Chiang Mai, Thailand is perhaps the most wonderful city in Thailand that I have visited. It has a bit of everything, so anyone who visits Chiang Mai, Thailand would most definitely enjoy it.
Chiang Mai, was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai, is the largest city in northern Thailand. It is also the capital of the province by the same name.
I booked the hotel and air tickets before I did any research on Chiang Mai and figured 3 days would be enough for me to explore the city. If I had known there is so much to do in Chiang Mai Thailand, I would have stayed for at least 5 days.
Notwithstanding, I tried to see as much in the 3 days that I was there, and have broken down my Chiang Mai trip into 3 parts (to shorten it more would probably not do justice to the beauty of Chiang Mai city).
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Chiang Mai International Airport
The airport is not big but very clean and well organised. This is one of the most efficient baggage handling airport that I have been. Our bags were out barely 15 minutes after landing. Passport control was efficient too and the officers were courteous.
Chiang Mai Airport is only 15-20 minutes drive to the city centre. Grab taxi fare is around 190 THB (depending on timing).
Cheap eSim for Thailand
I used the Thailand telco (DTAC) esim with throughout my 5 days’ stay in Hat Yai Thailand. Thailand telco (DTAC) esim is valid for 16 days 15GB data at 4G speed for RM29 (USD6.70) only. Highly recommended as it is only RM29 (USD6.70) and this is cheaper than buying the esim in Hat Yai Thailand. Check it out at https://esimfortravel.com/product/thailand-dtac-ais/
It doesn’t matter whether you are from the US, UK, Europe or anywhere in the world, as long as your phone has the capability to install eSim, you can purchase and use eSim from esimfortravel.com.
Chapter 1 – Nature, Trails and Waterfalls
Doi Inthanon
Chiang Mai Thailand is a beautiful city in the Northern part of Thailand and it is surrounded by nature.
The total car ride to visit the places below is about 3 hours one way.
Entrance Fee: 300 THB for adult and 150 THB for children age 3-14 years old. Cars will be charged for 30 THB. This is a one-time entrance fee and you can visit all the parks, trails and waterfalls at Doi Inthanon except for the Royal Pagodas, which is an additional 100 baht per person, and kids below120cm 10baht.
“Doi” means mountain in Thai language. So if you see any place starting with Doi, you know it is a hill or mountain.
Pro Tip – If you are prone to motion sickness, then make sure you take the medication beforehand (non-drowsy ones of cos). The roads are windy and bumpy (similar to the old road to Genting Highlands in the 1970s).
1. Mae Ya Waterfall
- 600m walk from car park to Mae Ya Waterfall
- Mostly flat or slightly slope
- If the ground is wet, could be slippery to walk
- Along the way, enjoy the nature, the sound of waterfall and you can even have a swim down the stream away from the waterfall, if you have the time. The whole area is extremely picturesque.
- This is the largest waterfall in the Doi Inthanon area. Spend some time to soak it in and take lots of pictures.
Mae Ya Waterfall is a 30-storied cliff and the water flows from over-200-metred height all the time.
Mae Ya Waterfall is about 70km from the city centre and it takes about 1 hour 30 minutes (depending on traffic) by car.
Pro Tip – Bring a disposable raincoat and/or a foldable umbrella with you. Wear comfortable sneakers or walking shoes with good grip.
2. Wachirathan Waterfall
Wachirathan Waterfall is easily accessible. It is just a short walk from the car park. There is a nice coffee stall by the road, so you can enjoy the view while sipping your coffee but you cannot bring your coffee to the waterfall.
For us, the highlights of Wachirathan Waterfall are (1) the sound and force of the water falling down the cliff, extremely forceful even though it is lower than Mae Ya Waterfall; and (2) the rainbow!
You will need to be there around noon to be able to see the rainbow. To get a better view, climb higher up (please watch the video for a better idea).
3. Sirithan Waterfall
The falls drop a total of about 40 meters into the river below. There is no actual access to the water and no swimming at the falls.
You will need to walk 100m down the steep stairs (watch video) to get to the waterfall. This is the smallest waterfall but it is nonetheless scenic. The thumbnail pic of my YouTube video was taken from Sirithan Waterfall.
