Chiang Mai, the capital city of the Ancient Lanna Kingdom, and one of the most beautiful cities of Thailand. Second city of Thailand in population, after Bangkok, Chiang Mai as a clear differentiated culture and aesthetic, due to its situation, and its pertinence to the old trade routes subsidiaries of the Silk Route.
With a very extended occupation model, it is not a comfortable city for pedestrians due to the bad or inexistent pavements and the few public transportations. This is one of the main reasons that makes visiting the city complicated to discover all its hidden gems spreaded in anarchical alleys and hidden corners., but its inner shine preserved along many centuries, its nature, and its recent development as a modern asiatic city have an incredible charm that attracts digital nomads and expatriates from all around the globe to live there.
My personal recommendation if you don’t have too much time to discover the city is to rent a motorbike or a car in order to focus on the different areas (remember to bring your international licence). If you try to go everywhere walking you’re going to need at least a week to discover the real essence of the city. Another thing you can do is just focus on the Old town area, surrounded by walls, that has an incredible charm but you are going to loose a lot of the most interesting things to visit.
This is the plan I have created for you in order to have a wonderful and captivating weekend, are you ready?
Saturday
7 am
Wet Market
Nothing more Thai to start the day. This is not the main one, but here there are a lot of northern products. Have an Iced tea or coffee if you feel hungry but wait for a traditional breakfast at the next stop.#
9:30 am
Dim sum
Dim sum is a large range of small Chinese dishes that are traditionally enjoyed in restaurants for brunch, , usually meat or vegetables in dough or a wrapper that is steamed, deep-fried or pan-fried. This restaurant makes the best Thai version I’ve ever tried, and introduces you to the Chinese influences of Thai northern culture.
11 am
Chinatown
The old Chinese quartier of Chiang Mai has two old Markets inside ( including Warorot market) and a small Chinese temple. There are also two alleys full of Indian traders that mostly sell wholesale.
You can do shopping, visit ancient shops, herbal pharmacies based on Thai traditional medicine, and discover the multiple faces of Chiang Mai. This area is by the Ping River, where you can sit for rest or just eat some fruit from the multiple stalls, while the old communal transportations, tuk-tuks and the last rickshaws, are coming and going inside the area and from different villages of the province.
01 pm
Huai Thung Thao Lake
Time to chill. Thai markets are exhausting, the hot, the smells, the noise…so I propose to go to an artificial lake, 15 minutes driving from Chiang Mai. The entry fee it used to be 30 bahts (1$) if I’m not wrong (2020). The place is an oasis of calm and relax in the surroundings of the city. There are bamboo huts by the water, in order to chill and the owners bring you the menu and the food there. The prices are popular and the food is strictly Thai. You can also order beer, ice creams and even whiskey and have a swim. Chilling 100% guaranteed.
5 pm
Thai massage provided by blind people
If you are not trapped by the Lake’s magic environment, and want to try one of the basics of Thai culture, it is time to go here. This place is owned by an old couple and promotes inclusion of blind people by training them on the insides of Thai massage. Many of them are English speakers and you can be sure that you will go out from there floating up after a great massage. Price ranges are around 250 baths per hour (around 10 $).
Thai Massage Conservation Club
7 pm
Santitham Food stalls
Around the massage place and the streets around, the food stalls are popular from this hour on. Very cheap prices as you are in a student and residential area. Coffee shops and bars are also very popular in these streets, and will provide you the extra needed to recover your body from the massage session and get ready for the next stop.
8 pm
The North Gate Jazz Co-op
A classic. This is the place where Chiang Mai’s musicians community meets every evening in order to jam and play. The place has a very special atmosphere and you can stay inside or outside because they have a terrace where locals, musicians, tourists and the expats Community creates a beautiful melting pot.
Be ready to have a surprise with the band’s quality.
10 pm
Roots Rock Reggae Chiang Mai
I’m sure that probably after your a couple of beers in the Northgate yes you will be ready to go to your place and have a good rest but in case you still want to have a couple of more I recommend you to go to the Roadster bar another place where the Reggie music flaws with John sessions and a very good atmosphere 100% goodbyes my recommends is not to stand too much tonight because tomorrow you we’ll have another day full of wonderful surprises in the Lanna Kingdom.
This is a very intense plan so I recommend you to take it easy, I’m sure that after all these activity, you will be exhausted.
Go and have a good rest, get ready for Sunday plan, a lot of surprises will be coming but this will be in the next article
If you want to have more information about the city or Thailand, don’t hesitate to contact us. Our Editor have been a resident of Chiang Mai, and can solve you any doubt or help you if you are planning to move to Thailand. Actually Chiang Mai, has a huge volume of expatriates residing there and probably is one of the best locations in Thailand to spend long seasons.
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