Chiang Mai is Thailand's second city, but in terms of quality of living and tourist attractions, it's second to none in Southeast Asia.
The centre of the once-powerful Lanna kingdom, the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai is a favourite destination for tourists and backpackers alike and is also a tremendously popular province amongst Thai holiday-makers. Relatively mountainous and layered with a selection of National Parks, Chiang Mai is a nature-lovers paradise with ample opportunity for those wanting to explore the hinterland during their holiday.
The city is famous for her friendly people, refined handicrafts, hill tribes, 'cool' climate and stunning mountain scenery.
More than three-hundred temples, among them some of the most beautiful and revered in the entire Buddhist world, give the city an atmosphere of calmness and timeless elegance.
The quality of living is unsurpassed. Accommodation and food are of the highest standard at very low cost. Entertainment is plentiful with numerous festivals, outdoor activities and great nightlife.
Chiang Mai has a distinct international atmosphere with many foreign businesses and organizations locating in the city over the past decade due to her excellent infrastructure with international direct flight connections to all countries in the region including China, Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Burma, Cambodia, Bangladesh and Taiwan. There are also direct regional daily flights to Bangkok, Phuket, Chiang Rai, Ma Hong Song, Sukhothai and other cities in the region.
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The province is also developing a reputation for health and spa resorts that are beginning to pop up along with a burgeoning real-estate business as the backpackers from yester-year return to retire in this comfortable northern Thai climate. The eponymous provincial capital is Thailand's second most frequently visited city but has a population of only around 200,000. An abundance of temples are spread throughout the city, which is easily navigated on foot. The influence of the plentiful middle-aged European tourists who flock here is strongly felt in the town, with a vibrant alternative-lifestyle community providing everything from jewellery-making to yoga classes. Chiang Mai's hotel scene is developing apace with some truly luxurious hotels now peppering the city's skyline along with the excellent choice of budget guesthouses and hostels that have existed her for decades.
Genuine adventure is to be found in the immediate vicinity of Chiang Mai with jungle tours, rafting, elephant riding and hill tribe villages to visit. Chiang Mai is a Golfer's dream with some of the best golf in Asia in fantastic surroundings. Shopping is great and some great deals can be made, be it for handicrafts, clothes or luxury items. Everything can be found at great prices in stores ranging from small family-run shops to world-class luxury outlets and shopping malls. Eating out can also be done at amazing prices, often 50-70 % cheaper than a comparable meal in Phuket, another favourite Thai tourist destination.
Surveys rank Chiang Mai as one of the most liveable city in Asia, and Chiang Mai have now for years been ranged among the 10 most liveable cities in the World. Everyone visiting or living here would attest that it's in fact number one.
Chiang Mai is a big province. Buy a map, hire a motorbike or car and go exploring -- you'll be surprised just how much you'll find.
Chiang Mai recognised as 5th most attractive tourism destination in the world in 2006.
"Travel and Leisure magazine, a USA based tourism magazine with a circulation of 900,000 announced that its readers had voted Chiang Mai the fifth most desirable destination in the world, and the second in Asia, with Bangkok in first place.
Each year “Travel and Leisure” conducts a survey of its readers as to the most desirable tourist destinations via online questionnaires. The survey takes into account value for money, the level of arts and culture, and the general environment of the location. This year Bangkok was voted as Asia’s most desirable tourist destination for the fifth year running, with Chiang Mai following in second place. Chiang Mai also ranked fifth in the world’s desirable tourist destinations, with Florence and Rome in Italy taking first and second place respectively, Bangkok third place and Sydney, Australia in fourth place. The top five Asian cities were voted as Bangkok and Chiang Mai, followed by Kathmandu of Nepal, Kyoto of Japan and Hong Kong. The award was warmly received in Chiang Mai, after the disappointing news that Chiang Mai had dropped in the ‘World’s Most Liveable Cities’ index to 10th place.
In the past, Chiang Mai was popularised as a temple town that doubled as a launching point for hilltribe treks into the hinter hand, but over the years, it has developed into a destination all of its own, with some outstanding bars and restaurants, shopping, sightseeing and spa-ing to keep even the most industrious busy for at least a couple of days. While a small city when compared to big-sister Bangkok, it still pays to pick the right part of town to stay in, if, for no other reason than to save you the dizzying experience of going around and around and around Chiang Mai's legion of one-way streets and sois.
For the eaters and drinkers, you'll never go hungry, nor thirsty in this town. There are three main areas for bars and restaurants in Chiang Mai, though there are loads of other spots spread across town. The Tha Phae Gate and Loi Kroh area contain some of the longest running tourist haunts, with the former catering to budget tourists and backpackers, the latter to a predominantly male trade looking for company with their beer. Going east of here you'll reach the Ping River with its famous collection of riverside restaurants and bars -- don't forget the further north or south you go along the Ping River, the better the offerings get. On the other side of town around the Nimmanhaemin Road area is a bunch of Thai-focussed bars and restaurants -- some of which are outstanding -- don't be intimidated by the lack of foreigners, these are well worth exploring.
For shoppers, the Night Bazaar in eastern Chiang Mai has long been the epicentre of the Northern Thailand shopping experience and while there is loads of good stuff there, there are two other strips -- the Sunday Walking Market which offers a mind-boggling range of products (whose range continues to grow), running through the centre of the old city, and Nimmanhaemin Road, known for its chic and stylish (and expensive) Thai furnishing, running north to south along the western edge of Chiang Mai. So the moral of the shopping story is threefold -- it doesn't matter where you stay as you'll be within walking distance of shopping; you will need to travel to get to the other shopping areas, and don't make the mistake of choosing a place near the Night Bazaar solely on its proximity to that market. If you're a shopper -- stay anywhere!
Information from villa-in-thailand.org
Taxi/tour/escort services by Patrick Smith (Thai local with english speaking) called mobile 081 617 2116 (Oversea booking 66 81 617 2116) or e-mail: neomart@gmail.com
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