Should I Travel by Day or by Night from Chiang Mai to Bangkok by Bus?

The bus trip from Chiang Mai to Bangkok is one of the most used travel routes in Thailand. The journey is 360 miles as the bird flies. Naturally roads, even Roman ones, don't dissect maps in straight lines. However, if you were to draw a straight line from Chiang Mai to Bangkok and overlaid the actual road route you would see the two are fairly close. Indeed by road the journey is 425 miles.

In a car the trip can be done in just under 9 hours. By bus the journey takes 11 hours. The bus doesn't stop all the time to pick up and drop off passengers. There is usually one stop of 40 minutes or so to get food, stretch the legs and go to the toilet.

There are a number of bus companies that cover the bus route from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. They all have air-con and toilets at the back of the bus. Many of them have video players that show movies during the trip, except at night.

For the backpacker, travelling by night has 2 major advantages. The first is that you save a night's accommodation cost. The ticket costs about 600 Thai Baht. The cost of a cheap room in Bangkok is about the same. Another plus is that you arrive at 7 am. You have all day to find your room in Bangkok.

The disadvantages are that you cannot see any scenery travelling at night. You miss the Thai countryside. Also you cannot lie down in the bus. The seats recline a bit but as you go back so the person in front of you does the same and you feel just as confined as before. It is hard to sleep sitting up. Moreover, the air-con cannot be turned down. It is essential to bring a blanket or a sweater as you get cold at night.

It might be best to try both day travel and night travel in Thailand to see which you prefer. I find the experience of travelling such a long distance tends to jade me for several hours after disembarking at the destination.

Yoga in Chiang Mai

Over the last few years there has been a resurgence in interest in practising yoga. It has become something similar to diving in the sense that it is an industry that draws in many of its new punters with the lure of getting a qualification that will lead to employment in Thailand, thus making the dream of living and working in Thailand come true. Here is a brief guide to doing yoga in Chiang Mai.

Wild Rose Yoga Studio

http://www.wildroseyoga.org/ The main man is Lek. He studied in India and also under Victor Chng who taught him Yin Yoga.

Yoga Mind Yoga Body

http://www.yogamindyogabody.com/ This is the name for Gernot Huber's classes. He does private classes at his small studio. He also gives drop in classes at Wild Rose Yoga Studio and The Yoga Tree. Gernot does Anusara and Iyengar yoga techniques, and touches on the philosophy behind yoga.

Blue Garden Yoga and Massage Training

http://www.thaimassagechiangmai.com/ There is a medicinal aspect to this yoga school. The founder combines Thai massage, Chinese chi manipulation and yoga to help people with their ailments. Daily lessons cost 200 THB.

The Yoga Tree

http://theyogatree.org/ This is a space for yoga, dance and creative wellness or so the strap line says. Awaken your inner dancer. This is a busy yoga centre. Gernot teaches here. They have classes every day and often from 9am to 6pm. Some classes are fixed price, others are donation based. They also do Qi Gong classes.

The Yoga Room

https://theyogaroomchiangmai.wordpress.com/ The Yoga Room can only manage a free wordpress site. They do Ashtanga Yoga and have yoga teacher training with certification by IYC Japan. The main man is Ken Harakuma who has a lot of the ubermensch about him.

Yoga Kuukan

http://www.yogakuukan.com/ Yoga school run by Rose ('an old soul') and also featuring Tomer from Germany. They do yoga, Tai Chi and Qi Gong. They claim to be un-dogmatic and to not follow any guru. Yoga Kuukan has workshops and classes most days of the week. See their schedule for more details. This list of yoga schools is not exhaustive. It is a growing area. As with the yoga scene in Srithanu in Koh Phangan, it is a side of tourism that is rapidly expanding. Indeed I would hazard a guess that new yoga schools are appearing quicker than new brothels. That must be good for the city.

Map

Wild Rose Yoga

Yoga Mind Yoga Body

Blue Garden Yoga

The Yoga Tree

The Yoga Room

Yoga Kuukan

Loi Kroh Road

In Thai 'Loi Kroh' means 'wash your bad luck away'. There is a book on this very subject. Loi Kroh Road is the place that all locals and expats in Chiang Mai have heard about. It is a small area full of bars and eateries as well as go go bars. If Chiang Mai has a red light district it is Loi Kroh Road. The irony of the road name is obvious - for many naive tourists the bad luck begins with falling for a working girl.

