I have gained the travel bug in the last few years and have had the chance to discover many new and ...
I have gained the travel bug in the last few years and have had the chance to discover many new and wonderfull places. Some I have already written about and the others no doubt I will get round to them at some point.
I enjoy many forms of music and...
Member since:03.08.2000
Reviews:86
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Thais call this city the Rose of the North and it certainly is beautiful place to go and visit.
I have added an update at the end of this review.
It is about 370 miles north west of Bangkok. This means a 70 minute flight, or 12 hour ( or longer ! ) train, bus or car ride.
Personally, if you have time, I recommend the overnight sleeper express which takes around 12 hours or so (the Rapid takes 15hours!) . 2nd class costs 671baht, 1st class 1200, if you buy from a travel agent there will be commission on top ( anything between 150 and 400baht ).
The beds, once made up, are surprisingly comfortable, the carriage is air conditioned so no problems with the heat and a dining car and waiter service is available if you are hungry. It also has the advantage that you are not on the road ! Belief
in reincarnation is fine but when your driver doesn’t really mind if he kills himself, I draw the line ! There are many places in the world have driven, Spain, Portugal, Greece, but nothing compares to the way the Thais drive!
Once you arrive, there is the usual collection of modern buildings and busy roads but if you look, you will find areas of calm and tranquility with beautiful traditional Thai architecture not far away. If you are a keen visitor of Wats ( temples ) then you will be in heaven here. There are hundreds in the town itself and in the surrounding area. The best known being Doi Suthep 11km outside town in a nature reserve. A taxibus will take you there for anything between 45Baht one way to 250baht. It depends how good a negotiator you are !
For shopping, it is probably the best in the region but you will disappointed if you are not after the regions specialties - hill tribe carvings or jewelry. More general shopping is best left to Bangkok. The night bazaar that takes place from around 5pm, is again probably the best in the region but apart from the specialties mentioned before there are better markets in Bangkok and Pattaya. But having said that, it is still worthwhile going and having a wander - and remember always negotiate ! Whatever price you paid, no matter the protests, they will be making a profit and probably a healthy one. A local will always pay less than you. But given the cheapness because of the exchange rate don’t let an extra 10 or 20 baht“ make you feel you were cheated, its only 20p or so!!
If you are after night life, well there isn’t a wide range but there still a choice of clubs and discos to dance the night away and there are always the bars. A variety of places will have live bands as well.
There is a wide range of hotels, from backpackers to 5 star, so you will find something you will like. One of the best places to get an idea on price is www.hotels/chiangmai-online.com If you are going in the low season approx April - August it will probably worthwhile waiting until you arrive before booking the hotel as you may get a better deal.
The town is used as launching pad to people travelling in this corner of Thailand for moving from city to city or for day trips. There are certainly plenty of travel agents more than willing to sell any trip you want from mornings to 7 day treks in the jungle. One of the other types of place that are many is the cookery school. So if you want to learn how to cook Thai this is one of the places to come to.
And of course there is the traditional Thai friendly people where ever you go. Depending on your interests, you may actually find that after a few days that you have done all you want because it is a relatively small town but don’t let that sway you. Its still well worth going no matter what interests you have.
There is the usual heat but the air is much cleaner than Bangkok so you don’t notice it as much.
Update - Oct 2002. I managed to pay a quick visit to Chiang Mai coming back from Chiang Rai. The city centre is now as developed as almost every other tourist destination in Thailand and there seems to be even more souvenir shops round the night market area. All the usual suspect shops are now here including Starbucks, McDonalds, Burger King, Pizza Hut and so on. It seems the price of progress is uniformity. It has spoiled the atmosphere of the centre somewhat as it is more more samey of everywhere else than it used to be, which is a real shame.
New Summary
Even with the changes, it is still a place to go for a break from Bangkok or to see somewhere else. A few miles out of town you will start to see the real Thailand. So een for that alone, it is worth going to visit.
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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
Advantages: Accomodation - budget to 4 star hotel, wide transport options Disadvantages: 10-12 hour train or bus from Bangkok, dirty streets & buildings
gazlannathai 01.03.2004 (01.03.2004)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Chiang Mai (Thailand)
Advantages: Wide choice of destinations, do all the hard organising, safe and convenient Disadvantages: Can cut corners, pot luck with fellow travellers, possibly over priced
Aug 4th, 2000
(Jul 11th, 2003)
very helpful by (100%):
