Chiang Mai travel guide
Welcome to our guide to Chiang Mai. Here you can learn where to go and what to do during your stay in Chiang Mai.
For those familiar with Chiang Mai or those who have never travelled here before we are here to help.
We will introduce you to the amazing Thai culture and provide you with lots of tips and advice including new travel ideas and places to visit off the beaten track.
Our Chiang Mai guide is expanding all the time. If you would like to add you own articles or experiences of Chiang Mai here then please contact us as we would be happy to show it here.
Popularly known as "The Rose of the North" and with an enchanting location on the banks of the Ping river, the city and its surroundings are blessed with stunning natural beauty and a uniquely indigenous cultural identity. Founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, Chiang Mai has had a long and mostly independent history, which has to a large extent preserved a most distinctive culture. This is witnessed both in the daily lives of the people, who maintain their own dialect, customs and cuisine, and in a host of ancient temples, fascinating for their northern Thai architectural Styles and rich decorative details.
Chiang Mai also continues it's renowned tradition as a handicraft centre, producing items in silk, wood, silver, ceramics and more, which make this city the country's top shopping destination for arts and crafts.
Beyond the city, Chiang Mai province spreads over and area of 20,000 sq. km. offering some of the most picturesque scenery in the whole kingdom. The fertile Ping River Valley, a patchwork of paddy fields, is surrounded by rolling hills and the province as a whole is one of forested mountains (including Thailand's highest peak, Doi Inthanon), jungles and rivers.
Here is the ideal terrain for adventure travel by trekking on elephant back, river rafting or four– wheel drive safaris in a natural wonderland. Adding a special feature to the landscape are the traditional villages of the region's hilltribe people, distinguished by their colourful tribal costumes and lifestyles mostly untouched by the modern world. At the same time, visitors will find deluxe hotels, mountain resorts, and other facilities that ensure today's comforts and convenience.
