Chiang Mai, the old capital city of northern Thailand, is a major tourist destination with many attractions, lots of shopping and many excellent hotels to chose from.

Hotels in Chiang Mai

With a population of more than 1 million in the metropolitan area, Chiang Mai is Thailand's fifth largest city. Visiting temples in Chiang Mai and historical sites in Sukhothai are the major cultural attractions of Northern Thailand. Wat Phrathat Doi Sutheb is a magnificent temple that overlooks Chiang Mai from its 1,072 meter elevation on the slopes of Doi Suthep. It is famous for its large gold-plated chedi and is a symbol of Chiang Mai.

Many people also visit the Golden Triangle on a day trip from Chiang Mai, on the way you can visit the hill tribes living in the area, particularly popular are those villages inhabited by the famous long-necked Karen women. Once you reach the Golden Triangle where the Mekong River separates Thailand, Laos and Myanmar, it is possible to cross over to Laos and Myanmar for the day without a visa.

Elephant rides are also a popular activity while in Chiang Mai. There are several Elephant Camps near the city, some of the camps are established as sanctuaries for rescued and distressed elephants, you can watch an elephant show and go on an elephant ride.

The easiest way to get to Chiang Mai from Bangkok is by flight. It takes a little more than one hour, and there are plenty of flights each day. There are also direct flights between Chiang Mai and Phuket as well as other destinations in Thailand, also there some international flights connecting Chiang Mai. Some people prefer to take the train between Bangkok and Chiang Mai, it is cheaper but takes about 10 hours, and mostly run at night, so there is not much of a chance to see anything on the way, except railway stations when the train stops.