It is hard to be prudish when writing about a place in Thailand. There are red light districts in Bangkok (Soi Cowboy and Patpong), Pattaya (Walking Street), Phuket (Bangla Road). Koh Samui has hundreds of working girls in Chaweng and Lamai. Even the hippy island of Koh Phangan has a mile stretch of sordid beer bar places. Prostitution is common in Thailand and attracts both sexpats, sex tourists and Thai men. In this way, Chiang Mai is no different.

On Loi Kroh Road you will find bars where you buy the girl a drink and she will sit with you. Then of course after pleasantries there is the option to pay a bar fine to release the girl for however long it takes for the customer to gain his satisfaction. There are both go go bars where the girls dance and beer bars where the girls stalk the bar looking for a friendly response from newly arrived clients.

The street also have massage parlours. The girls are often outside trying to drum up trade by claiming passing by men are 'handsome'.

Those really into such sex enclaves will be happy with the cheap prices for drinks, fines and girls but perhaps less so with the quality and quantity . Loi Kroh Road is a small red light district and numerous 'stickboy' types moan about the age and prettiness of the girls. Bar fines range from 300 to 500 Thai Baht.

For those just curious about Loi Kroh Road there are bars and cafes on the street which focus more on food and drink rather than on the skin trade. There is often a lively night scene in this area and many people like to be on the fringe of the sex industry enjoying the free atmosphere, the plentiful supply of eye candy and the possibility of watching some sordid drama play out in public.

Yes, the best and worst that Thailand has to offer.

Location

Loi Kroh Road is outside the walled old city and not far from the river. See the map below.

Tribal Museum

Located just north of Chiang Mai next to Ratchamangkla Park is Chiang Mai Tribal Museum. For those not intending to do a few days trekking north of Chiang Mai this is the best place to experience something of the rich hill tribe culture found in the north of Thailand.

Over centuries the north of Thailand has seen migrations of tribal people from China, Tibet and South East Asia. North Thailand is a fascinating place for those keen to see ancient ways of living; it is also an integral part of most trekking trips sold in Chiang Mai.

I remember many years ago my girlfriend and I did a trek with a bloke who styled himself ‘coconut Dundee’. It was a 3 day trek complete with opium pipes. One the first night we stayed in a tribal village. It was fascinating walking around the village seeing how things were done. The kids were friendly and the adults generally just smiled and got on with whatever they were up to. I remember the following morning I heard something that sounded like church singing. I went off to explore by myself and found a religious gathering. They were singing a standard church hymn but in their own language. I slipped off my shoes and sat at the back. The singing was beautiful as was the atmosphere. It was a magical moment for me; nearly as good as the pipes the night before.

Anyway to learn something about the Karen (famous for the ‘long necks’ created by multiple gold rings), the Akha, Lisu and Hmong hill tribes a trip to the Tribal Museum is an excellent option. Those tribal people that stay in the village next to the museum are dressed in their traditional costumes.

The museum site is fairly small but contains plenty to see. There is an information area with information about calendar activities for the tribes focused around agriculture. There are also model villages to give you an idea about traditional hill tribe architecture. Each visitor also sees a 15-minute video about hill tribes.

A taxi to the hill tribe museum takes about 40 minutes.

When I went to the Tribal Museum we saw hill tribal people in their full regalia. However, others complain that they missed this.

Essential Information

Opening Hours: 9am to 4pm

Cost: 50 to 100 Thai Baht

Address: Chiang Mai Tribal Museum, Chotana Road Rd., Chang Phueak, Muang Chiang Mai, Chiang Mai 50000 Thailand


Phone number: +66 (0) 5321 0872

Reviews

Reviews on Trip Advisor are mixed for the Tribal Museum. They had a fire in 2013 and it appears that the museum is sometimes closed, or just looks closed. Some reviewers praise the museum and the director who shows some visitors around. Others complain that they didn’t get to see any hill tribe people. It might be best to phone the museum before heading out there to make sure they are open, and whether there are any hill tribe people to see.

