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
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
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 that much of this opinion will be dedicated to trekking as it was my main reason for visiting.
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 I booked tickets for from my guest house in Bangkok, cost a mere 350 baht (around 6 quid - the exchange rate is approximately 60 baht to a pound) and whilst air conditioned and not uncomfortable was subject to numerous stops which combined with the erratic driving was not conducive to a relaxing or restful journey. The train is apparently more comfortable but is surprisingly slower than the bus and is slightly more expensive at 580 baht. Flying is obviously the quickest and least hassle but also the most expensive method. Bangkok Airline offer one flight a day costing 1500 baht and Thai Airways offer more flights at 1900 baht with a 50 minute flight time. Obviously wallet permitting the best choice is flying as compared to the tiring, arduous and frustrating bus journey it came as a welcome relief.
The City
The centre of Chiang Mai is dominated by an inner walled moat that surrounds the old part of the city, for backpackers the place to head for is the Tae Pae Gate area. This is located between the east side of the inner wall and the River Ping further east, and contains a huge number of guest houses, bars and restuarants which cater for all tastes and budgets. For our purposes a quieter, slightly out of the way guest house was ideal and Mid Town Guesthouse was perfect. It cost between 150 and 180 baht for a spacious double room with a fan, the rooms were clean and comfortable, the staff polite and friendly and the location quiet yet only a few minutes walk to the busier areas of town. For a full range of accommodation suggestions either The Rough Guide or Lonely Planet guide books are essential.
Chiang Mai has many places of interest, the pick of which though is undoubtedly Doi Suthep a hillside temple about 15km away from Chaing Mai. A trip in a taxi is inexpensive and transports you up a twisting and winding road to the temple built in 1383 at a height of 3520 feet above sea level. The temple itself is an appealing sight but it pales when compared to the view afforded from it. The breath-taking sight allows a view, not just of Chiang Mai, but also much of Northern Thailand and the distant mountain ranges. Unfortunately I went on a slightly hazy day so the visibility was slightly reduced but even so the view was amazing, on a clear day it must be truly astounding.
Along with Doi Suthep there are a plethora of other temples that you can visit in Chaing Mai as well as several museums and other places of interest but I'll not dwell on them and instead move onto the shopping. Chiang Mai is famous as Thailands premier shopping destination, not only does it have an abundance of shops that specialise in selling Thailands local craft products and silks but also a night market that is a bargain hunters dream (I imagine CH would have a field day!!). There are literally hundreds of stalls selling all manner of fake watches, fashion label clothing as well as more traditional Thai fare. It should be visited for the experience of bargaining alone, a skill I've had some practice of in Saudi Arabia.
My advice for what it's worth is firstly to forget how much the object is worth in English money as you'll probably think it's a steal at the asking price. Next ask the initial price then offer at the most half of it. After a brief negotation a mid price will be agreed, simply say this is too much and walk slowly away... in almost all cases the stall owner will follow you shouting lower and lower prices. When you hear one you're happy go back with the cash... simple. I should mention that haggling is part of the Thai's custom and to not indulge in it is considered strange so you're not taking advantage of them by lowering the price merely respecting their customs.
Well I'm afraid I'm going to end my brief discussion of Chaing Mai here as I'd like to devote the remainder of the opinion to the trek that I went on. I may well expand this section in the future but onto the fun stuff.
Trekking
Introduction
As I've already mentioned the main reason for my excursion to Northern Thailand was to take in some of the remote scenery, and the best way of doing this is to join a trek. Chaing Mai is literally crowded with places to organise treks from and as such it is impossible to pick out any particular guide or tour operator as the best in the field. The best way is to several different places compare prices and itineries and pick the one that appeals most. Following the simple rules that are given in guidebooks is also a sensible idea, I'll give a brief outline of those here: -
- Ensure the tour operator is TAT (Tourist Association of Thailand) approved, if they are they will have a certificate to prove it.
- Meet the guide and check not only that they speak good English but also that they are familiar with the dialects and customs of the hill tribes that live in the area you are visiting.
- Find out exactly what it is you're paying for. I know this sounds daft but make sure that food and accommodation is included as well as storage for baggage that you aren't taking and a secure place for valuables. It is likely that you will have to buy and carry water so check where and when you can buy more from, this will also determine how much money you need to take.
- Check the itinery for the trek carefully and find out how far you're expected to walk and what the terrain and weather is likely to be like. I mention this as in our group two girls wore sandals and struggled over the more treacherous ground where walking boots were far more suitable.
Anyway enough of the lecturing and onto the more interesting stuff.
The Trek
My friends and I, along with 7 others, left Chiang Mai with our guide Chi and an anonymous driver for a three day trek. Our chariot that was to take us into the unknown was a converted Toyota Hi-Lux or songtheaw as they are known in Thailand. With the potential to carry 15 or so people on 2 benches in the back of these pick-up trucks these taxis are prevalent in Thailand and in particular in Chiang Mai where they make up around half of the traffic. But I digress...
