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• Our favourite Chiang Mai Isaan restaurant

  First published: 22 Apr 2011
  

  The Roomjai Kai Yang restaurant is a Chiang Mai institution and certainly our favourite Isaan (northeastern Thai/Lao) spot in town. It’s not haute cuisine but rather simple, rustic dishes with plenty of intense flavours from the liberal use of herbs and spices. This is the spot for spicy salads and vegetable dishes of, for example, … read the full post

• Hikes around Chiang Mai: Nam Tok Huay Tung Tao

  First published: 19 Apr 2011
  

  An easy but very scenic short hike near Chiang Mai that’s practical to do on your own is this trail from Doi Suthep’s ranger sub-station at Huay Tung Tao to the nearby waterfall of the same name. At present our route is about an hour there and an hour back by the same route, though … read the full post

• Visiting Chiang Mai prison

  First published: 15 Apr 2011
  

  Well correctly speaking, (and we need to be correct here), we’re talking about the Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institution. The governors of the women’s section of Chiang Mai prison, located in the heart of the old city, have instigated some extremely enlightened, and truly praiseworthy schemes over recent years and we reckon a visit to the … read the full post

• Fixing or buying a camera in Chiang Mai (Or: Songkran Part 2)

  First published: 11 Apr 2011
  

  Following on from our recent Songkran post: if your $1,000 Nikon does get totally destroyed by water pistol-frenzied 5-year-olds during the festivities then the following may well be a useful address for you: Den Chai Trading, Rattanakosin Rd (T: 053 211 450). It’s the largest photographic store in Chiang Mai and possesses the most efficient … read the full post

• Chiang Mai’s Doi Pui

  First published: 08 Apr 2011
  

  I recently re-visited the Doi Pui Hmong Village with some trepidation; on my first visit nearly 10 years ago I’d found it tacky and touristy, and had turned my nose up at a hill-tribe village with Visa stickers and a coach park. As it turns out, I thoroughly enjoyed it this time around. No room to … read the full post

• A few tips for Songkran in Chiang Mai

  First published: 05 Apr 2011
  

  Songkran is the Thai name for the Theravada Buddhist New Year which falls on the 13th April. (The Mahayana Buddhist New Year, in Vietnam or China for example, is based on the lunar calender – in Thailand it’s always a fixed date.) It’s not only Thai New Year but in theory is the same for … read the full post

• Hikes around Chiang Mai: Mon Thaa Than Falls Nature Trail

  First published: 31 Mar 2011
  

  The Mon Thaa Than Falls Nature trail near Chiang Mai is an easy-to-moderate hike of two to three hours that you can do on your own, though it does get trickier during the rainy season. The entire route is in the forest, with the first half or so being flat and the second downhill. It’s … read the full post

• What is a good time to visit Chiang Mai and Northern Thailand?

  First published: 25 Mar 2011
  

  When should I visit northern Thailand and Chiang Mai is a very FAQ; there are pros and cons for each period of the year but before we go into that, let’s address a couple of common climate misconceptions, namely: 1. Chiang Mai and northern Thailand are cool (temperature-wise) and 2. The rainy season is a … read the full post

• Buying a book in Chiang Mai? Sounds straightforward but…

  First published: 23 Mar 2011
  

  I often get asked by visitors about bookstores in Chiang Mai, perhaps because a) it’s hard to choose from among the bewildering number of secondhand bookshops, b) it’s hard to find the decent new book shops or c) they’re looking for books in obscure, minority languages like French. Thailand is not like Vietnam or Cambodia, … read the full post

• Huay Tung Tao: Where to hang out in Chiang Mai on a sunny afternoon

  First published: 21 Mar 2011
  

  Huay Tung Tao — much loved by Chiang Mai locals and expats and regrettably little known by visitors — is a small artificial lake at the foot of Doi Suthep. The shallow lake’s good for swimming and the grassy banks are packed with picnic areas, drink and food stalls plus the views… are awesome. And … read the full post