chiang Mai does not have attractions in its own right but I should mention ...
...for visiting. Getting to Chiang Mai As most people who travel to Chiang Mai do so from Bangkok I thought it might be useful to briefly discuss the options. Essentially the choice is between bus, train or plane for the 700km (420 mile) trip, with each having advantages and disadvantages. In my case a 13 hour bus journey was how I reached Chiang Mai but I flew back so I have first hand experience of two of the three possibilities. The bus, which ... Read review