Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [219]
Note that this border gets very busy at weekends when Thais are crossing to the casinos in Poipet. Border officials suggest you get there early to avoid delays.
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Chiang Mai Province
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CHIANG MAI
HISTORY
ORIENTATION
INFORMATION
DANGERS & ANNOYANCES
SIGHTS
WALKING TOUR
ACTIVITIES
COURSES
FESTIVALS & EVENTS
SLEEPING
EATING
DRINKING
ENTERTAINMENT
SHOPPING
GETTING THERE & AWAY
GETTING AROUND
NORTHERN CHIANG MAI PROVINCE
MAE SA VALLEY & SAMOENG
CHIANG DAO
DOI ANG KHANG
FANG & THA TON
SOUTHERN CHIANG MAI PROVINCE
BO SANG & SAN KAMPHAENG
MAE KAMPONG
HANG DONG, BAN WAN & BAN THAWAI
SAN PA THONG
DOI INTHANON NATIONAL PARK
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The mist-shrouded mountains of Chiang Mai Province have long enticed visitors to explore this southern slice of the great Himalayan mountain range. Initially drawn north by tales of elephants and vine-filled jungles, visitors are pleasantly distracted by the gateway city of Chiang Mai, a laid-back cultural capital. Further piquing the imagination are the minority tribes who live among the high-altitude valleys, struggling to maintain their ethnically independent identities.
The province straddles one of Asia’s great crossroads – a southern spur of the Silk Road –fusing commerce and culture between points further north and west in modern-day China, Laos and Myanmar. Ancient caravan traders dealt in opium, silks and timber. Today, only silk remains a legal commodity and the horse-drawn conveyances are merely historical legends. Instead the province has adapted to the expectations of a modern marketplace. Chiang Mai is among Thailand’s largest cities, though it retains the charm of a small town, and it functions as the north’s principal hub for tourism, transport, education and cross-border commerce.
Outside of the provincial capital, Chiang Mai Province boasts more natural forest cover than any other province in the north. In addition, two of Thailand’s highest mountain peaks are in the province: Doi Inthanon (2565m) and Doi Chiang Dao (2195m). Cycling, hiking, elephant trekking, birdwatching and river rafting attract those interested in the province’s natural surrounds.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Touring the sacred temples of Wat Phra Singh (Click here), Wat Chedi Luang (Click here) and Wat Chiang Man (Click here)
Making merry at Chiang Mai’s Saturday Walking Street (Click here) and Sunday Walking Street (Click here)
Learning how to whip up a Thai feast with a cooking course (Click here)
Embarking on the popular pilgrimage to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep (Click here)
Escaping to the country with a weekend trip to Chiang Dao (Click here)
BEST TIME TO VISIT: NOVEMBER–FEBRUARY:
POPULATION: 1.65 MILLION
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Climate
Most visitors will find the weather in Chiang Mai province to be most enjoyable during the cool season, roughly from November to February, when temperatures are mild and rain is scarce. The landscape is still green from the previous months’ rains and the temperatures can be cool enough to warrant a jacket at night, particularly at higher elevations.
During the hot season, from March until June, Chiang Mai often experiences a ‘fire season’, when a thick haze forms over the city, a combination of dust and smoke from the burning off of nearby rice fields. Temperatures can be brutal and the once green forests become dry and brown. You’ll find some relief from the heat at the higher elevations of Chiang Dao and Doi Inthanon.
The annual monsoons, usually lasting from June to October, are generally lighter in Chiang Mai than in central or southern Thailand. The outer areas of Chiang Mai city can flood when rains are unusually heavy but it shouldn’t present an impediment to your travel plans.
Getting There & Away
Chiang Mai International Airport is an important regional airport receiving domestic and international flights. Chiang Mai city serves as the road transport hub for all of northern Thailand. The northern rail line terminates in Chiang