Chiang Mai, means "new city" , was founded in 1296 by King Mengrai as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom. The city was surrounded by a moat, and a wall for protection. Despite that, the Lanna Kingdom was conquered by Burma in 1556,and the dynasty of the King was ended. It was not until 1774, when Thai King Taksin captured it from the Burmese, and it became a part of Siam.
Today, Chiang Mai is the second largest city in Thailand, after Bangkok, and is the capital of the northern province of Chiang Mai. Parts of the moat and wall are still visible around the town center,which has four accessible gates. Even though Chiang Mai accounts for more than half of the population of the province, it has a small town feeling,but with many attractions to see and activities to do. It is a perfect spot for a vacation that combines fun,and adventure with rest and relaxation. From delicious food, beautiful temples, friendly people, many shops, pampering massages, cheap public transportation and many activities, Chiang Mai has it all. We have truly enjoyed visiting Chiang Mai, and our only regret is not spending more time there.
ThaPae,East wall gate in Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai is a very tourist friendly city; tour and travel agencies are literally at every corner. We always felt safe in Chiang Mai, and people were extremely kind and helpful. Cafes, restaurants(of many nationalities) and food vendors are everywhere as well, and we never had a bad experience. Fruit shakes are famous in Chiang Mai,maybe because of the abundance of fresh and delicious fruits, and I highly recommend trying the fresh fruit shakes while in Chiang Mai. We loved mango shakes. Watermelon, papaya, coconut and orange are other examples of refreshing shakes one can have in Chiang Mai, all for $1 or less.
Mango ice cream served in a coconut,yum!
Chiang Mai is a very walkable city, for those willing and able.But there are many transportation options as well. We saw many places that rented out mopeds, which would be fun around the city, but I was not brave enough I suppose. Public transportations include Tuk Tuks, and taxis. Tuk Tuks are very noisy, and the passengers(and driver) are breathing exhaust fumes from the Tuk Tuk itself and traffic the whole time. They are fun for short trips around Chiang Mai though, we rode them couple times when we felt lazy and/or hot to walk. Taxis in Chiang Mai are cute too, they are trucks,red around town, and the passengers sit in the back. Both Tuk Tuks and taxis in Chiang Mai don't have meters, and prices should be agreed upon beforehand. Typically, Tuk Tuks charge 50 Baht(about $1.30) for in town transportation, and taxis charge around 100 Baht.
Tuk Tuks in Chiang Mai
Taxi in Chiang Mai
The Night Bazaar is one of the main attractions in Chiang Mai, and a great place to shop for souvenirs and such things. It is also a great spot to eat, and get a much needed foot massage. Right there on the streets, there are many reclining chairs set up,where one can lay down and enjoy a one hour foot, neck,head and shoulder massage from friendly Thai ladies for 120 baht(less than $4). We especially enjoyed these massages!
Bill enjoying a foot massage at the Night Bazaar
Tom Yum Soup at the Night Bazaar
Among the many attractions in Chiang Mai, one can't ignore the decorative temples that adorn the city. There are 350 temples in Chiang Mai, some of them are as old as the city,which celebrated its 700th anniversary in 1996.We enjoyed visiting many of them, and even though there are many similarities, each one of them is unique in many ways.I will write about some of the temples we visited in future posts.
Ping river in Chiang Mai
We mainly spent our four days in Chiang Mai, eating, getting massages, visiting temples and exploring the beautiful city. It was a great start to a fantastic vacation in Thailand!
Comments (6)
Hi Candi, great post! I enjoyed learning more about Chiang Mai. I don't blame you for having a lot of those fruit shakes, they look really delicious and so decorative. And I must say what a fabulous idea to have these foot massages! After all the walking around I'm sure it was a great treat!
I enjoyed all the great photos too. I'm looking forward to your posts on the temples!
Thank you again and have a great weekend!
Posted by Kathy (Trekcapri) | June 5, 2009 6:20 AM
Posted on June 5, 2009 06:20
Love how you captured the reflections in that river photo! It would be fun to get a massage right there on the street. And the food looks wonderful. You are making me really want to go to Chiang Mai!
Posted by Annie | June 5, 2009 11:08 AM
Posted on June 5, 2009 11:08
I have never seen any photos of Chaing Mai before. It sounds like a wonderful place to spend time in. I was surprised at the taxi photo. Looks like a truck! The food looks wonderful and what a treat to et massages at night. Can't wait to read more about your trip and see more photos!
Posted by girasoli | June 7, 2009 1:36 AM
Posted on June 7, 2009 01:36
Fabulous photos, Candi! What a great dies to have a foot massage after walking all day long. It must have been a glorious thing. I’m drooling over the mango ice cream in the coconut and the soup.
Posted by María I. | June 7, 2009 12:04 PM
Posted on June 7, 2009 12:04
Thanks for the comments everyone!
girasoli, they are trucks, but that is what they use for taxis in Chiang Mai.
Posted by candi | June 8, 2009 1:13 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 13:13
It is somewhat unexpectedto see such quality on blogs in the industry cool to see
Posted by Farah Hinman | April 15, 2010 9:35 PM
Posted on April 15, 2010 21:35