Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [232]
The main campus occupies a 2.9 sq km wedge of land about 2km west of the city centre that has preserved much of its original forest character. Architecturally the campus buildings are soot-stained boxes, but the verdant environment achieves a distinctively Thai version of an idyllic collegiate setting. There are two main entrances into the campus on Th Suthep and Th Huay Kaew. When giving directions, Thais often refer to the university area on Th Suthep as ‘lng mor’ (behind the university) and on Th Huay Kaew as ‘nâh mor’ (in front of the university). Near both entrances are small night bazaars selling cheap food and clothes for cash-strapped students.
One way to savour the academic atmosphere is at Chiang Mai University Art Museum (Map; 0 5394 4833; Th Nimmanhaemin; admission free; 9am-5pm Tue-Sun), near the intersection of Th Suthep and Th Klorng Chonprathan. The museum displays temporary exhibitions of contemporary Thai and international art. There’s no permanent collection and the visiting shows can be of uneven quality. If you need a pit stop after the museum, check out Din Dee Teahouse, a little earthen hut on the museum grounds known for its herbal brews.
CHIANG MAI ZOO
At the foot of Doi Suthep, the Chiang Mai Zoo (Map; 0 5335 8116; www.chiangmaizoo.com; Th Huay Kaew; adult/child 100/50B, 8am-6pm, ticket booth closes at 5pm) occupies a lush park setting that is often crowded with Thai families and school groups. The zoo boasts a fairly comprehensive assortment of animals plus two special attractions (pandas and an aquarium) that require separate admission fees.
The panda exhibit (admission adult/child 100/50B) features adorable Chuang-Chuang and Lin-Hui, who live in a specially designed air-conditioned building and are relative stars among Chiang Mai school children. Hoping to boost tourism to the zoo, the new 600 million baht aquarium (adult/child 450/350B) reportedly has Asia’s longest viewing tunnel (measuring 113m) and replicates the water environments of Thailand, from the northern rivers to the mangrove swamps and coastal oceans, as well as the Amazon basin.
If you get here early enough, it is an easy walk to visit most of the interesting exhibitslions, giraffes, tigers and birds – near the entrance. Except for the elephant and orang-utan, most of the animals seem better off than their counterparts in other Third World zoos. You can also walk to see the pandas, but the aquarium is a little too far to go on foot. Open-sided buses (adult/child 20/10B) and an elevated tram (adult/child 100/50B) are available to take you around the zoo, but there is a lot of waiting for the next car to arrive. The bus or tram ticket is good for your entire visit but hold on to the ticket in case you’re asked for proof of purchase. If you’re visiting with small children, it is a good idea to bring a stroller.
The zoo also has a parking garage that costs 10B for motorcycles and bicycles and 50B for cars or trucks.
WAT U MONG
If you’ve never visited a forest wát (0 5327 3990; Soi Wat U Mong, Th Khlong Chonprathan; donations appreciated), you should make the trek to this temple. Not only does it offer a secluded sylvan setting, considered an important component for meditation in the forest wát tradition, it is also famous for its interconnecting tunnels built underneath the main chedi terrace.
The temple was first used during Phaya Mengrai’s rule in the 14th century. The brick-lined tunnels were allegedly fashioned around 1380 for the clairvoyant monk Thera Jan. The monastery was abandoned at a later date and wasn’t reactivated until a local Thai prince sponsored a restoration in the late 1940s. The since-deceased Ajan Buddhadasa Bhikkhu, a well-known monk and teacher at southern Thailand’s Wat Suanmok, sent a number of monks to re-establish a monastic community at U Mong in the 1960s.