Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand – November 2000

with average temperatures of 21°C, 30°C and 25°C respectively. Use it as a base to travel around Northern Thailand and beyond into Laos, or shop and trek around the exuberant countryside or cruise along the River Ping in CM.

Where to Start

CM’s Day and Night Markets

This is the place where Thai people shop. On the ground floor: Thai herbs, spices, sweets and food. You will find jewellery shops, silk and cloth shops all around the building. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd floors sell cosmetics, ‘brand name’ clothes, shoes etc. Outside the main building walk through the streets along the river and see the flower market, fruit market and more.

On the Huay Kaew-Nimmanhaemin intersection. This is a Thai market were people sell old as well as new things.

You can even buy old motorbikes here and just about anything you can imagine apart from buffaloes. Open on Saturday mornings only (before 11 am). Take a blue Songthaew at the Chiang Mai Gate for 15 Baht to get to here.

Events

Chiang Mai Winter Fair

Government Center – December

Handicrafts, beauty contest and games. Comes alive at night.

Bo Sang Umbrella Fair and San Kamphaeng Handicrafts Market

Bo Sang Village – January

A Fair for painted paper umbrellas, handicrafts and a procession decorated by umbrellas and women on cycles with umbrellas.

Tawai Village Wood Carving Fair

Tawai Village, Hang Dong district

A Fair for wood carvings and handicrafts, local folk dances and a procession to highlight the entire range of Northern Thai wood craft.

Places to Go

Check out these established routes using CM as base:

Chiang Mai-Hang Dong-Hord route (Highway 108)

Begin with the Sanpatong buffalo market, Wat Phra Thart Sri Chom Thong temple (58 km), Borichinda (Borijinda) cave and Doi Tao lake. This great body of water has great big boats like the Edelweiss and the Phetsuwan which offer food and accommodation for 3-4,000 Baht per person.

Smaller and cheaper boats can also be hired at Doi Tao harbour (100 km from CM) depending on the distance covered and the number of passengers. There are also about five rafts for hire that can carry between 40-50 people and cost between 200-300 Baht for a room for two, and smaller rafts that can carry between 15-20 and are even cheaper. You can also get a bus to Doi Tao from the Chang Puak Bus Station in CM.

And finally check out Doi Inthanon National Park, Thailand’s highest peak and the home to a whole list of fauna and flora. There are three major waterfalls along the road to the top, Mae Klang Falls from where you can catch a Songtaew to the top, Wachiratan Falls and Siriphum Falls.

Chiang Mai-Samoeng and Chiang Mai-Fang (Highway 107)

Like for all other routes, you will need a local guide book to learn more about what you can visit or see on these routes, but the Doi Chiang Dao which is one of Thailand’s most impressive mountains is worth checking out. So are the caves here.

But what you simply must do is proceed onwards to Tha Ton (Thaton) on the 130 km long Mae Kok River and hire a fast Long-tail boat to Chiang Rai. Thaton (176 km from CM) is a small beautiful town on the river and you can stay here overnight as in every small town in Thailand.

Report to the Thaton boat landing pier and take the only boat at 12:30pm for an adrenaline pumping boat ride. The 80 km journey takes some four hours and passes through thick jungle and the most amazing scenery you can get to see in SE Asia. This is a rare fast boat journey from one town to another and the most exciting way to get to Chiang Rai. If the Golden Triangle is something you wanted to see all your life, the fast boat ride is something you will regret all your life if you miss it. You can also hire a raft which takes three nights and two days to cover the same distance.

Chiang Mai-Mai-Prao (Highway 1001)

Check out out the Bua Tong Waterfall and its seven-coloured spring (42 kms from CM), Wat Doi Mae Pang (Paang), 75 kms from CM. Its greatest claim to fame is that it was home to Luang Poo Waen Sujinno, a popular monk who died in 1985. Many of its buildings are of wood. The Highway eventually takes you to Sri Lanna National Park and the Lai Waterfall with six separate cascades.

Chiang Mai-Sankhampaeng (Highway 1006)

Chiang Mai-Doi Saket (Highway 1019)

Mae Hong Song (Son or Sorn)

MHS has a very small center which makes it easy to walk around. The province shares a common border with Myanmar as well as cultural influences, is mountainous, forested and has breathtaking scenery. Nightlife on the other hand is limited to some Thai style cabarets on Maksanti Rd.

Best months are November-December when the sunflowers blossom in that period (Bua Tong). Beware of the rainy season if you are trekking or doing a jeep safari because there are few good roads in the province. Check out the Wat Phra Tart Doi Kong Mu, hilltop temple west of the town which overlooks the valley. Be on top early morning to witness why MHS is called the “City of three mists.”

MHS is popular for rafting and boat trips on the Pai River. The best place to hire one is from Ban Huay Deua, 8 km SW of MHS. The one day long raft or Longmotor boat trips take you to Paduang (the longneck tribe) villages or even into Myanmar. You can also hire a raft at Huai Chang Kaew, 16 km from Pai and from Ban Muu Paeng to Ban Mang Muu, a distance of 70 kms and a journey that could take four days.

The area between MHS and Pai is great place for hilltribe exploration and to visit the Black and Red Lahu, Lisu and Karen villages. Also check out the Tham Plaa National Park, 17 km NE of MHS on route 1095 towards Pai.

MHS is 924 km from Bangkok and can be reached from CM either by Highway 108 via Mae Sariang (349 km), or by Highway 1095 via Pai which shortens the distance to some 245 km. It is administratively divided into 7 districts (Amphoe): Muang, Pai, Khun Yuam, Mae La Noi, Mae Sariang, Sop Moei and Pang Mapha.