Chiang Mai, Thailand🐘

From Bangkok, I headed up north to Chiang Mai. I had originally booked the night train, but sadly we misjudged the traffic in Bangkok and ended up missing it. I had to buy a last minute flight instead, as my accommodation in Chiang Mai was nonrefundable. You can also get a mini bus shuttle, from Bangkok, which most hostels organise for you, however, it had already left that day.

In Chiang Mai, I stayed at the Common Hostel, which was very fun and sociable and, not far from the Old Town. However, there are so many hostels to choose from and because I went four years ago, there may be a lot of different ones now, so definitely do your own research. Chiang Mai was one of my favourite places in Thailand and I was there for nearly a week. However, you can definitely do a lot of the main sights in three days if you are tight on time.

Thailand Cooking Class

One of the main things to do in Chiang Mai, is a Cooking Class. I have done two different classes and they were both really good! There are a lot of companies which offer classes, so do your research on which one you think is best.

Smile Organic Farm
My first class, was with Smile Organic Farm and we started the tour getting picked up from our hostel and going to the fresh food market. Here is where we bought our produce and learnt a bit about the different herbs and vegetables that we were going to use.

We then went to the companies kitchen and classroom area, where we learnt about the crops they were growing and the importance of each of them. We then started our lesson, which was learning three different dishes to make, a starter, main and a side or dessert. We got to choose them before our class, then were split up into groups accordingly of who was cooking the same thing. Each of us had our own cooking station, allowing us to be in control of our dishes, I made spring rolls, pad Thai and morning glory greens. Overall, our class was really good and because we did it in a big group of friends, it was really sociable and a very fun evening! Smile Organic put all the recipes that we learnt into a little book for us so that we could keep it and use at home.

Siam Garden Cooking School
When we went back to Thailand, I did another class with Ned as he hadn’t done one before. This school was pretty similar to my first class, we got to choose different dishes to make and worked together as a group to cut the ingredients and stir the pots. Ned and I went for two different starters and mains, which were Tom Yum soup, morning glory, pad Thai and tofu. We did this so we could learn different dishes and then share them between us. For dessert, we both chose mango sticky rice, which was incredible! The school also sent us an E-book, which had all the recipes on it so that we could take away the dishes we had learnt. This was also a really good school, and because we had a smaller class we got to be involved a lot more. Highly recommend booking any kind of cooking class in Chiang Mai!

Elephant Sanctuary

The other main activity to do is visit an Elephant Sanctuary! Going to a sanctuary is an incredible thing to do, but please research it beforehand and make sure the one you are going to is an ethical company! All companies vary and there are a lot to choose from. The best recommendation and the one Ned visited was the Elephant Nature Park, which was a proper sanctuary, where you could just see the elephants, you weren’t able to feed or play with them in the river. This might not sound as appealing as other sanctuaries that offer feeding and bathing of the elephants, but it is a much more ethical way of interacting with these beautiful giants. Feeding and bathing packages essentially have tourist groups come and go in conveyor belts, and the elephants are constantly being forced into behaviours they may otherwise choose not to do. The Elephant Nature Park actually allows the elephants to freely roam and interact with each other and their natural environment in a much more authentic way. You are allowed to touch the elephants, but only if they approach and choose you to interact with, which was a lot more special in Ned’s opinion.

When I went, I actually experienced the feeding and bathing tour package, as I wasn’t aware that it was not the most ethical way to see the elephants. It was an enjoyable experience overall, however when I later learned about the one Ned went to, I did feel bad about choosing that particular company. If you do want to get more involved but on an ethical level, another company that was recommended to me was the Elephant Jungle Sanctuary. This is the best one where you can interact with the elephants more freely, you go in the water with them, give them mud baths and get involved in the active care of the elephants, such as their feeding.

Hire Mopeds

Hire a moped and drive around Chiang Mai and the Old Town and visit all kinds of incredible places. I spent two days visiting the following sights and made the most of the good weather. If you are a first time driver, learning in Chiang Mai is probably not the best place, because of their one way roads and incredibly hectic junctions! The police are also a little bit stricter here, so take this into account when driving and always wear your helmet. You might get pulled over if you aren’t and most of the times you will have to pay a fine.