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Chiang Mai Airport

Chiang Mai has a very good airport. It is not so big or so small as to cause major inconveniences. Moreover the airport is located relatively close to the centre of Chiang Mai. The experience of using Chiang Mai Airport is very different to the experience of using Suvarnabhumi Airport. These are good reasons to consider using Chiang Mai Airport rather than catching a bus or train to the northern Thai travel hub.

Chiang Mai has an international airport. Currently it has flights to and from China, Laos, Myanmar, Singapore and Taiwan. There are also plenty of domestic scheduled flights that use Chiang Mai Airport. There are 130 flights to Bangkok every week. You can fly from Udon Thani, Udon Ratchethani, Mae Hong Son, Krabi and Surat Thani to Chiang Mai. Despite these scheduled flights many people will find that they cannot fly directly to Chiang Mai either because of price, bad connections or availability. Often it is necessary to spend at least one night in a Bangkok hotel.

The airport at Chiang Mai is a 2 storey building with plenty of parking at the front. It is usually quick to get through customs and also passport control if you are arriving from outside Thailand. The airport is less congested and the experience of getting through the formalities is a lot more positive. For those who want to avoid the long queues and possible interrogations involved with landing at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Chiang Mai Airport is the obvious choice.

Outside the airport you can catch a pre-paid taxi or tuk tuk to the centre of town. It takes about 10 minutes to get from the airport to the old walled city of Chiang Mai. This is where many of the best guest houses are located and has traditionally been where backpackers prefer to stay since it is near the historic sites of the city.

In terms of cost, internal flights to Chiang Mai are very reasonably priced especially if you have flexibility in your itinerary. For just 2,000 Thai Baht you can fly from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. This is great value since the bus or train costs around 1,000 Thai Baht. The fact that the flight takes just a couple of hours rather than overnight on a bus or train is another strong argument for flying to Chiang Mai.

At the moment Thailand is going through a budget carrier boom making it possible to travel the Kingdom quickly and cheaply. The trains are state owned and the prices fixed. The logistics of bus travel make it impossible for coach companies to lower their prices significantly. Another consideration is that flying is a safer form of transport than travel on the road. This is because of the high prevalence of drunk driving and the lack of enforcement of road regulations.

When you arrive at Chiang Mai Airport your main concern might be to just get to your hotel. The chances are, however, that once you are safely ensconced in your hotel you will look back on your journey and conclude that flying to Chiang Mai was a good idea.

Why Take the Train between Chiang Mai and Bangkok

There are 13 flights per day going from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Thai Lion Air and Bangkok Airways both offer services. A typical one way ticket costs 1,200 Thai Baht. In contrast there are just 6 trains running daily between Bangkok and Chiang Mai. An average price for a second class sleeper on the train is just over 1,000 Thai Baht. The flight takes 1 hour and 15 minutes. The train journey takes between 12 to 14 hours. So flying is cheaper and quicker. Why take the train between Chiang Mai and Bangkok?

For a start the money comparison is a little over-simplified because there is the extra expense of getting to and from an airport. Don Muang airport doesn’t have a rail link and a taxi into town costs 500 Thai Baht. From Chiang Mai centre to the airport costs about 120 THB. In comparison you can walk from Chiang Mai Train Station to the old town. You can catch the MRT from Hua Lamphong Station in Bangkok to Sukhumvit for 130 Thai Baht per person.

The different additional costs of getting to and from a travel hub make the train and the plane journey about the same price.

Obviously in terms of time the airplane option wins hands down. Even if you have to wait around in airports, get searched and scrutinised and all the other palaver that goes with modern air travel. So again, why take the train?

My main argument is that it is nicer. There is still a small amount of romance left about train travel, even with Thai characteristics. You get leg room and even a bed if you travel over night. You can get up and walk around with getting in everyone’s way. You don’t feel hemmed in like transported livestock in economy class on a plane.

As many people have commented in the past – train travel is more civilised. You can bring your own food and drink, you can go to the dining car for something or you can catch the attention of one of the hawkers going up and down the train. You can go to the end of the carriage for a crafty cigarette. And best of all you can look out the window and see something of the Thai countryside rather than just clouds.

Train travel in Thailand is straight forward. It is not hard to find your platform. The trains aren’t running an exact schedule like their Japanese counterparts but they are fairly reliable. You can get tickets the day before normally. You can even buy Chiang Mai to Bangkok train tickets online if you get them 3 days in advance. Click the book button below to check availability and buy a ticket, or use the ticket search engine at the top of the right hand column.

