Chiang Mai Activities
Elephant Shows
Elephant shows are generally held in the morning at 9.40 a.m., and begin with elephants bathing before continuing with displays of forestry work and other skills. Elephant rides are usually available after the show. Open from 7.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Tickets range between 80 to 1,000 baht (depending on activities).
Tha Phae Mae Taman and Pang Chang Mae Sa
Tel. 0 5329 7060
Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre
Tel. 0 5329 8553, 0 5386 2037
Mountain Biking
Mountain biking is widely available on several routes in Chiang Mai and the hills beyond. For more information, please contact
Chiang Mai Green Tour.
Tel. 0 5324 7374
Homestay at Ban Mae Kampong
The village of Ban Mae Kampong, some 50 km. east of Chiang Mai in Mae On district, is situated in a mountainous area with lush jungle surroundings. Here visitors can experience real Thai village life, as well as enjoy several activities. Nearby attractions include waterfalls, a cotton weaving village and the Huai Hong Khrai Royal Agricultural Station.
Reservations should be made through Erawan P.U.C.
Tel. 0 5327 4212-3
Trekking
Trekking in the hills of the North is one of Chiang Mai's most popular tourism activities. It offers the best way to experience both the natural environment and to see the culture of the region's various hill tribes. Of particular interest are the six major hill tribes which inhabit the highlands, the largest group being the Karen, followed by the Hmong, Lahu, Yao, Akha and Lisu. Each tribe has its own distinctive spiritual beliefs, ceremonial attire, languages, customs, rituals, dances and agricultural practices.
Popular "jungle treks" last from 2 to 7 days and take trekkers through forested mountains and high valleys and meadows, as well as visits to more remote high-altitude hill tribe settlements for overnight stays. The best guides are hill tribe youths who customarily speak English, Thai and at least three tribal dialects. Treks commonly feature travel by foot, sometimes by boat, elephant-back, horse-back or jeep, or frequently a combination of two or three modes of transportation.
Visitors are advised to contact the Tourist Police (at 75 Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road, Tel. 0 5324 8130 Fax. 0 5324 8974) or the TAT for information on the most reliable trekking companies. And remember, for trekkers' protection, all treks must be registered with the Tourist Police.
Visitors should remember to:
- Respect hill tribe beliefs and religious symbols and structures.
- Dress modestly. Hill tribe people are generally modest and inappropriate attire may offend them.
- Ask permission before photographing someone. Some villages do not permit photography.
- Refrain from trading Western medicines and articles of clothing. Gifts such as pens, paper, needles, thread and cloth are acceptable.
Special Events
Bo Sang Umbrella Festival
January
Held at the Bo Sang Handicraft Centre, the festival features paper products, particularly painted paper parasols, cultural shows, beauty contests and a parade showing traditional ways of life.
Flower Festival
February
This 3-day event, held on the first Friday and weekend of February, coincides with the blossoming of Chiang Mai's temperate and tropical flowers. Festivities include a parade of floral floats, ornamental garden flower contests, beauty pageants, music and dancing. The parade begins at Chiang Mai Railway Station, passes over Nawarat Bridge and ends at Nong Buak Hat Park.
Songkran Festival
April 13-15
The Thai New Year is celebrated with particular gusto in Chiang Mai. Among the events is a parade of the revered Phra Phutthasihing Buddha image around Chiang Mai town for ritual bathing, sand pagoda-making, blessing of elders, and water splashing.
Doi Suthep Pilgrimage
May
The Buddhist festival of Visakha Puja is celebrated with a candlelit procession to the temple on Doi Suthep.
Yi Peng Festival
Late October / Early November
Coinciding with the Loi Krathong Festival on the full-moon night of the 12th lunar month, the event features the release of lanterns into the sky to worship the gods. There are also fireworks, lantern contests, and beauty pageants.
Chiang Mai Accommodations
Chiang Mai offers a comprehensive selection of hotels and resorts in all price categories. A full list of accommodation choices can be obtained from Hotels & Resorts in Chiang Mai page.
Shopping
Chiang Mai is without a doubt Thailand's major centre for quality handicrafts, both traditional and modern, hill tribe handicrafts and antiques. Top buys include:
Cottons & Silks
First-class Chiang Mai cottons and silks are of incomparable quality and suitable for various fashion and furnishing applications. The largest possible selection is available in San Kamphaeng.
Umbrellas/Parasols
These are inextricably associated with Bo Sang where villagers have been engaged in their manufacture for at least 200 years. All materials, silks, cottons, Sa paper (manufactured from the bark of the mulberry tree) and bamboo are produced or found locally. Visitors to Bo Sang will see literally hundreds of designs and sizes ranging from the miniature to the gigantic.
Silverware
The finest Thai silverware is made in Chiang Mai, where certain families have practised their art for several generations. Traditional skills and a guaranteed content of at least 92.5% pure silver invest bowls, receptacles and decorative items with authentic value. Silver shops are concentrated on Wua Lai Road, where the artisans and their families live.
Lacquerware
Typified by striking black and gold designs, lacquer enhances items made of wood, bamboo, metal, paper and baked clay in the form of receptacles, ornaments and different souvenirs.
Furniture/Woodcarving
Woodcarving is a traditional northern Thai art featured in numerous temples, while in modern times it has been increasingly used to embellish furniture-screens, chairs, tables, beds, indeed anything bearing a wooden surface large enough to be carved as well as in carved elephants, figurines, tableware and other popular items. Chiang Mai's Ban Thawai village in Hang Dong district is a major centre of furniture making. Principal Woods and materials include teak, rosewood and rattan.
Hilltribe Products
These include silver ornaments, from bracelets, necklaces, and pendants to pipes of intricate design, and richly embroidered items including tunics, jackets, bags, purses, caps, and dress lengths.
Pottery
Chiang Mai is a major centre of Thailand's pottery industry. Prized items include high-fired celadon which is produced in many forms, including dinner sets, lamp bases and decorative items.
How To get to Chiang Mai
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