Chiang Mai is slowly becoming the better-travelled gem of Northern Thailand with an Old Town which glints as the sun beams throughout the day. The Old Town square used to be surrounded by walls and moats, protecting the inner city. Now, Chiang Mai Old Town is home to over 300 Wats dotted around the city. Further afield from Old Town, Chiang Mai’s terrain is comprised of the greenest, slightly cooler, jungles and mountains, also home to Thailand’s Northern tribes.
March is burning season in Northern Thailand which is known for its rice paddies but I would counter it is still worth visiting to truly experience all that the land has to offer. Tourism is generally centred around delivering the best possible experience of a country for travellers and some may steer clear of the north during this time but I am delighted I was able to witness this ritualistic ordinary life of Northern Thailand.
Transport: Walking counts…
Chiang Mai is arguably the most walkable city in Thailand and if you’re around Chiang Mai Old Town or just over the city ‘walls’ then you’re in luck. If you’re under time constraints, the Grab transport app will be your loyal companion. You can book Grab motorbikes, which are the quickest way to get around the city and you can pay by cash or card.
The best of Chiang Mai Food:
Soon, you’re going to become tired of my orders in Northern Thailand… I ordered plenty variations of Khao Soi…
Ran Joke Pa Lek
Nestled on Singharat Road, a few shopfronts down from The Common Hostel is Ran Joke Pa Lek and you’ll be forgiven for initially walking past without noticing this quaint street-side restaurant in Chiang Mai. The Pad Thai here was a perfect combination of crunchy and sweet. My other go-to order became the Panang Curry with rice; what starts as a mellow red curry paste soon grinds into a soft maroon depending on the level of spice. The curry is thick with sweetness and the sharp kick of spice which builds just enough after the first mouthful.
The elderly woman who owns the restaurant is so very sweet. She knows little English but will bring you her notepad and pen to write down what you want. She cooks traditionally and when I said moi phett (no chilli), she smiled and kindly told me that’s impossible but served the meal with a hint of spice… and plenty of chillies on the side! It costs around 35-60 Baht for a meal (76p – £1.31).
Garden Hotpot/Hotpot Panda
I dined here with two travellers I met on my Doi Inthanon trip in Chiang Mai. We met the proprietor who told us that most of the produce is grown in her mother’s garden. The local family-owned restaurant gives personal touches to all diners and is a stand-out place to eat.
I ordered a Khao Soi stir fry, usually a Northern Thai noodle soup, this was a stir fried variation comprising of citrusy lime chicken served on a bed of spring greens and thick noodles. We also had a side dish of the crunchiest delicately wrapped Thai spring rolls.
As generous perks, the proprietor served us her family’s typical northern-style soup they eat at home, revealing the trick of roasting the vegetables before adding them to the broth to ensure flavours are released and that the vegetable texture really comes through.
Three Kings Boat Noodle Restaurant
I devoured my first ever Khao Soi here, served with pork in a rich turmeric thickened broth. This is another street side restaurant where you can watch them cook and either sit by the kitchen or sit inside in the air-conditioned part of the restaurant (I opted for the latter on this occasion).
They also serve delicious Thai Tea… which is phenomenal if you’re a tea lover. I personally don’t drink much tea, nor can I consume too much dairy but I couldn’t let the opportunity pass me by, so I took a few sips.
I can imagine this would be the perfect thick treat for tea lovers, slightly spiced with star anise and cardamon.
It’s Good Kitchen
The Khao Soi at It’s Good Kitchen is in my top three, and they don’t hold back on the spice- I even asked for less spice and still found it fiery! The dish came served with chicken and the unique components of a Khao Soi; a thick rich coconut milk broth, crispy deep fried noodles adding a nutty and crunch layer along with cooked wheat-based egg noodles.
Sit on their leafy street-side veranda but be prepared to wait if tables are taken, the restaurant quickly became full over lunchtime, as it’s a hotspot for locals!
Coffee mention: Akha Ama Coffee
A few doors down from It’s Good Kitchen, climb the short steps to Akha Ama Coffee. The owners work with coffee farmers in Saw-Eh, a Northern Thailand village, located in Maetuen, Omkoi. Together they’re all passionate about locally-sourced, organic coffee production. I loved the architecture inside!