Finally, what is the rush? There is much to explore between major tourist destinations in Thailand. People often have the mind-set that only a handful of places are worth spending any time in. That is not true. Thailand is a diverse Kingdom with many hidden gems. Tourists are missing out. For example between Chiang Mai and Bangkok is Sukhothai and Ayutthaya. Both are former capitals and full of ancient temples and palaces. Ayutthaya is a UNESCO World Heritage spot. Trains give you the freedom to make stops on the way and discover a bit about Thailand.

It might not be the most convincing of arguments for people who hate being on transport but it shouldn’t be forgotten that in travel, as in life, it is the journey not the arriving that teaches you more.

THC Roof Top Bar

The THC Roof Top Bar just outside Tapae Gate has gone from cool obscurity to backpacker fame. For this reason many people come to the bar and feel disappointed as THC was billed as something amazing.

It isn’t really. But it is a great bar with club atmosphere. It is a great location on top of a tall building. You go up several flights of rickety stairs. The walls are decorated in glow art and weird decorations. You immerge to a large roof top bar. All the seating is on mats on the floor with low tables.

It is open top with girders above. The feel of the bar is quite unique, and very much enhanced with lovingly strange décor. It is partly acid party and partly reggae bar in Haad Rin. Indeed there is a Koh Phangan feel to the place. That feeling comes from the loud music. For many it feels like a jarring contradiction – a chilled roof top bar with a name that references weed with Bob Marley pictures but playing loud house music. It might be a perfect place for a reggae bar but the problem is that Chiang Mai isn’t a remote beach in Koh Phangan where they smoke weed. Reggae would be soporific in the urban context of Chiang Mai. Much more ‘Saturday night’ is a banging house soundtrack to the night.

Another Koh Phangan echo is the house music. The DJs are often really good at THC Roof Top Bar. They mix with care and verve and come up with plenty of surprising tunes. This reminds you of Koh Phangan were the quality of DJing is very high.

THC is one of those bars where on occasion people get in the mood and dance a bit. The views are great and it makes a good spot for a couple of drinks on a big night out. The only downer is that the drinks are a little pricey. For the same price you could go to a bigger club, but then you would lose the intimate and funky atmosphere.

Beware

If you aren’t keen on sitting on the floor where cockroaches and rats might be scurrying then this probably isn’t the bar for you. You just can’t stop nature in Thailand.

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Wat Lok Molee

Wat Lok Molee (also spelt Wat Lok Moli) is one of the first temples many visitors to Chiang Mai encounter because it is near several popular hotels. It is also near Chang Puak City Gate.

It is not known when the temple was built. It is first mentioned in 1367 AD. The temple was home to Burmese monks invited by the Siamese King to teach Theravada Buddhism.

It is a plain temple. The chedis have not received new stucco. Of note are the wooden façade and beautifully sculptured snakes or naga. The Vimarn, or hall, in front of the chedis is worth a look inside.

It won’t take you more than 30 minutes to take in this temple. If you are staying near the centre or in the old city it is easy to walk to the temple.

Wat Lok Molee is a working temple so you will see monks wandering about. As always it should be mentioned, to respect Thai culture and to dress modestly inside the temple compound. Entry is free.

Just outside the entrance to the temple there is a small shop selling drinks.

Many people comment on Trip Advisor and elsewhere that they liked Wat Lok Molee because it is a peaceful location not teaming with tourists. You can get in touch with the serenity which is at the heart of Buddhism, and which is in complete contrast to the hustle and bustle of Thailand’s second city.

Dudeism in Chiang Mai

One place you could visit in Chiang Mai is the Dudeist Church. It is located at Moon Mueang Road Mueang Chiang Mai 50200. It is nothing really to look at and it probably won’t be open. And yet it has to be one of the most intriguing places in Chiang Mai to visit for the fact that it is home to one of the newest and most harmless religious cults in the world. The religion is Dudeism. The Church is called the Church of the Latter-Day Dude. And its founder, the Dudely Lama, Oliver Benjamin live at this address.

You might think this is a joke, but it is not. Look it up on Wikipedia. The religion has over 250,000 adherents and 160,000 ordained priests. Although for those of scholarly and non-dude bent Dudeism may appear a mock religion, for many normal people the religion seems to have a certain persuasiveness.

