What do you associate Thailand with more often than not? Gorgeous beaches, spectacular islands, awesome nightlife and great massage centers/ spas. Right? Of course, none of this is untrue. But Thailand is this, and much more. Very different from the cities of central Thailand and islands of southern Thailand, its north has to offer an amazing array of serene views and cultural experiences. On our first trip to Thailand, we experienced everything; however, the most unique experience was in Chiang Mai. In this article, we are sharing with you why we love Chiang Mai so much.
Chiang Mai, the culture capital of Thailand
If something was built in 1296, we can hardly call it “new”, but that’s what “Chiang Mai” means- “New City”! Mangrai, the legendary King of the Lanna kingdom changed his capital many a times; but he eventually settled down, once he established Chaing Mai. That’s how beautiful Chiang Mai was then, and it has not lost any of its beauty in all these years. The city was at its peak roughly at the same time as Hampi was in India, two magnificent cities of the middle age Asia.
Chiang Mai has great architectural and cultural significance. I love the unique temple architecture of Thailand in general. Further, like Ayutthaya and Sukhothai, Chiang Mai’s old Buddhist temples are witness to the glorious architectural heritage of the middle ages. The city’s cultural icons, rituals and traditions, and the natural serenity are pleasing on the eye, and the heart. So, it’s the culture that answers why we love Chiang Mai so much.
We basically love places with a strong cultural heritage and a long history. If you also love similar places, do check out our similar blogs: Udaipur || Kerala || Rishikesh ||
Not the ideal beginning
It didn’t start well though. We took an overnight bus from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. The bus stopped at a small eatery at night for dinner. We had the most awful food of the trip there. But, somehow, we managed with some snacks and got on to the bus again.
We reached Chiang Mai early in the morning, and took a local taxi to our Airbnb residence. Reaching there, we realized that the room we booked, was not in our name anymore. On enquiry, it turned out that a local agent had done some trick to rip off our money. We complained to Airbnb, and the issue took the whole day to resolve. In the meantime, we got another room in the same residency. Luckily for us, a room was available at the same place. Otherwise, it would have been quite an ordeal to find out another room in a new city so early in the morning.
Experienced travelers that we are, we didn’t let that bad experience hamper our day. After taking a nap, we were up for the day to explore Chiang Mai.
How to experience Chiang Mai
Though the city has developed modern infrastructure in recent times, the old city still remains frozen in time. The old city is situated in a compact, square shaped area. So, one can cycle around in the old city. However, we found the heat too much for cycling (in October); so, we took a local tuk-tuk rickshaw.
The old city has all the most important temples. There are a few lovely temples outside the old city, but they are not far off. The important market places are outside the old city. There are quite a few options for day-trips to enjoy some time with the nature- forests and waterfalls.
If you are a slow traveler, and have a lot of time at hand, it’s the best place to stay put for long. However, if time is a premium, you need 3 days to explore the whole place; some quick tips for planning:
On day-1, visit temples of the old city; markets at night. Plan for a a day trip on day-2 to Wat That Phra Doi Suthep and Hmong Doi Pui Village; Tha Phae Gate in the evening. Use Day-3 for a visit to the Doi Inthanon National Park and an Elephant sanctuary.
5 Things Not To Miss
1. Temples of the Old City
Undoubtedly, the rich architecture of Buddhist temples are one of the major reasons why we love Chiang Mai so much. There are more than 300 temples in Chiang Mai. It feels like a town full of only temples, like Kajuraho in India.
So, it’s quite difficult to choose a few of them to visit. However, we had done a thorough research based on historical value of the temples before visiting the city, and we found all of them extraordinary. For your convenience, I am sharing the list with you.
To learn more about the other temples, please check out: Buddhist temples of Chiang Mai.
1. Wat Chiang Man:
Built in 1296, by the first king Mangrai, it’s the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. The massive elephant statues around the temple are impressive.
2. Wat Phra Singh:
If you are fond of religious history, this is the place for you. It’s the second most auspicious temple in Chiang Mai; and houses a great library.
3. Wat Chedi Luang:
The temple with a big Chedi; built in 1391. A powerful earthquake partially damaged the chedi, but the local authorities have reconstructed it to some extent.
Outside the Old City
There are a few beautiful temples outside the old city as well; some of them are historically important too. But, we couldn’t not visited them all. Sharing with you here the two temples we visited outside the old city:
- Wat Phra Sri Suphan: This temple is a stunning beauty with aluminium and silver overlays.