The destination of our four wheel drive conveyance was a drop off point near to a town called Pai approximately 100km west of Chaing Mai and only about 40km or so east of the Thai border. The area around Pai is widely considered the best area for trekking and I can understand why. Our first day began after lunch with a four hour walk in which we climbed about 800m through some dense jungle. This part of the trek was certainly not appreciated by the less fit members of our group as the temperature was in the mid 30's and the humidity oppressive, thankfully I found through a combination of being in reasonable shape and the truly breath-taking views upon reaching the top that the walk was an enjoyable if demanding experience.
The purpose of our hike was to reach a village of one of the hill tribes, the indigenous population of the region. I found our stay a strange one as I suffered the inevitable conflict of appreciating the hospitality and enjoying the experience of staying in such a remote place, yet suffering the guilt that the village has been so easily molded into a Western tourist attraction with probably hundreds if not thousands of visitors a year. This uneasy feeling was epitomised by 2 events, the first being on our arrival at the village when we were greeted with a huge bucket of iced water that was filled with bottled water, beer and a choice of soft drinks. To walk to such a remote place and by sold a can of Coke-Cola by a hill tribe already well versed in the capitalist mindset was a little depressing.
The second of the events was later in the evening when the tribes children sang us all folk songs after which we were expected to donate sweets or small change as a reward. This did not seem much to ask but we were told that the kids use the change to watch movies in a local 'cinema' hut. To summarise the evening was not unenjoyable but was all a little too packaged and not the 'authentic' experience I had expected. The evening ended with Chi, our guide, playing Beatles, Eagles and a host of other songs on a particularly out of tune guitar accompanied by my even more out of tune dulcet tones and a brief sampling of the local plant life... I'll say no more.
The second day of the trek started at a not indecent hour with a hearty breakfast which I'll admit sounds like something out of an Enid Blyton novel but is true none the less. A less demanding walk than the previous day took us through some equally mesmerising scenery and several tribal villages. The children in the villages were an endearing and cheerful bunch who quickly adopted us as their source of amusement, a task which involved various carrying, throwing and swinging duties that were all met with whoops of delight and beaming smiles.
By lunch time we reached the bottom of a waterfall which made for a stunning and refreshing power shower and a beautifully scenic place for our lunch of Pad Thai... well until the monsoon downpour anyway. The afternoon consisted of a brief but treacherous walk downstream until we reached our unusual transportation to our accommodation. Riding an elephant is a bizarre experience, perched by two's on a rudimentary saddle cum bench neither comfort nor speed is of the essence. The massive animals are not to be rushed and their slow lumbering gait is regularly interrupted by the need to uproot and devour entire bamboo trees... or to relieve themselves in a no less dramatic fashion.
To be brutally honest the first ten to twenty minutes are entertaining but after that the novelty wears off as the uncomfortable ride becomes all too apparent... I'm glad that I've done it but will probably not rush to ride another elephant. Our bone-jarring meander eventually transported us to our quiet custom built group of huts next to a picturesque river. The evening consisted of good food, no small amount of whiskey and some crazy drinking games and eventually exhausted and content everyone retired to our bamboo hut.
The last day of our trek involved the exciting (in places) and enjoyable pursuit of bamboo rafting. The excitement was provided by the small rapids that the six man crafts had to negotiate and that tranquil beauty of the valley we traveled down added greatly to the enjoyment. On reaching our pick-up point we had a final lunch before heading back to Chiang Mai weary and satisfied.
All in all trekking was a great experience, in no small part to the quality of our guide, and at only 1800 baht (30 quid) it is an inexpensive way to see magnificent jungle scenery, experience a night in a hill tribe village and go elephant riding and bamboo rafting. In addition to this all the food is traditional Thai fare and excellent. Admittedly several aspects of the trek had a distinctly packaged feel but there were far more pros than cons and the massive increase in tourism has the same inevitable consequences anywhere in the world. If you visit Thailand then going on a trek is definitely a worthwhile experience and is what I've described doesn't appeal there is practically no end of different places to go and things to do on other treks.
Conclusion
As I stated at the beginning of this opinion much of the content would concern the trek that I arranged at Chiang Mai. I hope that I've conveyed the fact that a trek is certainly an unforgettable experience because it is. As for Chiang Mai it is worthy of a visit in its own right, suffering less from pollution than the capital, having a more relaxed, less hectic feel. It is deservedly renowned as the best place for shopping in Thailand with the impressive night market providing the perfect place for tracking down bargains. No trip to Chiang Mai would be complete without visiting the hillside temple of Doi Suthep from which much of Northern Thailand can be seen.
Chaing Mai is definitely worth a visit if you're heading to Thailand, don't miss out by spending an entire holiday on the southern islands and give Northern Thailand a chance... The islands are my next destination though so an opinion on Koh Pha Ngan is on the way.
See you later.
SB
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