To gasp the essence of the Dudeist message you just have to recall the character of Jeff ‘The Dude’ Lebowski in the Coen Brothers’ movie called ‘The Big Lebowski’. The central character ‘abides’. He likes taking naps, getting high and not working too hard or getting uptight. He is not into violence or messing with other people. He gets happiness from just being himself and doing the simple things in life such as bowling and hanging out with his friends. He loves his rug because it holds his room together.

Oliver Benjamin has made a credible case for connecting this portrayal of a world-view with the spiritual message of Taoism - ‘go with the flow’.

Anyway, if you can chat to Oliver Benjamin or hear him talk (probably wearing a brown bathrobe and holding a white Russian) you might find that that particular day in Chiang Mai turned out to be a memorable if not significant day in your life.

Baan Tong Luang

Baan Tong Luang is a hill tribes village located a few kilometres outside of Chiang Mai. It offers guests the chance to see several of the tribes that have settled in the north of Thailand over the last hundred and fifty years. They have kept their traditional clothes and customs. To supplement the proceeds from their agricultural activity they have opened this village area to visitors. It is the easiest place to see hill tribes if you opt not to do a trek while you visit Chiang Mai.

The park is described as an ‘eco-agricultral hill tribes village’. They are growing various crops using the traditional methods of their tribes. Naturally these methods don’t include using expensive pesticides and fertilizers. For those interested in seeing how food is grown without modern farming methods Baan Tong Luang is the best place to head.

The hill tribes represented in the village are:

1.    Karen – originally from Tibet
2.    Lahu Shi Bala – also from Tibet
3.    Palong – minority from Burma who migrated in the 1980s
4.    Hmong – originally from Tibet, fought against communists in Laos
5.    Kayaw  -from the Kayah state in Burma and a subgroup of the Karen tribe
6.    Akha / Ekhaw – from Yunnan in China
7.    Yao / Mien – trace their history back to the Song Dynasty of China; originally from the Chang Jiao River basin in China

You get to see the tribes in a real life setting. They are also wearing their traditional costumes. It is a chance to see some of the many minorities that inhabit China and South East Asia whose ways of life have become threatened by development and modernisation.

The only downside to the place is the focus on the Karen women who famously wear lots of golden hoops on their neck to make it look longer. This tradition has become famous and is the main crowd attraction it seems. Tourists gawping at these women put me off a bit.

There are often tribal people doing textile making. Naturally these items are available for sale.

Baan Tong Luang is on the Maerim-Samuang Road. The entrance is on the left, between Maesa Waterfall and Maesa Elephant Camp.

You can combine a trip to the Hill Tribes Village with a visit to Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, Maesa Elephant Camp and Maesa Waterfall.

Infinity Nightclub

Chiang Mai is not just a place to visit temples and night markets: it is also a city with a thriving nightlife. It is Thailand’s second city and has everything (or nearly everything) that you can find in Bangkok. The nightlife might not be as seedy, as swank, as boutique, or as hi so as places in the capital but for many they actually prefer the more relaxed nightlife atmosphere of Chiang Mai.

One of the best nightclubs in Chiang Mai is aptly named Infinity. It is a large nightclub aimed at hip Thais. It is well furbished and stylish. Infinity looks like the type of nightclub many foreigners might avoid thinking it would be too expensive. However that is not the case: drinks are reasonably priced and cheaper than in many fashionable spots in Chiang Mai.

It gets packed at the weekend. Weeknights can be lively without getting too busy. A number of DJs play house music. They also have live bands. While the music is often geared towards a Thai crowd, they mix it up with plenty of tunes that will appeal to most people.

The club tends to fill up after the other bars and clubs shut at 1am or 2am. Infinity has a large outdoor seating area with lots of seating that attracts the late night drinking crowd.

Infinity has a great sound system and impressive lights and other effects. It is a high energy place. If you are up for having a big night this nightclub is a good option.

Details:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/infinity.chiangmai
Telephone 053 400 085
Address: Nimmana Haeminda Soi 6, Mueang Chiang Mai

137 Pillars House

137 Pillars House can be accurately classified as a boutique hotel in Chiang Mai. It is a marvelous building as well as a luxury hotel. For this reason it is worth visiting, and definitely worth staying at if you have the money.