- Wat Chai Mongkhon: I loved this temple because of its location by the Ping river. Great scenic view in front of the temple.
As the old city is a compact area, one can easily move around to see the temples there. However, the temples outside the old city are a little spread out; needs a little more effort. Absolutely worth the effort.
2. Visit Wat Phra That Doi Suthep
The second reason why we love Chiang Mai is a day trip to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep over a hill. There is a little interesting history/ mythology about the place.
When the king Nu Naone heard about a Buddhist monk Sumanthera having possession of a piece of shoulder-bone of the Buddha, he invited him to his palace. The bone was said to have magical powers like vanishing, illuminating and even multiplying at times! While checking out the bone, it broke into two pieces. One piece was enshrined at Wat Suan Dok, and another one was mounted on a white elephant, and was let loose.
The elephant wandered all over the place, and went up a hill where it died after trumpeting three times. Taking it to be a sign from the heavens, the king established a temple there in 1360- Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. It was a small temple then, but a number of extravagant chedis were constructed later on.
This temple is considered so auspicious that every Thai must visit at least once in their lifetime. We had the opportunity of visiting the temple in this trip. There is an elevator to reach the temple atop the hill, and there is a 306-steps stair case which we used to come down. It’s a beautiful golden temple, richly ornate. I loved the hundreds of types of Buddha statues in the shrine campus. Besides, the view of the Chiang Mai town from the temple is also another highlight.
3. Doi Pui village
Doi Pui village of the Hmong people is situated at about 9 kms from the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. The Hmong tribe is among the 6 major hill tribes of Thailand. They have a beautiful village with great history. It’s a small place, but one will find a number of interesting things to see and amusing activities to engage in. First, we had a cup of traditional coffee in a very old cafe and then walked around the village lined with shops selling tribal crafts and herbs/ dry fruit and traditional medicines.
Hmong people:
The Hmong people are a group of indigenous people living in south west China and east Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, etc.
5 interesting facts about the Hmong people:
- They have two main sub-groups: White Hmong and Blue/ Green Hmong. Interestingly, these names represent the colours of the costumes of their women.
- Hmong people originated in central China but slowly migrated to south east Asia due to conflict with the Han Chinese.
- After the US-Vietnam war, a large number of Hmong people migrated to the US.
- Funerals in Hmong culture last 4-7 days! Rituals continue for 3-4 days before the body is buried.
- They believe that the dead’s soul must return to their birthplace and travel all they way to meet their ancestors. Quite a lot of similarity with Hindu tradition!
At one end of the village, there is a beautiful garden. We saw an age old irrigation system still in operation, maybe preserved as a heritage. I was amused to see various types of fruits that I had never seen before. A lovely memory is that of meeting a traditional weaving family there, and buying a few pieces of handloom scarves as gifts for friends. We also bought some traditional toys.
Outside of the village, we trekked up to the highest point of the village to take a glimpse of the evergreen forest surrounding Doi Pui village. The sweet memory of that surreal experience in Doi Pui village is another reason why we love Chiang Mai so much.
4. Tha phae gate, old Chiang Mai
The first king, Mangrai had built Chiang Mai as a walled city mainly as a defense against the Mongols in the north and the Burmese in the west (eventually fell to them almost 300 years later). After the fall of the city, the wall crumbled and the locals took away the bricks for building purposes. The wall has been reconstructed in recent times. He had also built a moat outside the walls. The wall together with the moat, looks beautiful, especially at the Tha Phae Gate.
This gate was one of the original 5 gates to the walled city. We heard that a local craft market is held at the gate; but, we couldn’t find one there. There is a nice plaza near the gate, which comes to life especially in the evening. However, it keeps busy all day with visitors taking pictures and videos with hundreds of pigeons.
I got a feeling of Amsterdam, especially because of the old cycles kept at the moat (see the picture). We tried the traditional rice ice cream; didn’t like much, but wasn’t too bad either.
5. Night Bazaar, Chiang Mai
Thailand has amazing market places all over the country, but none as versatile as the Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai. We are not big shoppers, especially when we are on a trip. However, we went on a shopping spree that evening at the night market. The market is full of small shops with hand crafted products like accessories, lifestyle products and home decors. I remember walking around a gorgeous art/painting market.
Besides, there are a variety of options for food; we had our favorite coconut ice-cream multiple times. The market remains open till midnight, and is a perfect place to spend 4-5 hours enjoying the vibes of the place. Chiang Mai’s night bazaar is the last (but not the least) reason why we love Chiang Mai so much.