The best outstanding Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand activities:
Elephant Nature Park
A rescue park at its core, the Elephant Nature Park visit was a life changing experience for me in which I learnt about the various elephants rescued from certain trade fields such as ‘logging’. The park needs to pay to free the Asian Elephants, sometimes at an obscene cost which reaches the millions (Baht) at times. This is what your ticket money goes towards, as well as providing the facilities and food for them. Most of the guides here are in fact volunteers.
The elephant rescue and rehabilitation centre is founded by renowned elephant rights advocate, Saengduean Chailert, known by her nickname Lek. At the park you can learn more about Lek via your guide and also signage on the walls in the dining area.
This trip included walking through the fields, watching the elephants interact, from afar, strictly no-touching at the reserve. Many of these elephants bear injuries and scars from their trade work before the Elephant Nature Park re-homed them. There are a few young elephants with a cheeky nature and I had the pleasure of witnessing one try to get away from her aunt by rolling under a fence.
Book online: https://www.elephantnaturepark.org/
Zabb e Lee cooking school
Get ready to be completely knocked off your feet by your own cooking. The Zabb e Lee Cooking School is a phenomenal experience and I’m so grateful for the recommendation (and have since recommended it to everybody I’ve met in Thailand).
There are plenty of dishes to choose from and at Zabb E Lee you can cook five dishes, including mind-blowing Mango Sticky Rice.
You’ll be picked up from your accommodation, if you’re staying within the Old Town, and driven to the local grocery market. My guide talked us through the different vegetables we would be using in our dishes (which you can decide on prior to the activity).
The cooking school is around 14kms from Old Town, at an organic farm in Sarapi. Large bamboo huts and huge Masterchef-style kitchens were lying in wait for us!
I cooked crispy deep fried spring rolls, zesty Tom Yum Prawn Soup, sweet and tangy Chicken Pad Thai, thick and spicy Panang Curry, and the best dish to round-off a perfect evening, Mango Sticky Rice.
You will receive all recipes and guidance via an e-book at the end of class, so you can don that apron again when you get home!
Book online – they will WhatsApp you: https://zabb-elee-cooking.com/
Doi Inthanon National Park + Tribal Coffee Village
The Doi Inthanon National Park is a part of the Himalayan Mountain range and is also home to Doi Inthanon, the highest Mountain in Thailand. Unfortunately our tour didn’t take us on a hike through the National Park, but instead drove to the peak and to the waterfall. The peak itself isn’t a showstopper and has no views but the waterfall is beautiful, as are the local temples and garden where we stopped to explore.
My favourite part of the trip was a short, easy, trek through the forest to the White Karen hill tribe village and Hmong hill tribe market. Both hill tribes are famous for their coffee and we had the chance to sip medium and dark roasts as well as their specialty brewed tea. The coffee bean farm was an opium farm in a past life before the production and sale of opium was banned. The local tribe quickly adjusted and instead built a strong trade for coffee beans. Swapping out one addictive substance for another!
Go temple hopping in Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai has the most beautiful Buddhist Wats I saw in Thailand. I paced myself with going to different Wats, really taking in the architecture and their uniqueness to one another. Which means I didn’t cram all of the Wats but here’s a selection of my standouts:
- Lok Molee: My favourite in all of Thailand – it felt peaceful here!
- Chedi Luang: Must-see, beautiful carved elephants
- Sri Suphan – small cost (50 Baht) to enter the grounds… and women cannot enter the silver Wat which is the stand out. Worth seeing it from the outside, but yes, it stings that I couldn’t go inside. Never have I been so jealous of men…
- Phra That Doi Suthep: I didn’t make it here but it’s on my list for next time. This Wat offers a beautiful view of Doi Suthep mountain
Other mentions, off the beaten Chiang Mai track and on it:
- Walking Street Sunday food market
- Beautiful public parks in Chiang Mai for uninterrupted walks and working out
- Place to go out – Yellow Bar area (mainly attended by tourists and felt a little tacky – the toilet situation is dire)
- Best place to book a small passenger van/bus to Pai, four hour drive further North of Chiang Mai
- Best place to book transport to Chiang Rai to see the white temple
30-something traveller tips:
7. Pack a face mask to cover your mouth and nose for extra protection during burning season
8. Swap out your SIM card to a local sim, using your original WhatsApp number but also giving the Thai sim cad number when booking tours so that they can call you.
9. Don’t pack too much make-up… it is sweltering here
10. Take enough cash with you on all trips to tip local guides. 100 baht is a decent amount
Exploring Thailand? Check out this quick and easy guide to travelling Bangkok: www.citylivingcoastalloving.com/bangkok-thailand/
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