The word ‘boutique’ is used a lot in the hotel business. It is a trendy designation that helps to increase prestige and revenue for an accommodation provider. The word comes from the French and originally referred to a small shop. Since then ‘boutique’ has become an adjective in English and has come to connote a number of meanings. The excellent www.bangkokboutiquehotel.info divides boutique hotels into several categories: colonial, modern, hip, historic, themed and micro. Boutique hotels although small can sometimes be big. They are normally one-offs but can be part of an exclusive chain. They are often converted historical buildings but can also be ultra new and modern. Boutique is an attitude, and a boutique hotel displays an attitude of originality, style and personalized service and facilities. It is easier to give examples of what a boutique hotel is than it is to define the phrase.

137 Pillars House (2 Soi 1, Na Wat Gate Road, Wat Gate) is the winner of 2013 Trip Advisors Travelers’ Choice awards for Chiang Mai. It is a small hotel with 30 rooms on the property. The aim, as the hotel website describes, is to create a ‘home style residence’ that ‘allows visitors to participate and share in the richness of a likeminded international community while creating plenty of space for sublime intimacy in sumptuous suites and throughout our tropical grounds’. This is a bit long winded but what the hotel is getting at is to create a small community of guests who can interact but also enjoy luxurious privacy.

As with many of the best boutique hotels, 137 Pillars House is a converted historical building. It was built in Chiang Mai and then moved from the west to the east side of the Ping River and served as a residence for workers of the East Borneo Company that was given royal dispensation to log the northern teak forests by King Chulalongkorn.

The house changed hands several times before being bought in 2002 by a Bangkok resident who lovingly restored it and opened a hotel.

137 Pillars retains many of the original architectural garden features. The house is made of old teak that has a rich patina from age. The grounds feature many unusual species of flora and make a delightful spot to relax and walk.

The hotel includes a library bar, a parlor lounge, a dining room, a more intimate dining area called ‘Palette’, a spa, a swimming pool and a gym. Guests are offered the highest levels of service and can arrange private dining on their own balcony.

The rooms feature all the mod cons as well as private balconies and period piece items such as free standing Victorian bath tubs.

Throughout the building the furniture has been hand-picked to reflect the history of the building and to add elegance and style to the interior.

The result is an oasis of calm and restrained style that serves as a welcome relief to the sometimes hectic sights and sounds of the city. If you like to escape the crowds and noise of Thailand after a day out, 137 Pillars House is the perfect solution. It is not only one of the best hotels in Chiang Mai, but also possibly in Thailand.

Maesa Elephant Camp

Maesa Elephant Camp is located 20 minutes north east of Chiang Mai. To get there either hire a taxi or self drive by hiring a moped or car. It’s an easy road to drive.

On arriving at the camp you get a good impression. This is created because the camp has a beautiful jungle setting with a river and small waterfall.

The actual camp is clean and well set up, with toilets and restaurant. It was established in 1976 and was the first elephant camp in Thailand to achieve International accreditation for safety and animal welfare (ISO 9001).

The camp has over 70 elephants each with its own keeper (called a mahout). The animals are well cared for. For those concerned about animal welfare please bear in mind that elephants have been domesticated in Thailand for centuries. They were involved in logging and transport when Thailand was largely jungle. The elephants have not been taken from the wild; they are the descendants of domesticated elephants left redundant by the mechanisation of logging and transport. These animals still work for a living except now it’s not logging, its entertaining tourists.

Activities include an elephant show, elephant rides, mahout courses, ox-cart rides and bamboo raft trips. Elephant shows happen daily at 8am, 9.40am and 1.30pm. They last about 45 minutes and cost 200 Thai Baht per person. Before the show you can feed the elephants with bananas and sugar cane and watch them bathe in the river.

The show involves the elephants performing tricks. They play football, basket ball and with a hola hoop. They also display traditional skills from the logging industry. The crescendo of the show is painting. The pictures go on sale after the show and fetch several hundred dollars each. Elephant rides last an hour and take you to a village where several hill tribes, including the famous long necks, live. These people are largely Cambodian and Burmese refugees displaced by war and persecution in their own countries. This village is one of several in Thailand where the Government has allowed them to settle legally.

