A survey conducted by the National Institute of Development Administration says that Chiang Mai in Northern Thailand is the destination of choice of 39% of Thais polled in the survey. Loei and Phuket are also among the crowd favorites.
Chiang Mai is the most important cultural and commercial hub of Northern Thailand. It is increasingly becoming urban, but not so that it loses its natural charm which makes it an attractive destination in the first place. Despite pressures to grow as a city to address the need of tourists, Chiang Mai has been able to preserve hundreds of ‘wat’ or Buddhist temples. There are over 300 as of last count, and the oldest ones date back to 13th and 14th centuries.
The city wall of Chiang Mai
No Thailand escapade seems complete without getting a photo opportunity with Asian elephants. Chiang Mai has well-managed Elephant Training Centers where visitors can glimpse elephants at work handling timber, so a traveler with affinity for animals can very well have a field day at the elephant’s back.
Elephant trekking is a very popular activity around Chiang Mai
For the anthropologically curious, Chiang Mai is home to a handful of hill tribes that are as culturally distinct from each other as they are from the rest of Thailand. They are, however, not removed from the tourism fabric that propelled Chiang Mai to world-renown, as they offer accommodation to those who brave jungle trekking through their territories.
The overdose of ‘wats’ and indigenous community integration are just a couple of activities you can look forward to if you plan to visit the tourist mecca of the north. If you want to experience Chiang Mai in its full bloom, literally, you may want to arrange to come on the 1st until 3rd day of February next year to take part in the province’s Flower Festival, the biggest of its kind in Thailand.
A large number of monks proceed passed Wat Chedi Temple in Chiang Mai
As a province enjoying cool season throughout the year except the hot months March, April and May, Chiang Mai is suited to grow orchids, roses, chrysanthemums and gladioli and hundreds of flower varieties that the Flower Festival features larger-than-life floral floats and depictions of stories from ancient scripture, animals, temples and Buddhist idols.
Beyond petals, this northern province is also famous for its Night Bazaar in Sankampaeng where the finest silk, silverware, wood carvings, weaving, lacquer and hand-painted umbrellas are sold from dusk until midnight.
Getting to Chiang Mai is also a breeze. Chiang Mai International Airport receives direct flights from Myanmar, Korea, Burma, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Laos, Singapore and Macau, and local flights from all over Thailand.
Photos by theonegraham, whl.travel and whl.travel
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Article by Chris
Chris had a passion to contribute to society especially to fellow travelers like himself. He also had a passion for Southeast Asia and frequently visited. While brainstorming ideas, he decided that a travel blog dedicated to his favorite countries, Thailand and Singapore, could be more beneficial than any guidebook. Only one year later did the blog’s success bring in more writers, more countries, and more readers.
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