4. Doi Inthanon Summit
A short drive from Sirithan Waterfall, you will reach the entrance to the Summit (highest point in Thailand) and Ang Ka Nature Trails.
Doi Inthanon is one of the most popular national parks in Thailand. It is famous for its waterfalls, few trails, remote villages, viewpoints, sunrise/sunset watching, birdwatching and the all year round cold weather on higher elevations. The main park entrance is about 70 km southwest from Chiang Mai city center.
Doi Inthanon is more than 2500 meters above sea level, and is also known as the “Roof of Thailand”. It is part of the Himalaya mountain.
The park is named in honour of the King Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north of Thailand and wanted to preserve it. After his death his remains were placed in the park as he ordered and the forest was renamed to Doi Inthanon. His cemetery was also the old mark for the summit (watch video).
One of seasonal attractions of the park is the blossoms of Siamese sakura flowers covering trees in pink during late January and early February, lasts only for a few weeks.
The rainy season is May to October with most rainfall around July to September. The rest of the year is quite dry with colder weather around November to February.
Pro Tip – When I tried to check the weather for Doi Inthanon summit, I get inconsistent information online, ranging from below freezing point to 20C. November to February are winter months so it will bound to be colder. When we were there in mid November, the temperature at 6am was 7C and in the afternoon it was 20C. The weather is like Genting Highlands or Cameron Highlands in Malaysia. So bring a jacket with you when you go to Doi Inthanon.
5. Ang Ka Luang Nature Walk
Ang Ka Nature Walk is a 366m scenic nature loop walk, where you can take a stroll through forests. Trail is mostly flat except for the sloped trail at the start (and end) and takes around 30 minutes to walk.
The trail path is primarily wooden boardwalks and has been designed in a way so that people can take a walk across this unique natural phenomenon without impacting the vegetation around.
Ang Ka Luang Nature Trail was surveyed and designed by Mr. Michael MacMillan Walls, a Canadian volunteer biologist who devoted to his work and died from a heart attack on this mountain.
6. Royal Pagodas
Just a 5min drive down the summit, these twin Pagodas (their official names are Pra Mahatat Noppamethanedon and Pra Mahatat Nopphonphusiri) honor the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit, and are surrounded by spectacular gardens.
While the summit does not have good views (due to constant mist and dense forest), at the Royal Pagodas you get a view through the next valley towards Mae Hong Son province.
Chapter 2 – City & Markets
Travelling within the City can either be on foot or by car and tuk-tuk. I used a mix of Grab taxi and tuk-tuk depending on price and availability. The fare is usually around 100THB per trip.
1. Night Markets
In the evening, head to the Night Bazaar (night market), which opens daily from 6 pm. It’s located on Chang Klan Road.
There, you will find handmade goods made by indigenous mountain tribes, handicrafts, souvenirs, clothes, figurines. However, as it’s super touristy, the prices are higher than at the other markets. It’s also a great place to enjoy delicious dishes at one of the many street-food stalls.
We went to 2 street-food markets, Street Food at Kalare Night Market and Ploen Ruedee International Food Park. The food prices at both markets are reasonable. Both night markets have live music.
2. Halal Street
We were told that Halal food can be easily found at Halal Street Hilal Town, located near the Night Bazaar, adjacent to Chang Klan Rd. However, when we went over there during dinner time, the place look deserted.
3. Morning Markets
During the day, you can walk through the alleys of Talat Warorot market, the largest of the city. It has everything, from food stalls to clothing. Located east of the old town and next to Chinatown, this market is very popular among locals.
Next to Waroros Market is Ton Lam Yai Market which has similar stalls and also products that you will typically see in a Chinatown market.
The Morning Markets open at 5am and close at 6pm.
4. Ping River
Ping River, Thai Mae Nam Ping, river in northwestern Thailand, is one of the headstreams of the Chao Phraya River. The Ping River was historically a trade route. It originates in the Daen Lao Range at the Myanmar/Thailand border and heads south to the Chao Praya River that flows through Bangkok and flows out into the Gulf of Thailand.