 If you really want to get to find out more about elephants and help care for them we suggest booking a mahout course. 1, 2 and 3 day courses are available and they last from 8am to 4pm each day. You need to make reservation for this through their website (http://www.maesaelephantcamp.com/). Accommodation and food are provided for the 2 and 3 day courses.

Of course you don’t have to feel a commitment to animals’ welfare to visit Maesa Elephant Camp. It makes a fun day out: the elephants are entertaining and well cared for, and it’s a great chance to leave Chiang Mai and see some of the great countryside scenery.

Wat Chedi Luang

If you stay in the old town in Chiang Mai one of the first places of interest you are going to visit is Wat Chedi Luang. It is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the city.

Construction of the temple was started in the 14th Century. It was designed as a big stupa to bury the ashes of the King’s father. However, due to political instability the temple wasn’t finished until half way through the next century.

When finished the temple was 82 meters high with a base diameter of 54 meters. Sadly, the temple suffered damage during an earthquake but in the 1990s was restored with UNESCO funds.

It is an interesting temple to wander around. There are big trees for shade and several things of interest to see around the temple. It is a great example of Thai temple architecture and a symbol for the city of Chiang Mai.

The temple is set in peaceful gardens. It creates an oasis of calm in the city, not that the old city of Chiang Mai is that frenetic. Nearby, there are a couple of good restaurants.

The interior of the temple is lavished in gold ornamentation and contains a large Buddha statue. As with most Thai temples the atmosphere is serene and inspires contemplation.

It is worth visiting Wat Chedi Luang at night when it is lit up by lights.

Please remember to dress modestly as it is working temple, and to take your shoes off before entering the temple. Respect those who come to the temple to worship.

International Horticultural Exhibition

The International Horticultural Exhibition near Chiang Mai is well worth a visit if you have an interest in tropical gardens and landscape design.

The exhibition site is about 30 minutes drive from Chiang Mai. The best way to get there is to either rent a car or bike or take a songthaew or taxi. If you do get a taxi then agree a price for the return journey and only pay after the return leg. As of March 2013 the taxi fare is 400 to 500 Thai Baht. To arrange the driver to pick you up when you are ready to go back to Chiang Mai take the driver’s telephone number.

The horticultural centre is one of Thailand's premier attractions, although hardly any one goes now that the 2011 event is over. The actual expo is held in a different international location every year. Despite this the Thai authorities have chosen to maintain the gardens and infrastructure. And it is great that they have.

Entry is 200 Thai Baht for foreigners, 100 Thai Baht for Thais, with 50% discount for over 60s, under 16s and students. ID proof is required for discounts.

The area is vast and being Thailand, it is hot. The best way to see the exhibition is to travel around by small trains on wheels. Trains ply the routes around the exhibition all day long. You don’t have to wait more than 10 minutes for a train. It is a very good set-up especially convenient for disabled and elderly people.

A major part of the exhibition was a display of gardens from around the world. These have been lovingly maintained and form the main attraction in the park. It is an impressively large area to explore – and the landscaping is not just inside the park area, but around it and on the approach road.

The main attraction is a Thai Temple that was built with an ornamental garden. Also of interest are several greenhouses. The collection of South East Asian plants is extensive and probably the best in the world. The variety of jungle plants runs into tens of thousands.

If you are after ideas for tropical gardens this is the place to come. Sculpture and ornaments are mixed with the landscaping. The topiary (hedge and shrub trimming) is particularly impressive – there is a wide range of trees, bushes and shrubs shaped into animals and geometric shapes. The bougainvillea plants are particularly spectacular.

If you have any interest in gardening and you are in the Chiang Mai area it is well worth paying a visit to the International Horticultural Exhibition.

Wat Doi Suthep

Wat Doi Suthep means Temple of Suthep Mountain. Doi Suthep (Suthep Mountain) is a designated national park which starts about 2km north of Chiang Mai by the zoo and the university.

Wat Doi Suthep is located near the top of the mountain. It is a 30 to 35 minute drive. To get there you can either hire a private taxi (it costs between 400 to 500 Thai Baht for a return journey) or jump on a shared red songthaew. It is normal to hire a taxi or catch a songthaew for the return journey.

