Complete guide to Chiang Mai, Thailand’s cultural capital: temples, markets, nature, and digital nomad life.
Visiting Chiang Mai means getting to know a cosmopolitan, young and culturally rich city in Thailand. This is the second time I have come to this city and I am still very happy here. This city is equivalent to the population of Nantes (i.e. my French city) and is in fact the 2nd largest city in Thailand. First of all, you will have understood that it is Bangkok, the capital, which is much more hectic than Chiang Mai. Visiting Chiang Mai is also for its rich and varied gastronomy.
Multi-faceted gastronomy to visit Chiang Mai
Obviously Thai cuisine wins the prize in the city but I was surprised to see that since my last visit, specialized markets have developed. Visiting Chiang Mai with the possibility of eating Mexican, French, Italian, Chinese, American in a Thai market was not news about 3 years ago. To meet tourist demand, the town has set up the Ploen Ruedee market indicated on Google.
You can go to TripAdvisor to find out more and get reviews from travelers who have already visited if you want to spend time in this market. Personally, I recommend it because you can also watch a concert for free without the obligation to consume. A cosmopolitan and young place as I said at the beginning of the article. The video explains and shows the atmosphere of this market which is really attractive in terms of price too. To properly visit Chiang Mai I recommend the roof of the Maya shopping center in the Niman district. A neighborhood where I met web workers like me. Obviously Chiang Mai seems to be becoming a spot in Thailand for web professions and French people have taken up residence here. I also had the opportunity to meet Isabella who writes like me on the internet and who is French-speaking Swiss and here is her blog: https://www.chauxmelemonde.com.
Elephant Nature Park near Chiang Mai
With Asiafortravel, I was lucky enough to be invited to discover a park like no other. Elephant Nature park was created by Lek, a courageous and tenacious Thai woman. The first time I came, I slipped into a group of tourists as if I were at home. I stopped on my scooter to see them and then walked around the park with the group. I invite you to read the article with the video on Elephant Nature Park here
Visit Chiang Mai for all these magnificent temples
It is nicknamed the city of a thousand temples as they are so numerous and close to each other. In fact, the reality is that there are less than 1000 temples but that is the impression that Chiang Mai gives in Thailand. The main temples are in the video in this article and therefore I recommend that you see them in real life. Then, to see the others that I haven’t filmed, you just have to walk and get lost in the streets of the city. The furthest is undoubtedly “Doi Suthep” which is located at the very top of the mountain. Visiting Chiang Mai also means planning your autonomy. Don’t worry about renting a scooter, you can ride peacefully as long as you have your « international driving license » in your pocket. I invite you to read the future article on the permit here.
The “Doi Suthep” is magnificent, but it is worth it because you have to climb more than 200 steps. As shown in the video, you will take your best shoes and bring a bottle of water and a sweater or raincoat. You are at a height of approximately 800 meters above the city level and therefore the temperature drops sharply. If it’s 30 degrees at the bottom, you’ll find about 20 degrees at the top. I advise you to plan the morning to do it. In the morning it’s pleasant and what’s more, if you’re an « early riser », you’ll have the chance to see the sun rise.
How to get to Chiang Mai?
To visit Chiang Mai, you can fly with the Gotogate.fr search engine. You will find the cheapest internal flights. Otherwise the night train is always easy to take from Bangkok station. It takes 12 hours by sleeper train to arrive in Chiang Mai. Go to the station to buy your ticket because the agencies will take a commission from you. The easiest way is to hire a friendly tuk-tuk driver who speaks good English and then ask him to help you buy the train ticket on site. To find a hotel in Southeast Asia use Agoda. This site specializes in hotels in this region and is much more detailed than booking.com
That’s it, you know almost everything, but I’ll let you discover the rest at your own pace, the main thing is to have fun and enjoy this 3 to 4 day stay in Chiang Mai. The video will help you make your choice whether to go for it or not.
