WHERE TO STAY & HANGOUT IN CHIANGMAI

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Holiday Inn Chiang Mai - 526 rooms (44 suites)
318/1 Chiang Mai- Lampoon Road, 5000, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Once was Westin. At first, the slick high-rise on the Ping River may seem out of place in this city of ancient temples, but once you stay here, you will easily be reconciled to the stylistic incongruity. As the Second City of the country, Chiang Mai had long deserved an international luxury hotel with all the frills. Surrounded by bucoloc fields and the lazing river, this 20th-century emporium is all latest glitz inside: crystal lusters, valuable marble and fine silk.
Holiday Inn Chiangmai is the city's most spacious, comfortable escape for business and leisure. Whether sightseeing, shopping or hosting a business conference, seminar or banquet, Holiday Inn Chiangmai offers the most professional, friendly and relaxed setting that will exceed your every expectation.

Holiday Inn Chiangmai is a five minute drive from Chiangmai International Airport. With over 30 daily flights operating to and from Bangkok, Thailand’s capital is only 55 minutes away. There are several direct flights between Chiangmai and other major cities in Asia, firmly establishing it as Thailand’s second largest city.

The Resort

Four Seasons Resort - 70 pavilions
Mae Rim-Samoeng Old Rd. Chiang Mai
Formerly the Regent Chiang Mai.
Why does everyone always wish fro a desert island as an ultimate retreat from life's realities? Come to where the solitude is, and the beauty, and the style, and the charm, and, and, and.. Where early morning mists rise to unveil jungle-covered peaks surrounding the verdant Mae Rim Valley and beautifully designed rice fields with lily ponds and where the sun sets over artistically arranged stilted teak pavilions in traditional Lanna style and the leisurely luxuries of a better world. An hour's flight from Bangkok and a short drive north-wards from the 'New City' you will enter this pastoral enclave where the distant trumpeting of an elephant may herald your arrival and the tangible warmth of the gentlest people on earth definitely embraces you throughout your stay. Life in this lush tropical private hamlet is completely laid back. Tennis, golf, lazing around the landscaped terrace pool will make you forget about the desert island altogether.

The Business Lunch
The Gallery
25-29 Charoenrat Road
Cuisine: Thai
A serious gallery full of the most famous local artists' chefs d'oeuvre turned into a serious restaurant serving traditional Thai dishes from various parts of the country, even compromising a little with its faithful Western fans. An expansive dinner in the little Chinese shophouse or just a bottle of wine under an old tree on the banks of Ping River is a real 'epreuve d'artiste'

The Social Dinner
Le Coq D'or
68/1 Koh Klang Road, Nong Hoi
Cuisine: French/International
memories of Parc des Eaux-Vives in Geneva: manicured lawns, properly placed trees, little lanterns leading the way to a quaint chalet with French windows and warm hospitality. The expectation of good food, good wine, and proper service is not disappointed, either, Proprietor-chef Alan Telfer knows the art of a cheese souffle.

Romantic Dinner
Chec John (Coq Au Rico)
18/1 Airport Road.
Cuisine: International
French-Swish Khun John is a culinary jack of all trades. After more than a decade at the Coq d'Or he has set up his own one-man-show in a dining room evoking a Mediterranean taverna. In his tranquil villa near the airport, the maestro welcomes you personally to his charming home from home and concocts Franco-Italian specialties, presented by the pretty staff, himself.

The Thai
Baan Suan
51/3 km 2 Chiang Mai-Sankampaeng Road, Moo 1
Even an odyssey to the converted teakwood barns scattered across the expansive park would be worth the journey. The restaurant owner, a professor of Thai architecture, guarantees the authenticity of the setting. Reserve a table inside or dine al fresco on moo tung, sai a and other spicy Northern specialties with a cooling fresh-fruit salad and exotic ice cream for desert.

The Show Place
Sawai Rieng
308 Moo 1, Nong Pheung Soi 8
Cuisine: Thai
You may feel disoriented as you approach the bumpy track leading off the old Lamphun road. Partly floating on the shores of a small lake the rickety restaurant, owned by an artistic eccentric, offers a picturesque rustic setting. AS you are appeased by the view and the Northern and Central Thai specialties you will be caught up at last in the mood of the real Chiang mai

Nightlife

So you're scoured the Night Market and sat though a dinner-and-dance show at the Cultural Center or Khum Kaew Palace. No Patpong up here, so settle for the hotel bars and clubs. Docile amusement is a hit at the Westin's Stars and the Dusit's Music Room, a little livelier pace reached at the Orchid's downstairs Club 77. Real exuberance is roused at the Pornping Tower's Bubbles and at the old-times Old West on Huay Kaew Road. Or venture to The Riverside near The Gallery for live music before ending up at T's Tavern.

Shopping

Handicrafts - Lanna Thai lacquerware, bronzeware, silverware, jade, embroidery, and teak furniture - are by themselves a reason to travel to Chiang Mai, and to the village-suburb of Borsang for a kaleidoscope of hand-painted umbrellas as art. The Night Market (6 pm to midnight) is the bazzar of folks and folklore, the galleries Gong Dee and Oriental Style the place for serious art. Gold-plated orchids shine at the Royal Orchid Collection, celadon and Benarong pottery at Prempracha's Collection.

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CHIANG MAI SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

The Sights

The city's temples:

Wat Phra Singh (1345) - Lanna-style masterpiece. Wat Phra Singh is easy to visit as it is right in the center of Chiang Mai city, located on the corner of Singharat and Ratchadamnoen Rd road. Wat Phra Singh was built inside the old city walls at a time when Chiang Mai was the capital of the northern Thai Lanna or Lan Na kingdom. The wat was originally built in 1345. It may have simply been a stupa erected by a king (and descendant of the great Mangrai) to honour his father. The stupa still stands, but most of the buildings you see on the site today are of much more recent vintage. There are three main buildings, namely the Stupa, Viharn Lai Kam, and Haw Trai.