If you are travelling alone, and you want to try and save money, walk or take a red songthaew to Pratu Chang Phuak, this means White Elephant Gate. Chiang Mai old city has four gates (North, South, East and West). Pratu Chang Phuak is the east gate. From Pratu Chang Phuak if you wait for a while you can join a shared taxi. As a foreigner expect to pay around 100 - 150 baht per person in a shared taxi. On a Sunday there are lots of Thai people going there to worship and this is the easiest day to get a shared taxi.

Wat Doi Suthep is one of the most important temples in the Chiang Mai region, and arguably the most interesting.

The view from the temple is the biggest draw. There are some great view points on the way up to the temple. On the south side of the temple visitors can see the entire plain where Chiang Mai city is located. On a clear day the view is stunning.

When you arrive at the temple you have two options: climb a magnificent 400 step staircase, or take the funicular railway. Able bodied visitors can, and should, climb the staircase. The funicular railway is the best option for the elderly and those with restricted mobility.

On each side of the staircase there are tiled Naga statues forming the baluster rail. At the bottom of the staircase, there is a popular place to take group photographs between the heads of these two Nagas.

Foreigners are required to purchase an entrance ticket at the booth at the top of the stairs.

You enter into a courtyard where shoes must be removed before entering the inner part of the temple.

The inner temple is a walled courtyard with a golden shrine at the centre.

The shrine is similar to the Golden Temple in Bangkok, although smaller. The main part of the shrine consists of a golden stupa. If you wish, join the Thais in walking around the shrine clockwise 7 times. Purchase a lotus flower and incense (20 Baht each) to hold between hands held in prayer to get the full experience, and observe the correct custom.

Around the walls of the inner temple you will find a mural depicting the story of Hanuman, the monkey god. The story has been adapted from the Hindu holy book called the Ramayana. In the Thai version of the story the monkey god is responsible for the creation of the Thai nation.

There are also a number of rooms with shrines and monks ready to give a blessing. For a small donation a monk will bless you and tie a white piece of string around your wrist.

Once you leave the inner temple take time to visit the outer courtyard to take in the views. You can also participate in Thai Buddhist customs by ringing the 108 bells lining the outer courtyard.

Near the entrance, on your way out, you will see a large gong (it is pictured). The challenge is to make a sound from the gong by rubbing the nipple shaped protrusion in the centre in a circular motion. Don't bang the gong, this is cheating and damages the gong. The part of the gong where you rub is very shiny and testament to millions of failed attempted to make it 'sing'.

Chiang Mai Zoo

Chiang Mai Zoo is located 2km north of the old walled city, near the University, on the Huay Kaew Road. It is on the way to Doi Suthep, and visitors often combine a visit to the zoo with a visit to Doi Suthep Temple.

The zoo covers a large area. There is a bus that goes around the zoo that you can hop on and off as you like. If you walk around the zoo it will take about 2 hours to visit. The route includes some steep concrete roads.

There is also an 'on and off' monorail service. However, it seems to be broken down for at least 50% of the year. Good idea, but poorly executed. The elevation does not give good views - the project was badly thought out. In truth the monorail is a waste of time, and its appeal is only found in the fact that it is a novelty.

The animals in Chiang Mai Zoo seem well looked after. Most of the enclosures are humane in the sense that the animals have enough room and suitable habitat recreation. As I write the zoo is in the process of renovating the smaller concrete pit style enclosures. This is good news as at present the bears and some of the large rodents could be kept in better enclosures. But to give credit where credit is due the zoo is constructing new accommodation to deal with this problem.

The main animal attractions are the pandas, with a separate enclosure you must pay extra to visit, and the rare white tigers. Both are near the main entrance. The gibbon enclosure is good, with a large tree house structure to allow them to perform aerial acrobatics.

If you are interested in the animals of Thailand search around a bit at the back of the zoo. You will find some of the peculiar South East Asian animals that you never see in Western zoos. Some of these animals are lurking in the Jungle in major tourist destinations like Koh Phangan. Some of the animals I have seen staying at Sunrise Villa, such as the Palm Civet and the slow Loris, I was only able to identify them thanks to my visit to Chiang Mai Zoo.

Some of the attractions at the zoo, like Ice World may appeal less to European visitors.

Snacks are available, and there is a bar selling alcohol and a small range of more substantial dishes near the lake.

The entire zoo is non-smoking.