Chiang Mai is a wonderland of natural beauty and cultural diversity

Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

Shangri-la Chiang Mai

The Chedi Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai map   

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The bustling region of Chiang Mai, Thailand has something for every traveller’s style. Enjoy the chance to take an elephant-back safari or a relaxing cruise down the rural Mae Ping River. The very same day, you can exercise your bargaining skills at the Night Bazaar or your legs on the famous Naga Staircase. There is so much to do in Chiang Mai that no matter how long you stay, you’ll always leave wishing for just one more day.

Relics of Lord Buddha are protected within the inner sanctum of the elegant pagoda at Wat Pra Thart Doi Suthep, a major Buddhist pilgrimage site. When the sun rises on the ornate, golden architecture of this sacred temple, and glints off the glass tips of a gilt lotus, it dazzles with the brilliance of the Buddha himself. Legend has it that a wise elephant chose the resplendent but remote site, which clings to the side of a forested mountain. Here, the souls of ancestors are thought to reside.

In Chiang Mai, watch elephants move logs as if they were matchsticks and perform other amazing feats of strength at the Pong Yang Elephant Training Camp. Along the way, you can take in the refreshing Mae Sa Waterfalls, a snake farm, and even a Butterfly and Orchid farm. Then go from the sublime to the delicious as you enjoy a traditional Kantoke dinner, complete with Thai dance show.

Not to be missed are the bronze sculptures at Anusawari Sam Kasat. These portrayals of kings in ancient costume are a shrine for locals, who leave resplendent floral offerings at their feet. The Devi Mandir, a Hindu temple to the mother-like goddess Devi, houses the eclectic, mysterious, and colourful sculptures of this ancient religion, and reveals Chiang Mai to be a city of immeasurable diversity. The Matsayit mosque and Namdhari Sikh temple are additional architectural wonders of ever-surprising Chiang Mai. And, while sightseeing, don’t miss Wat Bupparam, where whimsical figures and mythical creatures frolic in a sacred sculpture garden. Finally, intrepid adventurers may even choose to venture as far as Talat San Pakoy, a colourful locals’ market, where clothing, wares, and the fascinating soundscape of Thailand’s bustling daily life provide a lush backdrop to any holiday.

Boasting more than 300 temples, Chiang Mai is the perfect combination of a quaint historical city and an active modern metropolis. In addition to a wealth of historical and cultural artefacts, visitors here enjoy a stylish atmosphere that includes unparalleled boutique shopping, spa amenities, and hip hot-spots. Chiang Mai resorts are known to be some of the best in Thailand and never fail to offer the courteous, smiling service for which Thailand is so well known.