Doi Suthep

Doi Suthep is an incredible and highly sacred temple in the mountains. The temple is known for its shining gold-plated stupa, intricate designs, statues and shrines mixing the Buddhist and Hindu faith. We drove to the entrance of the park, but to get to the top to see the temples, you have to climb up 306 steps. Once you are there, you can see beautiful, panoramic views over the whole of Chiang Mai and the surrounding valley.

Mae Ya Waterfall

Do a little out of the way, pit stop at Mae Ya Waterfall, which is considered one of Thailand’s most beautiful and impressive waterfalls. It is around 280 meters tall and 100 meters wide, making it one of the tallest waterfalls in the country. Its cascades are multi-tiered, creating a beautiful layering effect and you can swim in the shallow pools at the base of the waterfall. Even though we went when it was raining, it was still pretty impressive because of how heavy the water flow was.

Doi Inthanon

Definitely drive to Doi Inthanon, which is the highest mountain in Thailand, at 2,565 meters above sea level. The weather can be very unpredictable because of how high you are and it can change constantly throughout the day, so definitely check the weather before you go. Sadly, when we went it was cloudy the entire time. If the weather is clear there are different scenic walking trails, which take you through the forest and to different waterfalls. You may also be able to see the Twin Pagodas at the top and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Even though the weather was bad, it was pretty cool to stop briefly at the top of the mountain and drive through the National Park and winding roads.

Sticky Waterfall

Make a day and visit Sticky Waterfall, which is also known as Bua Thong. It is a unique and natural waterfall, where you can walk and climb up the waterfall levels. The continuous water over textured limestone and mineral deposits stops algae from growing and making the rocks slippery and instead creates the stickiness, allowing you to easily grip it with your hands and walk up it barefoot.

The grounds where the waterfall is, is huge, so you can bring a lunch or picnic and make the most of the day, relaxing in the grass before cooling down in the waterfall. The 100 meter waterfall is divided into different layers, featuring ropes and wooden stairs to help pull yourself up. There are also different natural pools that you can relax in.

Chiang Mai Night Market

The Chiang Mai Night Market (Night Bazaar), happens every evening and is an incredible market. It takes place along Chang Khlan Road with so many different stalls. It is a famous market with loads of locals and tourists visiting just to experience this bustling market. You can spend a few hours browsing before stopping off at the food section. The food stalls there are amazing and incredibly cheap. Most nights we got a variety of sushi and dumplings and it cost less than 5 pounds!

There is also a Night Market every Sunday, known as Sunday Walking Street. It is a huge market, with stalls taking over the Old Town from Tha Phae Gate to Wat Phra Singh down Ratchadamnoen Road. It is one of the most famous and cultural markets in Thailand, offering a mixture of local crafts, artwork, fashion, food and jewellery stalls.

Other things to do in Chiang Mai

• Grand Canyon Water Park - a fun waterpark in the middle of Chiang Mai.
• Watch a Mauy Thai Match.
• Explore the Old Town.
• Baan Kang Wat - Artistic village full of paintings and cafes.
• Wat Chedi Luang - Massive stupa in the middle of the Old Town.
• Wat Pha Lat - Walk trough the jungle to the secluded waterfall temple.
• Mae Hong Son Loop - might be the new Ha Giang Loop in Northern Thailand, going through Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.

Food

• Fern Forest Cafe
  You must go to Fern Forest Cafe, this was my favourite place in Chiang Mai and I ate here every morning! It is next door to The Common Hostel, so I couldn’t resist it. The food here is incredible, I had all kinds of dishes from brunch to pastries to traditional Thai dishes and curry’s, and everything I ate was delicious! Highly recommend popping in here.

• Dash Restaurant and Bar (middle picture)
  Another delicious restaurant you need to visit, we had a variety of dishes that we shared and it was so good and the portions were really generous!
• Kao Soy Nimman (first picture)
  A highly recommended restaurant, renowned for serving khao soi, which is a traditional Northern Thailand coconut curry noodle soup.
• Rincome Night Market (last picture)
• Chiang Mai Night Market

Overall, you definitely need to add Chiang Mai to your Thailand itinerary. It is such a fun and sociable place, so you can meet a lot of other backpackers. It also has the perfect mix of culture and history, with street food, bars and busy nightlife.