Chiang Mai province
The centre of the once-powerful Lanna kingdom, the northern Thai province of Chiang Mai is a favourite destination for tourists and backpackers alike and is also tremendously popular province amongst Thai holiday-makers.
For many, a visit to the province's same-named capital, Chiang Mai, is their sole experience of northern Thailand. Packed with temples and other points of interest, hundreds of hilltribe trekking agents, a near endless supply of fine dining and a comprehensive range of accommodation options, Chiang Mai really is north Thailand in a nutshell.
Relatively mountainous and scattered with a selection of National Parks, and, at over 2,500m, Thailand's highest peak -- Doi Inthanon. Chiang Mai is considered by some to be a nature-lovers paradise with ample opportunity for those wanting to explore the hinterland during their vacation in Thailand. Aside from Doi Inthanon National Park, Ob Luang National Park is within easy distance of the capital, while the hidden away town of Chiang Dao, two hours north of town offers spectacular scenery in a rustic setting. Northeast lies Phrao, a little known village set in a valley among sprawling rice paddies. Chiang Mai is a big province. Buy a map, hire a motorbike or car and go exploring -- you'll be surprised just how much you'll find.
It was across this province in the mid 1970s that the first "hill tribe trekking" opportunities appeared. The province's hinterland in littered with minority villages -- after all, the Akha, Hmong, Karen, Lahu, Lisu and Yao people make up some 15% of the province's overall population. Many of these minority groups maintain rather traditional lifestyles and their way of life is often striking to foreign visitors. From the early days of Chiang Mai's tourist development, visits to these minority villages were an integral part of the "Chiang Mai experience".
These trekking trips tend to involve visiting a number of villages with each night spend in a village, accompanied by cultural performances, an opportunity to buy trinkets and souvenirs and to just relax in the brisk mountainside evenings. Over the years, the villages have become increasingly commercialised and well prepared for foreign visitors. Don't expect too many Dr Livingstone moments and be prepared for the village kids flogging you everything from cold beers to pringles -- these kids are often the third generation of hilltribes to have welcomed visitors into their village.
Some find the whole hill tribe thing a contrived, voyeuristic experience, while for others it is one of the most memorable parts of their time in Thailand. A lot relies on going into the trip with the correct expectations. Partly as a result of the commercialisation of the tribes in Chiang Mai province, many travellers are now opting to trek from further afield -- especially from Mae Hong Son province where the perception is that the experience is more "unspoilt and remote".
Trekking aside, the province is also developing a reputation as a centre for health and spa resorts. As the backpackers from yester-year return to retire in this comfortable northern Thai climate, a burgeoning real-estate business has also developed.
The city of Chiang Mai is Thailand's second most frequently visited city (after Bangkok) but has a central population of only around 200,000. The capital of the Lanna Kingdom from 1296 onwards, Chiang Mai's cultural and political importance increased through the years and despite being incorporated into the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in 1599, it remained for all intents and purposes, Thailand's northern capital. An abundance of temples spread throughout the city lend weight to this historic importance, and its generally low-rise skyline makes for a pleasing destination and one which is easily navigated on foot.
The influence of the plentiful middle-aged European tourists who flock here is considerable, with a vibrant alternative-lifestyle community providing everything from jewellery-making to yoga classes. Chiang Mai's hotel scene is developing apace with some truly luxurious hotels now peppering the city's skyline along with the excellent choice of budget guesthouses and hostels that have existed here for decades.
