bm's in chiang mai

[steve w]

so.do many bm's visit C.M.,i have been twice and think that the central old city is great,great shopping,good very cheap accom. some nice hello welcome bars great food.Also a few miles out of town you get into real rural thailand,plus if you are pretty fit(not like me )you can get into all that jungle hiking.Theres also direct flights from phuket for about 4000bht.so get yourselves up there a totally different culture up there

[Nicke]

I havent been there yet but thinking of doing visa run in the north and explore Chiang Mai. Many people told me it is very beautiful.

I have read about some places just outside Chiang Mai, very different places well worth a visit, according to these articles.

[steve@thaib]

I had a good trip to Chiang Mai, you can be at the Myanmar border in around three hours. The market just over the border is incredible, and Chiang Mai itself has a great night market if that sort of thing floats your boat.

The whole Golden Triangle thing is cool, though the area itself is mosquito heaven and I got well savaged up there.

It was a couple of years back, but I found the nightlife to be extremely average; maybe it is better now?

[steve@thaib]

It's not all I'm interested in, but when I have done gawping at elephants and jungle all day, I would quite like a party to attend and some girls to gawp at

[Jonas]

Originally Posted by Bono

I have been in cm many times, and if your only looking for nightlife, then dont go to cm

and why have you go to CM .....

[slimbag]

I stayed 2 days in Chiang Mai, found it boring as hell ..

[Jonas]

Thats a good resond !!! I belived something else ...

I have to say your parants make a good choice and you can be lucky to
go visit them in cm ......my parants choose Spain and how fun is that ??

and now i also understand how you can make 11 trips in 4 years
Free tickets is good ....

[The Mook]

I have been here. I spent a week there Nov. 2004. Great little city. The pace is slower, the people are nicer and the city's size make it walkable. Everything is cheaper in CM than it is in Phuket, Bangkok or even Rayong/Pattaya. You feel closer to Thai culture when in CM, and that's the allure for me. You can also take about a dozend very fun day trips to CM surrounding areas. Worth every baht, regardless of price. A must: take an overnight hike to a hilltribe village. You will not regret it. MOOK

[Robo(sydney)]

I spent 5 days with 2 of my mates...Get your self a bike(motor) and ride up to the temple on the mountain via the Zoo...great day....
Also went on jungle tour...it was excellent...went through some old towns and villages...shame when we reached the most remote village(45 min hike)..
They had Pepsi as a refreshment...I would have settled for water from the local well...
Anyways a must do..

[butterflyblonde]

Originally Posted by Robo(sydney)

I spent 5 days with 2 of my mates...Get your self a bike(motor) and ride up to the temple on the mountain via the Zoo...great day....
Also went on jungle tour...it was excellent...went through some old towns and villages...shame when we reached the most remote village(45 min hike)..
They had Pepsi as a refreshment...I would have settled for water from the local well...
Anyways a must do..

I also enjoyed some of the same things, like others have said, Chiang mai is not a place to go if you are only looking for nightlife, but it does have beer bars, agogo and discos, plenty of cool bars to hang out at too.
Like the Phi Phi islands, it's a place where it will be a smarter move to take a girl with you rather than just look when you get there, there's always a s/t option on the side...like I did.

The price of everything impressed me the most, I met an expat on the way over from heathrow with his thai wife who told me a lot of expats in the south end up moving to Chiang mai and I can see why, a lot more affordable to live than most other places in los.

I aslo visited the temple you write about - Doi Suthep, very impressive and one of the finest looking temples I have seen. I don't think I would ride a bike up there though as it's so high up and the roads twisty as hell. Actually felt a little bit of altitude sickness on the way up as the air was getting thin. You were brave to ride I have to say. Can get a Songtaew for 200 baht each way.

When you get out of the city and do some of the tours, that's when the place really shines, breathtaking beauty and well worth signing up for a few different things, 1 of the tours I did only cost 900 baht for the day, elephant ride and show, rafting, riding and ox cart and a visit to the butterfly/orchid farm,with buffet lunch included of course.

I thought that was very good value as in other places in los I can think of I don't think you would pay that price for the same thing.
I also saw another trip with absailing, mountain biking and white water rafting + a couple of other things for 1,500 for the day, looked like a good deal and something I will do next time.

But for anyone wanting to try CM, try to go at festival time, either Songkran or Loy Kratong, this is when the place really stands out and comes alive, not tried the songkran but I heard many times from the locals that it is buzzing just the same as Loy Kratong.

The atmosphere for Loy Kratong was simply fantastic and difficult to describe but you could just feel it in the air on arrival. I loved it and will be back next Loy Kratong for definate.

I agree also that the best place to stay is in the Old city, I was in the Montri hotel which was a superb location and a reasonable rate at 700 baht per night, I have their email and phone# for anyone interested.

[mars]

Had 3 days In Chaing Mai last month and 3 days in Chaing Rai and had a great time.

Did the same tour as butterflyblonde, elephant trek ox ride and rafting a great day out.

Thinking of doing the trip again sometime.

[nelsonone]

Below is a post I made on BFB's Report on his trip up to Chiang mai and this area.........I was just wondering if anyone else has had this experience up this way

Great report again BFB...........I love it up around Chiang Mai too...........but my favourite place up that way is Mae Hong Son......did you visit?????........it's kind of like a little shangri la.....set in the mountains right on the border with Myanmar......with the most fantastic monastery/temple smack dab in the centre of the town.........the Karon people have their village nearby and these are the people whose women place the high rings around their knecks.........it's a wonderful place to visit......but a little surreal...........people sitting on their porches playing bad home made guitars and watching TV's hooked up to car batteries......

I Highly recommend it to anyone who makes it up that way.........

[sandymellis]

I am in Chiang Mai for 5 nights from 2nd - 7th April with the missus before heading down to Patong.....I'm counting down the days