Wiang Kum Kam

Wiang Kum Kam Review

When King Mengrai decided to build his capital on the Ping River, he chose a site a few miles south of present-day Chiang Mai. He selected a low-lying stretch of land, but soon realized the folly of his choice when the river flooded during the rainy seasons. Eight years after establishing Wiang Kum Kam, he moved to higher ground and began work on Chiang Mai. Wiang Kum Kam is now being excavated, and archaeologists have been amazed to uncover a cluster of buildings almost as large as Chiang Mai's Old City.

Chiangmai Cattleya Tour & Travel Services (Hillside Plaza & Condotel, 4th floor, 50-53 Huay Kaew Rd. 053/223991 or 089/8500-6919) offers morning and afternoon bus tours for B750.

You can also travel there as the locals did for centuries-by boat. Wiang Kum Kam Tours (073/252873 or 081/885-0663) pick you up at your hotel for the 20-minute river cruise to the site's nearest jetty, where a horse-drawn carriage awaits to complete the journey. There are four cruises a day. Reservations are essential.