Wat Chiang Man - built by the city's founder, King Mengrai. Located within the walls of the old city, near the Chang Puak gate, Chiang Man is the oldest temple in Chiang Mai. It was supposedly built by the founder of the city 700 years ago, King Mengrai, on the spot where he stayed while planning his new capital. It's a small temple, and not on the main tourist trail, but it was important for quite some time.
Getting There: Wat Chiang Man is on Ratchaphakhinai Road near where it intersects Sri Phum Road, which runs just inside the moat along the north wall of the old city. The closest "landmark" to Wat Chiang Man is the Thai Airways office on Phrapokklao Road. Walk down the small street next to the office and turn left at the next main street. The temple will be on your left.

Wat Chedi Luang (1401) - Wat Chedi Luang must have been the most impressive temple in Chiang Mai. Built about 600 years ago, the huge chedi which gave the temple its name (the name of the temple translates to "royal pagoda") must have soared high above the surrounding city.
Getting There: Wat Chedi Luang is on Prapokklao Road which runs roughly through the north-south center line of the old city, from Changpuak Gate to Chaing Mai Gate. The temple is just a short walk south of the intersection with the main east-west Ratchadamnoen Road.

Wat Suan Dok - burial-place of local nobles. The 14th century temple of Wat Suan Dok is located just west of the old city walls on Suthep Road, just off the airport road. The temple was built by King Keu Na of Lanna for a revered priest visiting from Sukhothai as a place for the monk to spend the rains retreat. The name of the temple roughly translates to "field of flowers." There are dozens and dozens of small white chedi, about three metres (10 feet) to six metres (20 feet) high. These house the ashes of many of the Chiang Mai Royal Family but the largest one, just to the south, a Buddhist relic chedi.
Getting There: Wat Suan Dok is located on Suthep road, next to the Hill Tribe Products Promotion Center


Chang Klan & Loi Kroa Night Market - is one of the highlights of any trip to Chiang Mai, and is a paradise for bargain hunters, shoppers, and anyone looking for a deal on Thai handicrafts, spices, cheap T-shirts, and dozens of other items. Many shops and stalls remain open throughout the day and evening, especially along Chang Klan Road. The Anusarn section closes at 10pm, so if you want a chance to browse through some of the best deals, come early.

Galae House Museum - Lanna domestic trivia;
Wua Lao - silversmiths' workshops;
Borsang - local handicrafts;

Excursions

Wat Doi Suthep (12km/7.5 miles) - for the famous naga staircase and view
Chiang Dao - working elephants by the Ping River
Mae Sa Valley - more elephants, orchids, butterflies, views
Lumphun (26km/16 miles) - ancient capital
Hilltribe villages
Chiang Rai
Golden Triangle
Mae Hong Son

Sports

Golf at the Lanna Golf Course

Annual events

Borsang Umbrella Fair (Jan)
Luang Wiang Lakhon (Feb) - Procession of Buddha images through the streets of Lampang
Flower Festival (Feb) - Procession of floats
Maha Puja (Feb/Mar) - Buddhist ceremony at temples throughout the country
Songkran (Apr) - a wet start to the Thai New Year
Visakha Puja (May) - merit-making at Doi Suthep monastery
Lychee Fair (May) - in Chiang Rai
Longan Fair (Aug) - at Lamphun
Chinese Moon Festival (Sep) - with moon cakes
Loi Krathong (Nov)
Sun flower Fair (Nov) - at Mae Hong Son

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* Chiang Mai sights & Attractions
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CHIANG MAI -Thailand

Population: 500,000

Area Code: (66) 53
Chiang Mai is less worldly, and takes itself less seriously, than the 'City of Angels'. Even its name, the 'New City', belies its long independent history as the capital of the Lanna Kingdom, the 'Land of a Million Rice Fields'. Cradled between the mountains and the Mekong river and separated from the Central Plains by dense jungle, it took the arrival of the railway to end seven centuries of isolation interrupted mainly by marauding Burmese and Siamese armies. Chiang Mai's cool climate and exuberant Songkran Festival have made it a favorite dry-season refuge for Bangkokians ever since. Of late, the tickle of holidaymakers has been swollen by a tidal wave of businessmen and investor whose factories seem about to engulf the tranquil teak houses. Long a trading center for local rice farmers. Chiang Mai's industry reminds mostly on a small scale even today. The outlying villages eke out an existence with cottage-style handicrafts: silk weaving, lacquerware, wood carving, silverware, ceramics and umbrellas. Adding an aura of mystery are the Hill Tribe women from the secret valleys along the Burmese border. Chiang Mai rewards the exploring visitor with corners of exquisite beauty. Tiered wooden temples with carved gables and airy pavilions line the dusty streets. nearby are flower gardens, waterfalls, misty hilltops, and Doi Suthep, the city's magic mountain. And everywhere you are greeted by the winning of the nation's pretties girls.

How to get there

By Bus - The 10-hour journey from Bangkok can be made on air-conditioned coaches and non-air-conditioned buses originating from the Northern Bus Terminal on Bangkok's Kamphaeng Phet 2 Road.

By Air- Thai Airways operates daily flights from Bangkok and other northern Thai cities.

By Rail - The State Railways of Thailand operates daily services from Bangkok's Hualamphong Railway Station, including a popular overnight sleeper.

* Thailand
* Chiang Mai
* Chiang Mai sights & Attractions
* Where to stay and Hangout