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Chiang Mai is a great location, a relaxed environment, low prices
on almost
everything, a temple or pagoda every 100 m - in the old
town, within the moat and the partly still existing city
wall - .
A vibrant nightlife on
certain parts of the city, great restaurants,
great shopping, a free Thai classic dance show at the night
bazaar, adventure and action in the north of the city and so
on, read on and enjoy the great pictures.
All the Chiang Mai Pagoda and Temple pictures below
were taken left and right of Ratchadamnoen Rd. the main road
crossing the once fortified old city, still showing some old
city wall fragments and gates plus a moat around old Chiang
Mai.
I stayed in the Chiang Mai Montri Hotel on the corner
of the Ratchadamnoen Rd and city wall, the hotel is very
well organized and people are very friendly, plus its very
economic. You will find plenty of
Chiang Mai photos and pictures on this page, for Chiang Mai
videos have a look in the video section.
Around the hotels are plenty of Chiang Mai travel agents
offering everything tourist related, including Thai food
cooking classes. But strange, no city
sightseeing tour, it looks to me as if they don't want to
walk, since within the old Chiang Mai city limit all can be
reached by a short walk. They also offer motorbikes, bicycle and cars for
rent, a small motorbike -100 cc- is about Baht 150,- per day
-negotiable-.
Tours are offered into Chiang Mai's "hinterland" like
Doi Suthep and Doi Inthanon, Doi Inthanon is Thailand's
highest peak and a very popular destination among Thai
people. |
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A very popular tour is to visit one of the elephant
camps, beside the road to the north, and do a
elephant
and a bamboo raft ride, more on this see below. Other
tourist attractions are a visit to a monkey and cobra show,
do trekking, rafting, inclusive bamboo rafting.
There is also a flight connection between Chiang Mai
and Mae Hong Son.
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Chiang Mai
Thai Classic Dance at the stage at the night bazaar |
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Chiang Mai Dancer at
the night Bazaar
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The fabulous night bazaar and shopping -
shopping - shopping.
There is no town on earth and between
earth and the moon with this kind of
shopping paradise, ..“the mother of all
night market” told by Lonely Planet..
The Chiang Mai night bazaar is
somehow in the middle of the city,
just behind the tall hotels and easily
reach by a tuk tuk for Baht 40,-.
Chiang Mai Food and Restaurant at the
night Bazaar
Here you will find all kinds of
foods, handicrafts, artwork, textiles
and other items from the region. There
are plenty of bargains, keep in mind, no
haggle, no fun. Plenty of so called
antiques are on display, but, they are
fakes almost all the times.
The night
bazaar is just behind the high
rise hotels and has not only
shopping to offer.
Several
huge open air restaurants grouped
around several food markets are at
service, more on the following pages.
The food
markets cater for almost every taste,
all is served in a clean environment.
Thai music wobbling through the air and
on the huge stage
Thai classic dancing is performed, This
integration on such a huge scale is
really “well done”, but before you
arrive there you must push your way
through hundreds, maybe thousands
-nobody know, as usual in Thailand. |
 It
wont matter anyway, because its great. There are the Indian
Sikhs, Singapore Chinese and the groups from mainland
China, Japanese guys, all kind of Farang, Pakistani, Arabs
with women gliding like black covered mummies, totally
invisible. A real great contrast are all the beautiful Thai
girls and ladies who have no shy to show that they are real
pretty. Actually Thai women have a high level of
emancipation and the Thai guys and other have enough self
confidence in relation with the women.
Ask any Thai working here where she or he come from,
likely they will tell ..“from Isaan” the remote north
eastern corner of Thailand with the highest amount of
population and as usual in such a constellation also the
highest amount of poor people in the Kingdom.
Some Chiang Mai Night Bazaar photo and pictures.
 
Chiang
Mai Night Bazaar T shirts
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar Weapons
 
Chiang Mai Night
Bazaar Handbags
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar Lamp Shop
 
Chiang Mai Night
Bazaar Shops
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar
 
