Looking around Chiang Mai’s accommodation offerings it’s clear that for anywhere with pretensions above standard Thai hotel style or backpacker guesthouse chic then Lanna style is flavour of the month — or decade. But what is it? Good question. Historically and culturally Lanna refers to the northern Thai kingdom, founded in Chiang Saen but for … read the full post

Instead of trying to cover the whole of Chiang Mai zoo in one post we’ll concentrate on what to our mind is the best part of it — the aquarium. Chiang Mai’s state of the art aquarium opened some three years ago and it’s been improving ever since. There’s an extensive array of fresh and … read the full post

A very traditional little shopping spot, Somphet market is just off Moonmuang Road, right in the heart of Chiang Mai’s Guesthouse-land (see map). In fact we can only assume that most customers in the market these days are guesthouse cooks, since there really aren’t many private houses in this part of town anymore. Now there’s … read the full post

Any self-respecting country laying claim to ‘wilderness areas’ has to have them! Reports of large ape-like creatures emanate from remote mountain and forest areas of every continent bar Antarctica: the Sasquatch or Bigfoot of Canada and the United States, the yetis of Siberia, yowies of Australia and abominable snowmen of Tibet — and Southeast Asia, … read the full post

Any expat or visitor to Chiang Mai will quickly become familiar with the town’s main drags. You’ll have strolled along Ratchadamnoen running through the centre of the old town, tuk-tuked down Tha Pae Rd on your way to or from the night bazaar and of course eaten, drank, hired a motorbike and bought a Bangkok … read the full post

Temple of the Four Buddha Footprints, or Wat Pra Prabat Si Roy in Thai, is a remote and spectacular forest temple located in Mae Rim’s Salouang district and the subject for today’s see and do post for Chiang Mai. . Though it’s a highly prestigious and popular temple among Thais, very few foreigners make it … read the full post

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

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

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

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