Chiang Mai is now the proud owner of no less than three official bus stations: Chiang Mai Bus Stations numbers 1, 2 and 3, with 2 and 3 really adjacent terminals. Number 1 is better known as Chang Puak Bus Station and is a small site tucked away behind Chang Puak Gate; this terminal primarily … read the full post

It’s a bit of everything, really, Chiang Mai’s Archer’s Bar and Restaurant: pub, bar, coffee-shop, Thai eatery and Western restaurant. There are plenty such establishments around on the Chiang Mai restaurant scene, but we’ve singled out Archer’s because, unusually, they actually succeed on every front. From an authentic little espresso through the gamut of Thai … read the full post

We did previously do a general outline of consulates in Chiang Mai but since it was dear old Liz’s jubilee recently (you can’t have missed that — it even brought tears to the eyes of some of our French mates!) and of  course with the London Olympics raring to go very soon (you’re going to … read the full post

Having snacked, supped and cappuccino-ed your way along the Tha Pae side of town you’ll probably be ready to hit the much quieter southside of Chiang Mai’s old city. Well, okay, it’s true you’ve got to ignore the four lanes of traffic, but the roadside action is much less in what’s more of a low-key … read the full post

Chiang Mai railway station serves around a million passengers a year, making it one of the busiest stations in Thailand. The station building itself was first opened in 1922 when Thailand’s northern line was completed with help from German engineers, though the current construction dates from 1948, since the original was destroyed by Allied bombing … read the full post

Chiang Dao is a small provincial town located in the Ping Valley about an hour’s bus ride north of the capital Chiang Mai itself. Chiang Dao is the name of the town as well as the district, the nearby national park, the mountain that towers over the town (one of the highest in the country), … read the full post

Having reached Sri Phum corner on our last Chiang Mai city walk and continuing in our auspicious clockwise direction, we’re going right into the thick of the action with a stroll along the old city’s eastern wall and moat. This takes us past the old backpacker area of Somphet, Tha Pae Gate — Chiang Mai’s … read the full post

Chiang Mai has loads of cafes; the local brew is excellent, the accompanying bakeries are good and nearly all come with free WiFi and pleasant seating areas. But when we came come across this interesting variation on a coffee shop theme the other day — a piano bar coffee shop — we thought it was … read the full post

We begin our circumnavigation of Chiang Mai’s old city at the northwest corner known as Hua Lim, for no particular reason other than you have start somewhere. And we move in a clockwise direction simply because it’s considered the more auspicious by Buddhists. This is where Huay Kaew Road heads off west past Central Huay … read the full post

This is a slight departure from our usual topics as we look at an excellent new Chiang Mai initiative in the field of natural medicines and beauty treatments. Skin cream,  herbal shampoo, moisturiser, hair restorer (oops too late for that!)… have I  finally lost the plot? I’ll admit that having (very tentatively and making sure … read the full post