9 must do’s in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai is known as the elephant city, a place with many elephant sanctuaries. The city also has many temples and even has a huge market on Sunday. Here are my 9 must do’s when in Chiang Mai.

1) The Night Market in Chiang Mai

If you have seen the night bazaar in Chiang Rai, then the Sunday market in Chiang Mai will exceed your expectations. The market starts at Thapae Gate and ends in the Ratchadamnoen Road. You can buy souvenirs but at a higher price than in Chiang Rai. During your walk, you’ll pass several temples that are also a must see (see number 2). Besides shopping, you can also enjoy yourself watching street artists perform, sing, or dance.

2) Temple hopping

Wat phra that doi suthep

This is the most famous attraction in Chiang Mai but we didn’t have enough time to do it. Doi Suthep lies 12 km outside of Chiang Mai on a mountain and can be approached by taking many stairs.

Wat Chedi Luang

This temple is one of the oldest temples in Chiang Mai. An earthquake in the 16th century destroyed most of the temple. Today you can see the remains that are leftover. The chedi was once 80 meters tall, today it’s around 40 meters tall.

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Wat chiang man

The oldest temple in Chiang Mai is Wat Chiang Man. The temple has an elephant chedi (Chedi Chang Lom) and two meditation halls decorated in gold and red.

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Wat phra singh

The Wat Phra Singh is located next to a school. You can see the children play from inside the temple complex. The golden temple is the biggest one in the complex.

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Silver temple (men only)

Chiang Mai also has a silver temple that is only open for men. As a woman, I did not spend my time to see the outside of the temple. The temple is also located nowhere close of any of these must do’s.

3) Rice fields

So after visiting Doi Inthanon (number 6), we also went to see some rice fields. These were most definitely beautiful! But if you have the chance, go to Bali to see the UNESCO protected ricefields of Jatiluwih! Bigger, better and more beautiful! But these were also quite pretty!

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4) Adventure day: quat & rafting

When you are with seven persons on a road trip you must make sure that everybody in the group gets what he/she wants. Everybody must be happy. We planned a day in an elephant sanctuary in advance and everyone agreed to it but last minute we had to scratch that because someone didn’t want to do that anymore. It was hard to come to a consensus but we ended up doing an adventure day and a jungle trekking in the Doi Inthanon National Park.

Quat

First, we went quatting. I can assure you, this machine is not made for me. I heard stories of accidents and so I went on the quat with stress already which is not good. We drove in the mud and ditches and I always thought the quat was going to till and fell on me. After a while, we had to stop our quat because there were elephants passing. I was right behind the guide en I was the only one of my friends to see that the elephant guides slapped the elephant to go more to the left. When they passed us, those guides were smiling at us (because they thought we might be interested). But I would never want to ride an elephant, nor support an elephant sanctuary that allows rides. After this encounter, we went on to have a stop and enjoy the view.

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We started the second part of the tour and that part was more rough and steep. At one point the road was just a puddle of mud. The guide told me to give more gas (because the quat was tilling). I gave more gas and yeah you can imagine it already. I gave too much gas and ended up in the bushes. The scary part was that I was on a cliff, I just stopped in time. So yeah I screamed and the guide came rushing to me and saved me. Typically for me to end up that way. Eventually, I was glad when I could descend from my quat.

Elephants

After our quat adventure, we went on to see some elephants. We went to a local that promised us that he didn’t harm the elephants. We first had to feed the four elephants in order to establish a bond.

Tip: Don’t forget to feed the smaller elephants. The smaller one didn’t get as much as the others and went after us for the bag of bananas. We ran and after a few seconds, we were smart enough to just leave the bananas on the ground because he was after those.

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After the feeding, we followed the elephants to bath them. One was grumpy and didn’t want to leave the water. Very stubborn! I also asked about the background of the elephants and our guide told us that the elephants were used as workers in the 80’s but later on rescued. Now they enjoy their day next to the river. When an elephant escapes and trashes a village, the owner must pay for the costs.

