Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai

Here are some of the great reasons why you should come here, and of course what to do while you're here:

1. Go To An Elephant Camp

Elephants are traditionally used in Thailand for the military and logging industry until 1989 when logging was outlawed. There are many rehabilitation camps for elephants in Northern Thailand which claims to protect the elephants from outside poachers. However, do choose the camps wisely! Not all of them are ethical.

Many elephants are now exploited for human entertainment and this can be really distressing to the physical and mental health of the elephants. Camps that organize circus shows should be avoided; another red flag is when they are penned or chained up. 

Many elephant camps offer full-day volunteer programs where visitors can bathe, feed and care the elephants. If you only have a day, go for one of these. Many has claimed that it has been a life-changing experience (I hope that I didn't overuse this term yet). Some reputable camps include Patara Elephant Farm and Elephant Nature Park. They can be pretty costly though, it usually starts from a few thousand bahts for a half-day. But their volunteer to elephant ratio is low and you get more interaction with the elephants. Reservation is necessary as they sometimes get booked out.

Elephant Rides

Riding elephants may be bad for their backs, but I also understand that many find it hard to resist such an opportunity. Remember that it will be better to ride the elephants bare-backed than those strapped wooden seats. 

For more information about elephant camps, BigBoy Travel will be a great resource.

2. Wat (Temple) Hopping

The temples in Northern Thailand reflect the rich, mixed heritage of northern Thailand with its nearby neighbours - Laos, Cambodia and Burma. A lot more than what Bangkok has to offer and the best catch is that admission is free. There are more than 30-Wats (temples) in the old city, Wat Chiang Man and Wat Chedi Luang are the more popular ones here.

Unlike Bangkok, visitors are expected to be dressed conservatively in the temples, you can rent a piece of cover-up outside. Chiang Mai is really chilly (temperatures can drop to 10 degree celcius) during the rainy season, and long pants is a normal dress code anyway. HEH

Monk Chat

Having a Monk Chat is an unique opportunity to interact with the monks and allow them to practice their English. Most of them are rather informal and not preachy at all. It is also kind of cool to understand how Buddhism in Thailand differs from other places. Just drop by and join them! I heard that many Wats offer this, but the most convenient one to get to is Wat Chedi Luang in the central of the old city.

Just a random encounter - we were intending to get to Wat Chedi Luang and asked a security guard for directions. He directed us to a Monk (with 2 boys-- apprentice?) and who bought us to the road and hailed a Songthaew for us. Aww..!

Nearby from Wat Chedi Luang

If its a Sunday and it is near evening, you're in for a luck. Simply walk out of the temple and you'll be at the Sunday Walking Street - possibly the best shopping place in Thailand.

3. Walking Streets

They are like pasar malams (night markets), but even way better! These walking streets sprawl over many city blocks to inside temple grounds, and offer everything from household appliances, clothes, handicrafts, street food and even fried insects! HEH, got kinda excited! They open from evening (around 5pm) till midnight. so that you can shop till you drop.

There are 3 main ones in Chiang Mai: 

• Night Bazaar Chang Khlan Rd
• Saturday Walking Street Wua Lai Road
• Sunday Walking Street Rachadamnoen Road

The Sunday Walking street is the best and must-go if you're a shopaholic or just here to watch local life. The Saturday Walking street is a smaller version of the Sunday walking street with similar vendors. Besides shopping, many street performing artistes, vendors doing their handicrafts on site are all around. Tired after all the walking? There are also streets lined with chairs for foot massages. Or food; no one can reject food, we all need food!

This place is a remarkable piece of culture and certainly a must-go for everyone. One can expect to get the best deals here. The best place in Thailand to shop, did I say that already? Competitive prices are labeled at almost every store, there is almost no need for bargaining. Clothes is even cheaper than Chatuchak market, and mind you, for the same things! Yes, even food! Clothes start from 50 THB (SGD 2) and there are infinite number of racks for you to flip through. Ask politely when bargaining and don't quote unreasonable prices, prices are usually fixed unless you buy in bulk.

Getting Home

Especially near midnight, many Tuk-tuks and songthaews will be lined along the roadside for passengers. Of course, they also charge exorbitantly. We had a Tuk-tuk driver quoting us 100 THB  (SGD 4) for a less than 5 min drive. One songthaew driver even pushed us away when he saw a larger group of people (which translates to more money). 

If you live within the old city, just walk home; especially if you live within the guesthouse area of Moon Muang or Thapae Road, it won't take more than 20 minutes (around 10 if you know the route). Get your trusty piece of map out and ask the shop owners, the Thai people are really nice and go a great deal in helping people. Our maps were in English, it certainly didn't make much sense to them; they squint their eyes and try their best to help us decipher the map. It will help if you read out the names of the landmarks. We were so touched when they put down their stuff (they were closing stores) to help us. How can I leave Chiang Mai?

