With its wooden tables, thatched roof and mud floor, the organic farmers’ produce market in Chiang Mai is very much an old-style, traditional village market conveniently set up in downtown Chiang Mai city. Some of the produce does even originate from the city, since the market takes place adjacent to the Chiang Mai University agricultural … 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

Doi means mountain in the northern Thai dialect (see our earlier geographical names post), so Doi Suthep of course means Suthep Mountain. Doi Suthep’s most famous feature is its temple, Wat Doi Suthep, and is part of Doi Suthep-Pui National Park. Finally, Suthep is the name of the western district of Chiang Mai city abutting … read the full post

We’ve been writing this Chiang Mai blog for some time now but still haven’t given a general introduction to Chiang Mai city but… better late than never, eh? Here’s a bit about what makes Chiang Mai a special city and the lay of the land so you can orientate yourself during a visit. Chiang Mai … read the full post

On our ongoing search for Chiang Mai’s best khao soi we checked out a new spot on fashionable Nimmanhemin’s Soi 7 with the promising name of Kao Soy Nimman. Spellings may vary but it’s a standard — signature really — north Thai and Chiang Mai dish; both soft and crispy wheat noodles in a curry … read the full post

Update January 2012: Taking over a successful restaurant, keeping the exact same menu, increasing prices and employing totally new kitchen and waiting staff doesn’t sound common business sense to us and the cliche ‘recipe for disaster’ springs to mind. Logically you keep at least a couple of key staff members to smooth over transition but … read the full post