Chaing Mai, the second biggest city in Thailand however definitely not the second-best! Chiang Mai has the buzz of city life but without the isolated feeling of Bangkok. There’s so much to do in a close proximity, the people are so welcoming and the weekend night markets are incomparable, which makes this city number 1 on the places in Asia I could see myself living. In fact, I actually spent 3 weeks in this province! So, what is there actually to do? Chiang Mai is all about jungles and culture which is what makes it so different from the South. This is the place to see rescued elephants in their most natural habitat and to visit the most spectacular temples.

Here are my top recommendations for Chiang Mai:

1. Elephant Nature Park

ENP Chiang Mai is one of the main reasons I have kept coming, and will continue to come, back to Thailand. This is one of the only ethical elephant rescue parks across SE Asia and the Save The Elephant Foundation does so much to help eliminate negative tourism of these amazing animals.

So what does your visit to ENP look like? You can either go for a day trip, 2 days 1 night or do a whole week of volunteering like I did. With this you’ll get accommodation (with mosquito nets of course), three buffet meals a day and an experience like you’ve never imagined. ENP work tirelessly to rescue elephants and provide them with a habitat most like they would have in the wild. The park also have thousands of rescue dogs, cats, buffalo and so they are constantly expanding to meet the needs of all their animals. As part of the volunteer programme you’ll be helping with everything from feeding, cleaning and maintenance in the park and then your evenings you’ll have to socialise with your group. This is number 1 on the list for a reason, it is the most rewarding experience and if you get the chance to listen to Lek’s story, you will be so inspired.

visit their website

2. Sticky Waterfall

How can a waterfall be sticky? Can you climb it? Is that safe? All questions I had before I visited this weird and wonderful attraction. An hour tuktuk drive into the jungle, Sticky Waterfall is definitely worth a visit. It is like nothing you’ll ever experience, there are a few different waterfalls to climb, all of the same structure, so I would suggest leaving your shoes at the top, walking all the way to the bottom waterfall and off you go.

The waterfall is made of porous rocks which mean your feet easily grip to it, allowing you to walk up through the water. Some areas have ropes to help you but you can pretty much climb the whole way safely without anything but your hands and feet, watch out for the green algae though as I did end up falling in a few times! This is a great activity for a hot, sticky day and I would suggest getting a group together from your hostel to make the tuktuk cheaper (and so they can take some cool pictures of you!).

3. Weekend Night Markets

You HAVE to be in Chiang Mai on the weekend! The Saturday and Sunday night markets are full with hundreds of stalls offering some of the best crafts, gifts and food that Northern Thailand has to offer and the best part, its so cheap! A real bonus of Northern Thailand is that its so much cheaper than the South, and this means you can try something from every stall you like whilst still keeping to the budget!

Chiang Mai Old Town appears on the map as a square of roads and it is about a 20/25 minute walk to cross this area in any direction. This is perfect as you are able to see all of the hidden gems in a short walk and the best market is located right across the centre. I would suggest allowing 2-3 hours to walk through the market from about 6-9pm.

4. The Monk Trail

One of the most challenging parts of the trip has to be this trail. With little information about what was ahead of us, we set off to the Mueang region on the west of Chiang Mai in search of the Doi Suthep temple (photo on the left). This hike is definitely worth it to get to see this amazing temple however be prepared for lots of water breaks because it takes a tough 1-2 hours to reach the top.

Get a tuktuk from the old town of Chiang Mai to Wat Phi Lat, the first temple. After exploring there, find your way behind the temple and up the small steep path which will lead you to the main road. Its no more than 100 meters to the left, up the main road, before you have to cross over and begin the uphill climb. Begin at the vertical muddy hill and keep heading up, not necessarily on a path, until you come across the road again. By now you are only a 20 minute walk either up the road or through the houses to the temple. At the top you will find refreshments, small stalls and of course the temple. This is where I received my monk bracelet which gave me good luck throughout the whole trip!

TIP: don’t forget to pack your long trousers and shirt so you can go inside the temple.

5. Doi Inthanon National Park

Take a tour to Doi Inthanon National Park either by yourself on a scooter or through a group tour like I did. I’m very glad i chose this option as many of the roads around these attractions are small, winding and uphill, scary for a first time scooter user! This tour took us to waterfalls, on a hike through the jungle, into rice fields, to the home of the Karen Tribe, to the King and Queen Pagoda’s and to the highest point in Thailand!

I would definitely recommend this trip to anyone staying in Chiang Mai. You get to experience lots of culture and gain lots of information from the guide whilst being outside and hiking. We stopped at 2 waterfalls, one of which you could swim in, and walked through miles of rice fields before sharing local tea with the Karen Tribe and learning about their lifestyle. We finished the day at the freezing cold, highest point in Thailand so remember to pack a jumper! Definitely a tour to remember!

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