Other notable things to do:
- Doi Inthanon National Park: to spend more time with the nature.
- Elephant sanctuaries: if one is fond of elephants; but please check out their background (regarding ethical treatment of animals) before visiting.
- Thai Silk Village, San Kamphaeng: to learn how silk is made, and maybe purchase some handloom products as well. It was a personal learning experience too (as I work in the handloom sector). To know about a similar handloom tradition in India, check out: Maheshwar.
- Art and craft center: if you love local art/ craft work. There are quite a few of them; very impressive. I loved this place too.
- Art in Paradise: a 3-D art museum.
Why we love Chiang Mai?
We are so fond of old heritage and culture that the city just felt like a perfect place for us. Old city temples, and the day-trip to Doi Suthep and Doi Pui village were absolutely exhilarating experiences. Besides, we visited the local silk village and an art and craft center to learn about Thai art and craft styles.
Observing closely the Buddhist traditions and cultural practices intertwined with Hindu traditions was an eye-opener. Statues of Hindu Gods, especially Ganesha is seen all over Chiang Mai including in front of Buddhist temples. (Ganesha statues are actually seen everywhere on street corners in Thailand).
Buddhism originated in India and spread to the east Asian countries centuries ago. Though the existence of Buddhism is minimal in India, it’s still flourishing in the east Asian countries! It was so heartening to see! Moreover, it coexists harmoniously with other religious practices.
Cycle-rickshaws on the roads of the city was a sight familiar to us, similar to many cities in India. This was one thing I wasn’t at all expecting to see there.
These are some of the reasons why we love Chiang Mai so much. But, there are many more subtle reasons I can’t express in words, perhaps.
Travel Tips : Chiang Mai
When to visit:
Like rest of Thailand, autumn-winter-spring months of October to April are the best months to visit Chiang Mai. As it has a higher elevation and has good green cover, autumn and spring are really enjoyable.
How to reach:
Chiang Mai is easily accessible by flight, train and bus from Bangkok and other major cities of Thailand.
Where to stay:
Best hostel: Mad Monkey || Lullaby || Oxotel || Baan Heart Thai || Thai Thai hostel || Samsibsan || Glur Chiang Mai || The Islander Chiang Mai || Hidden Garden
How to move around:
It’s a small city; the popular tuktuks are good enough to move around the city. Cycles are another great way to explore the city. But if you have time, just walk around, especially in the old city.
What/ where to eat:
Though we are fond of Thai food in India, we found it difficult to eat in Thailand, especially in Chiang Mai. So, food wasn’t a reason why we love Chiang Mai! As I was a vegetarian back then, I found very few good options to eat! However, here’s a list for you to try:
The Big Big Shabu || SP Chicken || Tong Tem Toh || Phuang Thong || Aroy Dee || Akha Ama || Changphuak Suki || Food Center || Mit Mai || Midnight Chicken ||
Some food options to try: Khao Soi; Nam prik ong; Gaeng hung lay; Khanom bua loi; Pad thai.
A concluding note
Chiang Mai is not one place, it’s an amalgamation of many an interesting places. It has an old walled city, alongside a modern commercial city. It has lovely craft markets, great spiritual centers, wonderful old Buddhist temples, lovely tribal villages, an evergreen forest and elephant sanctuaries just on the outskirts. Doesn’t this sound great!
If you are planning for Thailand, Chiang Mai is a must. One needs at least 3 days to explore around the places of interest in Chiang Mai. I hope you liked this article “Why we love Chiang Mai so much”, and it’s helpful to you. Wanna know more? Write to us.
Sandip
Beautiful
stampedmoments
Thanks!
Prashant Sachdev
This place is very affordable for monthly or yearly stay and is cheaper than most metro cities in India as well!
It is preferred destination of several digital nomads
stampedmoments
Absolutely. It’s a great place for slow travel- long stay. Very affordable, and enjoyable.
Thanks for the feedback.
Soumen Chatterjee
The city is full of temples and local food. An interesting place with local bazar. The old city has its own charm. Full of interesting information.
stampedmoments
Yes, it’s a unique place and very interesting.
A must visit in Thailand.
Glad that you liked.
Santosh Debata
Nice
Omveer singh
Very nice place and History also.
stampedmoments
Thanks a lot, Santosh.
Jayvanti Einjen
Superb
stampedmoments
Thank you 🙂