A short trip to Chiangmai
I went to Chiang Mai for only three days about two weeks ago, but I enjoyed this visit more than many longer trips I have made there. It was a short trip to Chiangmai that made a lasting impression.
Chiang Mai has a special place in my history with Thailand. It was the second Thai city I ever visited. I arrived in Thailand in 2004 (Bangkok), and only four or five days later, I was already in Chiang Mai. I knew almost nothing about Thailand at the time.
A short trip to Chiangmai: A Memorable Experience
During that first trip, I visited Doi Suthep, saw elephants and did a rade. I tried bamboo rafting and walked around the city experimenting with every unfamiliar food, museum and activity I found. Everything felt new.
I returned around 2006 with Anuban Nakhon Ratchasima, the school where I worked. We visited Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai. After that, I returned several times for work and other reasons. In total, I have probably visited Chiang Mai about ten times.
Still, this latest visit felt different.
First piece of advice: fly. I have friends who did it in buses to save 500 or 1,000 baht. It doesn’t worth it.
Chiang Mai is far from Bangkok and even farther from many parts of Isaan. Unless the road trip itself is part of your holiday, spending eight or ten hours on a bus drains a full day from a short visit. A flight takes around one hour. If you book at the right time, I would budget roughly 1,000 to 1,500 baht each way. Three days in Chiang Mai should be spent in Chiang Mai, not studying the seat in front of you. This time, I flew from Hua Hin directly to Chiangmai. Air Asia has 4 flights a week.
This time, I stayed directly inside the Old City at the Experience Walking Street Chiang Mai. I paid around 1,000 baht per night. The hotel was clean, comfortable and extremely well located. Wat Chedi Luang was about three minutes away on foot. Sunday, for the night market, you will be delighted with this location.
📍 Hotel:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=The+Experience+Walking+Street+Chiang+Mai
For a short visit, staying inside the Old City is perfect. Temples, restaurants, cafés, bars and the Sunday market are all within walking distance. No need to spend half the holiday negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers.
I was also there on a Sunday, which was a very good decision. Thailand has markets everywhere. After 22 years here, I am not easily impressed by another row of elephant trousers and grilled sausages. But the Chiang Mai Sunday Walking Street was one of the best markets I have visited.
It runs through the Old City along Ratchadamnoen Road, starting near Tha Phae Gate. There is food, art, live music, handicrafts and many items made by local artists. Go before 6 p.m. if you want room to walk. Later in the evening, the entire street becomes packed.
📍 Sunday Walking Street:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Chiang+Mai+Sunday+Walking+Street
Chiang Mai also has an excellent small live-music scene. I went to two or three bars on two consecutive nights. The most famous is North Gate Jazz Co-Op. The place gets ridiculously crowded, but the musicians are very good. Even standing outside with half the street is part of the experience.
📍 North Gate Jazz Co-Op:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=North+Gate+Jazz+Co-Op+Chiang+Mai
And yes, you must eat Khao Soi.
But do not assume the most famous restaurant on TikTok serves the best bowl. Ask local people where they go. Look for a small restaurant where the chairs do not match and nobody appears interested in social media. The best Khao Soi is often cheap, simple and made by someone who has been cooking the same recipe for 30 years.
I ate Khao Soi more than once. This was research!
I also visited Wat Chedi Luang, one of Chiang Mai’s most impressive temples. Its enormous, partially ruined chedi sits right in the middle of the Old City. Chiang Mai has hundreds of temples, but if you only have time for one or two, this one deserves a visit.
📍 Wat Chedi Luang:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Wat+Chedi+Luang+Chiang+Mai
For a half-day outside the city, I booked a bamboo-rafting excursion through a local travel agency. I had done bamboo rafting during my first Chiang Mai trip more than 20 years ago. Back then, the experience was less organized, with people splashing water everywhere and nobody appearing completely sure where the raft would finish.
This time was calmer and better organized.
The tour cost around 900 baht. The price included transportation, lunch, approximately two hours on the river, and a stop at a waterfall. The entire excursion lasted around five or six hours. Considering the transport alone takes about one hour in each direction, the price was very reasonable.
📍 Mae Wang bamboo rafting area:
https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1&query=Mae+Wang+Bamboo+Rafting+Chiang+Mai
Chiang Mai feels different from most Thai cities. It is artistic, relaxed and full of small cafés, galleries, workshops, temples and live music. You could spend three days doing very little and still have an excellent trip.
This visit was not expensive. My hotel was around 1,000 baht per night, the rafting tour was 900 baht, local food was cheap, and most of the Old City was accessible on foot.
I enjoy going to the sea, whether Koh Chang, Koh Samet, Koh Lanta or Phuket. But a few days in Chiang Mai provide something completely different. I also like Chiang Rai very much, but this time Chiang Mai won.
After about ten visits and more than 20 years since my first bamboo raft, Chiang Mai still managed to surprise me. Not bad for a three-day trip. If you want a wine night, try CRU a small place with warm people, on a second floor. I loved the ambiance.
For anyone planning a visit, I have put more information here:
Chiang Mai guide:
https://www.sebastienbrousseau.com/chiang-mai-travel-guide/
Chiang Mai musical bars:
https://www.sebastienbrousseau.com/chiang-mai-nightlife-chiangmai-musical-bars/
Chiang Rai guide, if you want to continue farther north:
https://www.sebastienbrousseau.com/chiang-rai-travel-guide/
