Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai travel at your finger tips

Chiang Mai is a great launching point for hill treks to see some waterfalls, hill tribes, and elephant camps. This northern city has much to do with outdoor cafes and bars, beautiful temples, and many places to shop. This city also has a more comfortable climate than many cities in the south and is quite lovely, surrounded by mountains.

Attractions

Many like to explore some of Chiang Mai's Buddhist temples. There are many to see, about 300, but Wat Phra Singh (with its Sinhalese Buddha), Wat Chiang Man (the oldest), Wat Chedi Luang (with an enormous landmark Chedi) and Wat Phan Tao (entirely constructed from teak) are the most famous.

Nightlife in the city is quite happening with loads of pubs and bars to check out. You can also enjoy some traditional Thai dancing at one of the restaurants in the city that offers dinner shows.

The Night Bazaar is a tourist hot spot every evening when vendors open there booths to see all types of specialties like Thai silk and handicrafts. Chiang Mai Zoo is a great place to take the kids, but where a comfortable pair of shoes, because the zoo is large and spreadout.

Doi Suithep Mountain has an amazing temple at its peak where you can go for some great views, not to mention touring a 500-year-old Buddhist temple.

Click through for more on Chiang Mai tours.

Hotels in Chiang Mai

If you want to be in the middle of the action, you can book one of the many Chiang Mai hotels or guest houses situated in the city center. From here, it's easy to walk from your hotel to many restaurants, shops, cafes, and bars. These are usually available very cheap and can be booked online. Click here for more information on Chiang Mai hotels.

Hotels are spread out throughout the city, but many are concentrated in the Old Town or Night Bazaar area. All varieties of hotels are available. To find a Hotel based in Chiang Mai to suit your taste, go online.

Out and about - car hire in Chiang Mai

A hire car inside of Chiang Mai might not be necessary, as many places are a short walk or taxi drive away. However, a hire car is nice to have when exploring some of the cities and attractions nearby. Good deals on car hire in Chiang Mai are available here.

Having a hire car is probably preferable to sitting on a public bus for long hours when you want to visit some smaller villages outside of Chiang Mai. You can hire a car in Chiang Mai from most major car hire companies. More on these Chiang Mai car hire companies here.