5. Chiang Mai East Gate – THA PHAE GATE
Tha Phae Gate is one of the most famous landmarks in Chiang Mai. Located on the eastern side of the wall, it is one of the gates to enter the Old City. The old city is the town centre of Chiang Mai. It has a long history, stretching back to when the province was the capital of the Lanna Kingdom from the 13th-18th century.
Chiang Mai city was built with a shape that resembles a square bounded by the walls and a moat (river). The purpose was to protect the city from any invasion from their neighbour Thai and Burmese Kingdoms.
6. Three Kings Monument
The Three Kings Monument Square in Chiang Mai Thailand is a large open square in the heart of the walled Old Town. The statue portrays the three founders of Chiang Mai, King Mengrai, King Ramkhamhaeng and King Ngam Muang. King Mengrai ruled Lanna, King Ngam Muang was ruler of Phayao and King Ramkhamhaeng was King of Sukhothai Kingdom.
7. Food
Khao Soi is Thai Coconut Curry Noodle soup, one of the delicacies in Chiang Mai. You can easily find it in any restaurants in Chiang Mai.
There is a Hainanese Chicken Rice which is famous among the locals, Kiat O Cha Restaurant ( 41, 43 Intrawarorot Rd, Tambon Si Phum, Mueang Chiang Mai). We tried it and the taste was highly localised, different from what we are used to in Malaysia.
The coconut ice-cream at MUKDA Natural Coconut Granita, which is next to Kiat O Cha tastes really good.
There is a Fish ball Noodle shop, Sa-Ard Fish Ball Noodle Shop (33 Khang Ruan Jum Rd, Si Phum Sub-district, Mueang Chiang Mai District), next to the MUKDA Natural Coconut Granita shop which is worth trying. The Fish balls taste really fresh and good.
Private Tours Car Rental Guide and Driver
There are many tour agents at the airport exit, offering taxi services to hotels as well as private tours (meaning car rental with driver, guide, petrol etc, details of which you need to nego). Based on my experience, the pricing varies depending on where you go, your schedule, the number of people.
Pro Tip – Unless you intend to stay there, do not attempt to book a Taxi for one-way to go to Doi Inthanon as it will be nearly impossible to get a taxi back to the city centre.
The price that we were quoted (to go to Doi Inthanon) are 3000 to 4000 THB for a full day (usually for a maximum of 12 hours) but this is just for car, driver and petrol (and I think only 3-4 people can fit into the car). Parking, entrance fees to sight-seeing location, meals are not included. If you are lucky, you will get a driver who speaks English well, otherwise you may have communication problem.
You can also ask your hotel to help you arrange for one, but they may mark up the price a little but you will get the comfort of having someone local arranging it for you.
I noticed that the travel agents in Chiang Mai Thailand don’t really take bargaining well. The prices are pretty standard across the board, some get offended if you try to bargain.
Pro Tip – If you cannot negotiate on the price, the only things that you could negotiate are maybe the itinerary and time. Try to include more places to visit in your itinerary and depart earlier in the morning. We departed at 6.00 am on the 1st day and 7.00am on the second day.
I booked through a travel agent I found online before I departed for Chiang Mai Thailand. At first I was having difficulty finding an English speaking guide and a driver accepting my proposal. This was because (1) I wanted to go to many places; (2) some of the places are not the usual tourist spots. I eventually had to cut down my itinerary and agreed on the price of 7500 THB per day for 2 of us – which included all entrance fees, lunch, water, parking fees. We booked the guide and driver for 2 days. We were picked up in this 11-seater van so it was very roomy and comfortable.
We were assigned Nath Lim (our English speaking guide) and David (our driver). Both of them really took good care of us. I was not feeling well during the car ride (motion sickness) and Nath went out of his way to get me medicine and made sure that I was well enough to walk etc. Nath is very knowledgeable, without him, we probably wouldn’t be able to see so many things and get to the best spots for pictures or learn so much about the place.
Alternatively, if you are travelling solo, you can join the small group tours that you can book in Chiang Mai or online. However, you will not be able to customise your itinerary.
Pro Tip – If you are travelling in a group of 2 or more persons, it may be more worthwhile to book your own private tour as you will get to customise your itinerary and have a guide that speaks your language (throughout our tour, I overheard other guides speaking in French, German, Chinese, Japanese).