Fun fact: The elephants in Africa are much larger!

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Rafting

After our elephant experience, we went on to go rafting. This was so fun and a good refreshment. The group was divided into two boats and each boat had a guide. We eventually passed the place where we fed the elephants and jumped into the water!

5) Elephant sanctuary

So I didn’t visit an elephant sanctuary but I can only recommend it. I’ve been to Africa and I found it amazing to see wild elephants. In my research, I found an elephant sanctuary that had wild elephants. No riding, no bathing, nothing. You’ll go with a jeep into the park like a safari to spot elephants. I think this is a better option to consider. It was more expensive but all the cheap ones allowed elephant rides.

6) Doi Inthanon national park

Doi Inthanon National Park is part of the Himalaya and is also located on the highest mountain of Thailand. You are literally with your heads in the clouds. This also means temperatures are low, so take your sweater with you! On Doi Inthanon, you can find two Chedis (monuments) dedicated to the King and Queen.

Tip: I wouldn’t recommend taking the red truck for this one. The windows and doors don’t close.

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Waterfalls

We have seen two waterfalls in Chiang Mai. The first one was Siriphum Waterfall and it was gigantic. We couldn’t get near because the waterfall was too dangerous to approach. We did saw a fisherman trying to fish with nets. I’ve read that the size of this waterfall may vary from season to season. We visited it in the rainy season, so the waterfall was huge.

The second waterfall was even wider and is called Wachirathan Waterfall. When we stepped outside of the car, you could feel already some raindrops on your face. That waterfall was enormous. We even saw a rainbow.

Tip: Bring your own toilet paper or wet wipes when traveling in Thailand. The toilets are Chinese (you must stand) and are so dirty. You must flush with a bucket of water, which I don’t want to touch.

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Jungle

When in Doi Inthanon, you also get the opportunity to do a small jungle trekking. This was fun because like I said earlier, you are literally with your head in the clouds. So spooky!

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7) Riverside restaurant

When you have the opportunity, you should have dinner at the riverside. There are many restaurants with a view on the river and sunset. We even got a lightning show due to a storm that evening.

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8) Songthaews a.k.a. red trucks

If you need a ride in Chiang Mai, then the red trucks or Songthaews can come in handy. The truck can carry at least 8 people. The red truck is cheaper than a tuk-tuk or cab. The price of a red truck is 30 baht per person which is also printed on the side of the truck.

Fun fact: If you’re lucky like we did, you might drive along with a monk. Monks don’t need to pay for their ride because the drivers believe that when they do something for a monk, they will be blessed.

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9) Clay Studio Coffee In The Garden

This coffee bar is made out of terracotta. There is a hotel in the same street that is also made out of terracotta. The bar is surrounded by a wall that seems normal from the outside, but from the inside, it is an amazing spot. For me, it felt a bit like Angkor Wat. The garden is filled with clay sculptures, lots of green and even a catfish pond.

Fun fact: We went to the terracotta bar with a red truck but they didn’t seem to know it. So it’s still a hidden gem.

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10) Get salmonella

Well actually no, but I got it! On our first evening in Chiang Mai, we went to eat dinner and we all ate the same dish. Except for the fact that I ordered an orange juice smoothie. When I drank it, I noticed a strange taste. I stopped drinking it and ordered a bottle of water. That night was dreadful! I was cold but also hot and sweaty (I had a fever). I didn’t sleep at all and had spent the night chasing the toilet. The next morning we went to Doi Inthanon but I was so sick! (see photo) If I ate something I had to go to the toilet immediately. Worse night and day of my life. I spent my last week in Thailand surviving on diarrhea pills to help me through the day. When I came back to Belgium, the doctor told me that I just had to go to the hospital immediately instead of going to the mountains. But hey after 3 months, I’m finally Salmonella free…

Have you already been to Chiang Mai?

Life of a Passion