Chiang Mai - 3.5 days
 

We have 3.5 days in Chiang Mai and will spend 1 day in a cooking course, and 1 day looking around at various Wat's around Chiang Mai.

Is there anything else that you can recommend we should do around the area? I considered the Elephant Camp, but we're really not excited with that idea (having had our elephant fill in India). Are there any other interesting places we can visit for a day trip, maybe?

Thanks!

If you're interested in shopping, there are many destiantions in Chiang mai that can provide better bargains than in BKK. There are numerous silk, Celadon and wood carving shops. This caneasily fillup a whole day. I'm not a fan of the night market, but many on this forum have said the Sunday walking market is very good.

My initial reason for visiting Cm a couple of years ago was to do a cookery school. We did it thru chiangmaicookery school (at Sompons house) it was FANTASIC and a bargain well worth doing

Thanks for the replies.
One of the reasons I wanted to go to Chiang Mai (at least initially) was for the cooking class (which we're doing at A Lot of Thai).

Gpanda, we're not big shopping fans so mostly just a painting/carving for the house will satisfy us I think.

We're more into photography and learning about the place/culture.

rahulm, if you're still considering a cooking class, I cannot recommend enough using Kao Hom (http://www.kaohom.com) We explored a bunch of options last year...and it ended up being one of the best surprises on our trip.

The woman who runs it is a somewhat famous chef in her own right up north and she (Kanchana) truly made our experience unique, personalized, educational and fun.

The grounds of the school are beautiful, her garden is full of amazing vegetables and herbs, the outdoor kitchen is charming and you'll cook some of the best food you'll taste on your entire trip.

Good luck and happy travels!

filmwill

We already booked our class with A Lot of Thai. Someone here recommended it a while ago when we initially chose to go to Chiang Mai.

Thanks for the recommendation though!

For photography/culture you might consider a look around Wiang Kum Kam, an old satellite city of Chiang Mai that was buried when the Ping River changed course and only recently re-discovered. It's no Angkor complex by any stretch of the imagination, but there are a few interesting sights. The main method for getting around the complex is either by horse-drawn carriage or bicycle, which adds to the charm.

A day trip to Lamphun or Lampang can also be interesting. The fortress-like Lampang Luang temple is particularly interesting.