4. Thai Massage

I know massage parlours are so prevalent in Bangkok that you can see another one in just a few steps. Although not as congested as Bangkok, Chiang Mai is also brimming with spa and massage resorts that exudes a more pleasant and relaxing ambience than hectic Bangkok. Discover the Northern-style Thai massages in Chiangmai, it is where most masseurs get trained and certified. There are a good range - from the luxurious ones (close to the prices in Batam and JB) to the basic ones. The cheapest one we spotted was in a market, for only SGD$4/hour.

Khunka Massage and Green Bamboo are both located in the central and have received lots of great reviews. I know many people get their dose of massage frequently in JB or Batam, but this was my first ever massage experience and I did ample research on the houses. My seized up muscles from the kayaking had been thankful since.

We went to Green Bamboo Massage House  for a Thai massage (200THB/ hour) SGD 8. This is a serene, relaxing place for a massage, situated away from the buzzing city streets. There was even a complimentary foot scrub before the massage and tea served afterwards. Their massage beds even have a hole for you to rest your face on when you lie on your chest. My masseur was only 23, but really professional and have set my standards high HEH. She constantly checks if I'm okay and gives me a heads up on what is she going to do next. All while hitting the pressure points with high accuracy! I will definitely recommend this place to everybody.

A cute guy having his foot massage at Green Bamboo

Thai massages are from head to toe, full body. It starts off with the leg, feet first; and moves on to the hands,  back, shoulders and face and head. I think this is better value than those 30 minutes face, foot or shoulder massage that only focus on one area. Most masseurs will try to accommodate your needs, just request them to focus on an area prior to the massage. Traditional Thai massages involves a little stretching, but there should definitely be no stepping on your back or awful stuff like that.

Note: Do inform your masseur if you're pregnant or on your period. But having a period should be no great deal, I had my period then. Okok, shhh. :S

The more luxurious massage houses usually have the word "spa" in their names, HAHA. Some well-rated ones include Fah Lanna Spa and Zabai Thai Massage and Spa.

5. Catch a Thai Festival

If you're lucky enough to catch Chiang Mai during their festivals, it'll be yet another eye-opening experience! Why all during the semester? :(

• Loi Krathong (in November) Banana-leaf boats (krathong) are decorated with flowers and candles and deposited them along the waterways of the city to worship the Goddess of Water. Lanna-style sky lanterns are also launched into the air. 

• Songkran (Water Festival) in mid-April 

• Chiang Mai Flower Festival is a three-day festival held during the first weekend in February each year when Chiang Mai's flowers are in full bloom.

I love to read up on more information about the animals, but some of the information boards had incorrect spellings, or weren't translated into English at all. So bring your smartphones for instant Google results. This place also offer some nice picturesque gardens (which doesn't give off that you're in a zoo) for photo taking.

Bonus Content

The ones in Doi Suthep are pretty commercialized, and charge an entry fee for visiting. We didn't like the idea of treating their homes as a "human zoo", so we skipped it. It'd be nice to talk to the girls and buy their handicrafts if you chose to visit. Otherwise, the location is convenient from ChiangMai and there are other attractions such as the Wat Doi Suthep, Chiang Mai Zoo, Doi Pui Suthep National Park and of course, Doi Suthep mountain itself. Many guesthouses and hostels organize daily tours here. Otherwise, there are also plenty of tour agencies in the old cities near the guesthouse area which you can inquire with. 

If you want a more authentic experience off the beaten track, you should visit the tribes along the Mae Hong Son Loop which is less likely to be exploited by the tourism industry.

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Getting Around Within Chiang Mai

We usually get around the old city by foot. It is only a mile square and does not take long to get from one end to the other. Get a map and you're ready to set off. When the weather is too hot, we usually hop on a Songthaew. It is a very inexpensive way to get around, we usually pay 20 THB/ pax (SGD 1). The more people you have (traveling to the same place), the less you pay per person.  Buses and other public transport options are still less common while Tuk-tuks mainly cater towards the tourists.

By Motorbike/car:

Vehicles can be rented easily at very low cost. Rentals for motorbikes start from 200 THB/ day  (SGD 8) from the dealer. If you're going to be here for sometime, it'll be cheaper if you rent it monthly from a local. 

Chiang Mai is also a popular travel destination for Thais (usually from Bangkok) and China. While this city is also increasingly commercialized and westernized as it attracts expats from all over the world, Chiang Mai provides you a deeper insight of the Thai culture and definitely should not be missed. Though deep inside I fantasize how did Chiang Mai look like 10 years ago without all the seedy expats and tourists. 

I love Chiang Mai but I also understand that a peaceful laid-back city may not be for everyone, others who enjoy the pulsating life with challenges here and there may find this place a little boring. But I love it. I like how the nice-ness has no edge and how it reflects the sabai-sabai (easy going) Thai way of life.

I hope this list will be helpful to itinerary planning or maybe convince you that you should make your way up North if you're in Thailand! Good luck! 

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