Quiet, laid back, low key and with surprisingly good rooms for your money, Tip Top House is a tempting option in Chiang Mai’s budget scene.

It’s much smaller than say Julie or Diva and the location, while still central, is quieter plus they manage to squeeze in a well laid-out little garden. There’s certainly not that classic backpacker vibe to the place and Tip Top isn’t the choice if you want to meet lots of people and party, but if you’re after some peace and quiet on a limited budget this could be, well, tip top!

No shortage of greenery. Photo: Mark Ord

The guesthouse is on the west side of the Old City, near the moat road; neither too close nor too far from the main sites or the cafe and bar areas so ideally lending itself to getting around by bicycle which they are happy to provide to guests for a minimal fee. It would be easy to go right past Tip Top without noticing as it’s partially hidden behind a tall ivy and creeper-clad wall. A narrow wooden gate leads into a small but well-designed garden area with the main accommodation to the left. The building is concrete (or brick) but faced with wooden panels while the upper floor has a varnished wooden balcony and walkway connecting the rooms. The upper ones then have access to the public balcony while lower ones open directly onto the path.

Interiors belie their budget price-tag and we particularly liked the brighter upper floor ones. Rooms aren’t so big so decor has sensibly been kept simple with white painted walls and minimal clutter. Furniture is solid looking, varnished wood with decent sized beds, thick mattresses and bed-side tables and lamps. Bear in mind all rooms—even the 300 baht ones—come with air-con though you have a choice of en-suite or shared bathrooms and large, (upstairs) and smaller ones, (downstairs). As is often the case, rooms are one and the same and rate depends upon whether you wish to avail yourself of the air-con or not.

Minimal clutter in the rooms. Photo: Mark Ord

Bathrooms, both communal and en-suite are clean and bright and with only a few rooms you wouldn’t be sharing with many other people anyway. Rooms on the left, garden on the right and to the rear is the communal area and cafe. It’s somewhat ramshackle and there’s no restaurant service, (so breakfast is not included), but you can get a drink, WiFi access and it is again, a quiet spot. Further to the rear is an older, two-storey wooden building though the manger said these rooms weren’t currently in use.

Note you are required to book for a minimum of two nights but discounts are available for longer stays. So if you’re looking for a good value chill-out spot for a week or so then Tip Top Thai could be a perfect option.