After 18 days of relaxation and minor exploration we left Phuket (where we had spent 7 days in Patong, and 11 days at Mai Khao Beach) and moved to Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. The region is mountainous and doesn’t have any beaches, but there are plenty of things to do and learn. We were tired leaving Europe, and after spending more than two weeks relaxing we were ready to get back to exploring.
Our arrival in Chiang Mai was smooth. No customs or immigration because we had already taken care of all that when we arrived in Phuket. We had our bags and were in a cab within 20 minutes. The first pleasant surprise was the cost of the taxi form the airport to our accommodation. It took us over 20 minutes to reach our place and the cost was the equivalent of $10 Canadian. Back home the ride from the airport to my house (which is just over 10 minutes) is a $26 fixed price. Sometimes I wonder how the drivers in Southeast Asia make any money, but we were happy nonetheless. Chiang Mai was off to a good start.
When we checked in to our apartment we were advised that the pool was out of order, and we soon found that the wifi only worked in one corner of the living room. Also, the only restaurant that was within walking distance to our place was McDonalds. Not ideal. The owner said we could check out if we liked with no penalty. Normally we are pretty relaxed when things go wrong as we expect to encounter a lot of hiccups on our year of travels. However, with the prospect of spending 17 nights in a place with no pool, no wifi, and no grocery stores or restaurants nearby, we made the decision to bail.
We found a new place on AirBnB and although it was a little more expensive, it had a pool, three bedrooms, excellent wifi and a smart TV, and there were plenty of shops and restaurants within walking distance. It was an excellent base of operations for Mission Chiang Mai.
So, with the accommodations and home base secure, we were ready. Honestly, it was a great couple of weeks, and it was especially fun to spend Christmas in a different culture. When I look back now, the time seemed to fly by. It is hard to boil the experience down into one article, but here is our attempt at a list of Ten Things To Do (or be aware of) in Chiang Mai.
1. Grab App
Despite the fact that taxis are cheap by North American standards using the Grab app. is an excellent idea. It is like Uber, but for Chiang Mai. The fare for a ride inside the city limits was usually around $3 for us. Obviously, we were staying in the city so most of our rides were under 10 minutes. That said, at home the starting fare for a taxi is generally more than that.
2. Small Local Restaurants
We are not overly adventurous when it comes to choosing restaurants. We usually stick to bigger places that have a lot of people. That said, we did eat lunch at a small roadside place near our apartment in Chiang Mai. We had 4 meals, and a couple of small appetizers for $8. Pretty incredible, and it was good local food. If you are willing to eat like a local you can do so very cheaply in Chiang Mai, and get a taste of how the residents eat. Although we had a good experience, we still stick to the bigger places because they usually have more options available to the kids. We are expanding their culinary horizons, but they still like to enjoy a chicken fingers and fries from time to time.
3. Elephants
It seems like there are a thousand different elephant adventures advertised in Chiang Mai. We spent an unforgettable day working with these amazing creatures. Luke described it very well in a post here. I will skip the political/ethical discussion on the different types of elephant experiences and suggest you pick one that aligns with your own values. It is totally worth the experience to be near to something so massive, so gentle, and so smart.
4. Temples
I read that there are over 300 Buddhist temples in Chiang Mai. As an outsider with little knowledge of Buddhism I found it fascinating to see monks walking around the town in their easily recognizable orange robes. I couldn’t take my eyes off them. As for the temples, I will confess that this isn’t really my thing. They are certainly impressive. The detail, the carvings etc, but after a while it all starts to blur together. I had the same reaction to ancient architecture in Rome, and the old churches scattered all across Europe. If I had it to do over again I would hire a guide to give us a tour of a couple of temples. You can learn so much about the history, and the stories behind the different artifacts. We hired guides in Berlin, at Auschwitz, and at the Colosseum in Rome and it was well worth it.
5. Markets (day and night)
Chiang Mai has many markets. There are the Saturday and Sunday markets, the Night Bazaar, and the China Town Market (and more I’m sure). All of them are worth exploring. You can find lots of clothes, food, small crafts and souvenirs, and some very different things like bugs, snakes, and scorpions to eat. A great cultural experience.
I think my favourite market was the Sunday Night Market. It was cool (temperature that is), busy, and massive. However, the locals say that the China Town Market is the best. It is open during the day and has the best prices. I was told that often people will buy things at the China Town Market and resell them at the night markets for more. Whatever your preference, it is absolutely worth while checking out at least one.
6. Traditional Tattoo
If you are into tattoos you should consider getting a traditional tattoo. I did, and we used an AirBNB experience. For just over $100 the guide picked me up in the morning, drove us to the ‘Master’s’ place, paid for the tattoo and lunch.
The Master who did my tattoo studied tattoo as a monk for 5 years. He used the traditional needles that are used by hand (i.e. no gun). I got a pretty big dragon on my back, and it only took an hour. The experience is religious for the locals. They believe that tattoos, and the master, can provide protection, good luck, health etc. The tattoo experience started with a prayer and offering, and ended with another prayer and blessing. It is a very memorable and worthwhile experience.
7. Infrastructure
I was surprised, unfortunately, by how run down the infrastructure is in Chiang Mai. The roads/streets are bumpy and broken, the sidewalks are seriously cracked and you have to pay attention when walking or you could step in a hole. There is also garbage everywhere. So much so that it left me wondering if there was a sanitation service. I am very aware that we can’t expect the same level of development that we might see in some North American cities, but for some reason the state of disrepair really jumped out at me.
8. Smog (or perhaps just fumes)
I consider myself fortunate to come from a place where the air is generally clean. I was surprised by the amount of fumes in the air in Chiang Mai, as it isn’t an enormous city. However, it didn’t take long to find the reason…..the old vehicles. There are a lot of cars and trucks on the road and almost every second one has an exhaust issue. I’m sure everyone has experienced driving behind an old dump truck that has plumes of black smoke coming from the exhaust. Well, that is the smell. Although you can’t see the obvious big black smoke plumes like from a dump truck, the combination of thousands of old cars has a similar effect.
9. Khao Soi
A signature dish of Chiang Mai is called Khao Soi. It is a soup with a curry flavour, and also includes boiled noodles, deep-fried crispy noodles, pickled mustard greens, chillies, and meat. I had mine with chicken. People say that when Thai people visit Chiang Mai from Bangkok or other areas they always have Khao Soi. It is almost a requirement when visiting the city. It is really, really good. In fact, at the time of writing this article we’ve been on the road for 130 days, and visited 15 countries, and Khao Soi is my favorite dish. An absolute must to try.
10. Catmosphere
I’ve seen lots of cats. And in fact, there are a lot of wild ones living in Thailand. I have no idea why anyone would create a little cafe that allows people to eat and drink while playing with over 20 cats. It seems strange, but it is a big success. We decided to go to this little place because…well…..Eve loves animals. It’s as simple as that. And, it was busy. Every table was full.
The kids enjoyed it, but it was mid afternoon and the cats were a little lazy. We didn’t have the ambition to go early in the morning for peak-cat-energy time. For me, the most amusing thing was watching other adults play with the cats, and sit there in sheer amazement as if they had never seen a cat before. I never really considered the fact that cats could be so interesting for some people. Anyway, if you need a place to grab a coffee in Chiang Mai you might as well check out Catmosphere.
We spent 17 nights in Chiang Mai which was our longest stay in any one place so far on our trip. It is an interesting city. We saw things we loved, things that almost made the kids vomit (bugs and other meats in the markets), and got to try some excellent Thai food. I think anyone going to Thailand should include a visit to Chiang Mai in their travel plans if at all possible.
Shawn