Chiang Mai Night
Bazaar Accessory Shop
Chiang Mai Night Bazaar flying Trader
Almost all upper market Chiang Mai shopping temples, usually with the
factory in the backyard are located at San Kampaeng Road, a
virtual super monster shopping mall.
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Thai celadon ceramics is
offered in many shops, the interesting thing is almost all
the shops along San Kampaeng Road in Chiang Mai have the
factory in the backyard. When you want to buy some Chiang
Mai celadon you also can watch how it's made, the same is
with items bronze sculptures,
lacquer ware,
silk, silver ware and other
items.
Beautiful silverworks,
jade items, furniture -mostly of teak and rosewood-, teak
carving, marvelous Thai silk materials, fashion items etc. |
A suggestion
for a Chiang Mai trip.
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Start the day with rice
soup
09.00: Begin the day with a sumptuous spread at one of
central Chiang Mai's newest hotels - the D2(1) (00 66 53 99
9999' d2hotels.com). You can choose from Thai, Western and
Chinese breakfast. The locals like thick rice soup with
pork, a high-energy dish that wil help you through a packed
itinerary. The D2 is run by the Thai-owned Dusit Thani chain
and attempts to create Chiang Mai's first contemporary
design hotel. It's a great location and the rooms are cute,
minimalist cubes. Doubles start at Thai baht 4,940 (pounds
70) room only.
Say a little prayer
10.00: With more than 300 Buddhist temples it can be tricky
deciding which one of Chiang Mai's places of worship is
suitable for morning devotion. Situated at the end of
Ratchadamnoen Road, Wat Phra Singh (2), with its relaxed
atmosphere and leafy charm, is many people's favourite.
Established in 1345, this beautiful Lanna-style temple
houses the gorgeous Phra Singh Buddha image, which
supposedly originates from Sri Lanka though it's more likely
it came from Sukhothai, 200 miles down the road. Look out
for the signs at the back of the temple imploring good
behaviour - don't say you haven't be warned.
They do a lock-in at this spa
11.00: Why not be pampered and satisfy your conscience at
the same time? In an unusual rehabilitation initiative,
Chiang Mai's women's jail in the middle of the old city on
Ratchaw-ithi Road (3) has opened a spa (00 6617061041)
staffed entirely by female prisoners. The money goes
directly to the masseuse, helping them to save some money
for after their release.
Lunch on the waterfront
12.30: The Chedi (4), Chiang Mai (00 66 53 253 333,
ghmhotels.com), is one of the few luxury hotels in the city
centre. The calm, contemporary Asian design creates a
soothing haven, though its riverside location makes it prone
to flooding. Pitfals aside, its location makes The Chedi a
great lunch spot and the authentic northern Thai food is
excelent.
It's hip to wear Thai
14.00: Hip Thais avoid Chiang Mai's trashy night market
beloved of most tourists and head instead for leafy
Nimmanahaeminda Road (5) just west of the old city. Take a
trip down Sois 1,4 and 7(asoiisa side street) where you'll
find a colection f sleek shops. A good xample of modern Thai
esigncan be found at asama (00 66 53 400 422'
asama-kasama.com).
Beetle on down o the museum
5.00: Want to find out al bout those nasty creepy rawlies
that inhabit the ropics? Then visit the Museum of World
Insects and Natural Wonders (6) 00 66 53 211891). This is
run from the family home of he Rattanarithikuls, a
husband-and-wife team of scientists. Manop is known as Mr
Mosquito as he has discovred 18 new species.
Go abstract at he art gallery
16.30: La Luna (7) (00 66 53
306 678' lalunagallery.com) on Charoenrajd Road is one of a
growing number of contemporary art galleries opening in
Chiang Mai. This airy, open-plan space houses abstract works
and photography from all over Southeast Asia.
Step out for a mountain climb
18.00: Travel the 10miles out of the city to scale to the
top of the 5,100ft Doi Suthep mountain (8). This overlooks
Chiang Mai and is where you can soak up wonderful views and
a glorious tropical sunset. Further down the mountain you'll
find the 700-year-old Wat Phra That Doi Suthep temple.
You'll need to climb 300 steps to reach this venerated site,
but it'sworth the exertion.
Relax, you've earned a drink
20.00: On your way back down from Doi Suthep stop off for
cocktails at the Palaad Tawanron Restaurant (9) (00 66 53
217 073' palaadtawanron.com). It's set on the lower parts of
the mountain near a large waterfall and amid thick forest.
Book a terrace table at the back and you'll secure an
awesome view. Palaad also offers some of the best Thai food
in Chiang Mai.
Have a nightcap at the market
22.00: To sample some blue-colar Thai-style nightlife - a
mix of cheap whisky, loud music and fantastic food -head to
the Anusan night market (10) at Soi Anusan, just off Chang
Khlang Road. Snack on everything from Chinese-inspired
seafood through to chili- covered strawberries and dishes
prepared by the local Muslim community: delicious banana
rotis, served warm and smothered in condensed milk, are a
highlight of Chiang Mai's street food. There are dozens of
masseurs offering foot massages, reams of gaudy decorations
and blaring Thai pop music.
Copyright Independent Newspapers UK Limited
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All
rights Reserved. |
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The natural extension is
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