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.

SK house is centrally located just off Thanon Moon Muang down a small soi. It boasts about the garden on its premises but on inspection the garden turned out to be nothing other than a tree in the centre of a small courtyard.

We spent the majority of our stay in Chaing Mai in the Royal guest house. An inexpensive jewel this one as it has a pool and a large selection of spacious air-con rooms for 350 baht (10 euro). The guest house is based in a lane just of Kot-Cha-Sarn road and is within easy reach of the Night Bazaar.

The Rooftop Bar was as chilled out a pub as you could get. You have to remove your shoes at the entrance and then climb 5 floors to get to the small bar. There is nightly entertainment provided by a sunglasses adorning, bandana wearing dude. The house special is a litre of whiskey and 4 cokes for 200 baht. Sam Sung whisky is absolutely lethal but it tastes nice in the open air feel that the rooftop bar creates. You'll find it on Thanon Ratchason which runs parallel to the moat.

Our favourite bar was Kafe which is on Thanon Moon Muang which has contemporary wooden furnishings and a unique homely feel. The cheapest beer available is the Amstel they have on draft (slightly unusual as the Thai's tend to prefer bottled beer). Kafe shows Premiership games at weekends and don't normally abide by Chaing Mai's loosely applied curfew of 12 o'clock.

As plastic as they come. This so called Oirish pub was actually opened by an Irish woman and her Thai husband in 1994. They have long since departed leaving the current Thai owners to carry the flag. Inside the pub there is all the usual paraphernalia you would expect, they even sell Guinness (in a can!) that is allegedly imported from Dublin. Worth a laugh.

This small restaurant is situated near the Phae gate and manages to match good value for money with quality. You can watch the busy vehicles race up and down Chaing Mai's busiest street while basking in the comfort of the soft wooden furniture. We had a breakfast fry up with coffee for 50 Baht each. Service was efficient and courteous and there is a tour service available at the front desk.

This air-conditioned restaurant on a corner facing the Tha Phae Gate. Serving mostly western dishes it affords an alternative to the fried rice/noodle dishes which so predominate Thai food. Prices are a little above average but the standard of the food they serve is quite high. Art Cafe is nearly always busy which is a good measure of its quality.

Ok, this place is a little bit of a tourist trap but it's a nice one. There are free dance shows and Muay Thai (Thai Boxing - show fights only) every night and the huge choice of food available is inexpensive and tasty. The Galare food centre is smack bang in the middle of the Night Bazaar.

If you pine for a little bit of western European food then this is the place to go. It might be a little bit more expensive than other restaurants but the Shepherd's pie was a nice break from the customary noodle/rice dishes.

Trekking

The trek we chose cost us 4000 Baht each for a 3 day/2 nighter and was affiliated to the SK guesthouse. It was a great experience overall even if the guide was totally disinterested. Comfort is one thing you will not be getting on a trek, the sleeping quarters are bamboo huts without mattresses but it all adds to the authenticity. Food was included in the deal although by the third day we were staring menacingly at the village hens.

Thai Massage

Huay Teung Tao Reservoir

The reservoir itself is a pleasant way to spend a day. There is authentic seating and a good selection of food is served. The views around the lake are spectacular. You can hire paddle boats for a nominal fee but I wouldn't fall in as the water is dark brown.

This national park is 16 kilometres out of town and boasts a summit peak, waterfalls and plenty of places to picnic and hike.

The Night Bazaar

There are several good bookshops in Chaing Mai. The best we came across was Gecko books just off Thanon Tha Phae. As well as selling second hand books the shop offers good prices for anyone willing to sell their own books. There are huge fiction and non-fiction sections in several languages. The shop did seem to lack a comprehensive travel section however.

Chaing Mai is a smaller, better laid out version of Bangkok. It's got the nightlife, the vice (at least half a dozen go go bars), the shopping and lots of attractions. Where Chaing Mai excels however is in the natural charm of its people and the relative tranquility that you can find all over town. As the Thai's readily admit themselves, you haven't seen Thailand until you've seen Chaing Mai.