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Despite being the country’s second largest city, Chiang Mai in the far north of Thailand maintains a distinct village-like feel. Visitors and residents are blessed with wonderful home cooked food, age-old culture, and stunning scenery and wildlife, while still enjoying every modern convenience they could ask for.
With the perfect mix of old and new, Chiang Mai is a winning location, whether you’re just visiting for the weekend, looking for a holiday home, or settling down with the fam.
Outside of Chiang Mai’s Old Town – which is picturesquely hemmed in by a moat and crumbling ancient city walls – lies a wealth of natural delights. While tourists tend to make a beeline for Measa Elephant Camp and Tiger Kingdom, only locals will point you in the direction of Chiang Mai’s so-called “Grand Canyon”, AKA Tuang Thong. Here, in the Hang Dong district, the brave launch themselves off huge cliffs into deep emerald waters. Although you could be forgiven for thinking this beautiful site is solely Mother Nature’s gift, the “cliffs” are actually the result of quarrying and rain.
One highly popular tourist attraction that is still frequented by locals is the mountaintop temple of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. A sacred site for Thai Buddhists, it sits overlooking the city, just 15km from the center and easily accessible by motorcycle, taxi, or the public “red cars” known as songthaew. There are various legends about how and when the temple was founded, but it is widely accepted that the first stupa was built in 1383, with the grounds having gradually been expanded ever since. Be warned that you’ll have to climb 309 steps to reach the stunning copper-plated chedi (there is an escalator, if you insist on cheating), but the views of the city from the top on a clear day are well worth the sweat.
One of the best things about Chiang Mai, however, is the food. As the former capital of the Lanna Kingdom, the city boasts its own unique brand of northern Thai food, much of which is very hard to come by anywhere else in the country. If you only try one northern Thai dish during your stay, make it a khao soi from Khao Soi Nimman. This hip outdoor eatery in the trendy Nimmanhaemin area of the city serves up the tasty curry noodle dish with a wide variety of toppings, from the classic chicken leg to the unusual shrimp or zingy Chiang Mai sausage.
There’s also amazing local street food galore, largely centered around the four gates of the Old City, as well as upmarket restaurants for those looking for something a little more refined. For great food and live entertainment in a romantic setting, head to the river and live it up for the night at Deck 1.
Absolutely not to be missed if you’re in town over the weekend are the Wua Lai Road Saturday Night Walking Market and the Sunday Night Walking Market around Tha Phae Gate. Both will be packed with people, but the bustle won’t bother you too much when you see the goods and bargains on offer. Local artisans and vendors of all variety line the streets, selling everything from handicrafts and modern art to fashion, jewelry, home ware, and food.
If you do visit Chiang Mai and fall in love with the place (which you likely will), there are few better places to lay your roots than Sansiri’s new Dcondo development. With a modern take on traditional northern Thai design, the residence offers the best of both worlds, just like Chiang Mai itself. It’s also slap-bang in the middle of an ideal location for busy urbanites, just 10 minutes’ drive from the Old Town, the trendy Nimmanhaemin area and Chiang Mai University, the largest uni in northern Thailand.
Visit the website for more information about Dcondo.
