Chiang Mai, Thailand travel tales and tips

Chiang Mai, Thailand travel tales

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W Lee	20 January 2005
Stayed at Imperial Mae Ping Hotel, The - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
There are no metre-taxis in Chiang Mai and the rate varies widely by different tuk tuk drivers. Better come up with a rate clearly agreeable by the driver before getting in. The first night I took a tuk tuk from the Gallery Restaurant to Night Bazaar (a two-minute drive) and was charged 20B. The next evening I took another tuk tuk from the same place (Riverside Restaurant, next door to the Gallery) and offered 20B to go to the Night Bazaar. The tuk tuk driver didn't say a word. When arrived, I gave him 20B and he demanded 40. I refused and he yelled at me in the middle of the street and pretented to beat me. Of course he didn't but I think he wanted to give a message to the by-stander tourists at the Night Bazaar. I found the lorry-taxi (4-wheels) drivers more polite and willing to serve. I hired them several times and they charged less than tuk tuk even though on routes assigned by you.
A Douglas	07 January 2005
Stayed at Rydges Amora Tapae Chiangmai Hotel - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Rattana's Kitchen just around the corner has great food which is really cheap.
A Jacoby	06 January 2005
Stayed at Lotus Hotel Pang Suan Kaew - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Chiang Mai is fairly well touristed, so it's a bit difficult to get off the beaten track in the vicinity. The city is very pleasant and has lots of excellent restaurants, nice temples and so on, but I would recommend taking a day trip or two out to the smaller and less commercialised towns nearby. I spent a day in Lampang, less than two hours' journey by train, and this is a less visited and prettier city, with lots of quiet lanes of old teak houses on the north side of the river, and some beautiful temples. It's also easy to get out into the forest from Chiang Mai, and I recommend this too. Within the city, it's worth taking a boat trip upriver, and Wat Jet Yot is an unusual, beautiful and quiet temple.
T Speller	06 January 2005
Stayed at Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
We went to Chiang Mai to trek for a couple of days and to see the town. The trek we went on was with Lizu Lodge which was more expensive than the rest but the extra quality in service, treks and location was excellent. I would recommend the 2-3 day trek. Chiang Mai is an excellent place to shop, get massages, eat and to meet various people from all over the world. Western tourist will have no problem navigating around Chang Mai and communication with most locals.
G Friedman	29 December 2004
Stayed at Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Elephant Conservation Center is a must. Even though it is a bit farther away than some of the other elephant camps it is by far the best and you can be assured that the elephants are well cared for. I had a very negative experience at the Gallery Restaurant which gets raves. Found the food very mediocre, service awful and while the ambiance was lovely the seats were unbelievably uncomfortable. I would not return.
T Shintaku	25 December 2004
Stayed at Chiang Mai Orchid - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
I bought the Nancy Chandler map of Chiang Mai and found it to be very useful. It shows hotels, restaurants, and shops including descriptions of the Night Bazaar area.
J Mullet	02 December 2004
Stayed at Rydges Amora Tapae Chiangmai Hotel - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Recommended area restaurants: Good View and Riverside. Recommended tourist stops: Old City temples, Wat Doi Suthep, Maesa Elephant Camp, Doi Inthanon National Park. Personally I can't stand the night market where masses of people crowd through each other to gawk over cheap souvenirs on the dusty smoggy sidewalks, but it does seem to be a popular attraction for many.
N Bernard	27 November 2004
Stayed at Novotel Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The city was very interesting. The dinner at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre was good value and interesting. The handicraft outlets along Sankampaeng were disappointing because we were rushed though the demonstration area to an overpriced showroom. Not the authentic workshops I had imagined. However, we did make some purchases. We hired a car to take us up Mae Rim and it was very good, except for the monkey show. Make sure you have enough money - the elephant rides are pricey for Thailand. The buffet lunch at the Orchid farm was excellent and cheap.
D Sjauw	15 November 2004
Stayed at Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Chiang Mai was great. We went on the typical elephant ride/bamboo raft 1 day trip and really enjoyed it. The shopping in Chiang Mai was the best of the places we went (Bangkok and Krabi, too) in terms of pricing and selection. I also didn't initially want to go to Bo Sang for the craft "villages," but hired a tuktuk for 100 Bhat to take us to them and actually really enjoyed that trip...i definitely recommend hiring your own tuktuk for this rather than going on the tours through the agencies.
S Atapattu	24 October 2004
Stayed at Tamarind Village, Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Chiang Mai was too much of a city for us, too much like bangkok on a smaller scale. The old town where tamarind village is located is a great part of town. There are some great restaurants in the city, however. One particularly good one is Nuen Phen (for Northern Thai cuisine in a eclectic setting). Took a cooking class with a company called Khao Hom. Extremely professional, fantastic location in a beautiful property (15 minutes out of the city), gentle breezes through ancient tamarind trees. Clean and very well organized. Pick up from your place of residence. The dishes we were taught were not the usual "generic" ones that the schools in the city churn out. A must for anyone wanting to have a truly genuine experience in Thai cooking. An epicurean's delight!! Please feel free to e-mail me for more details.

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