general questions about ChiangMai
 

Hi,
Can anyone tell me how far the following things are from the Sheraton Chiang Mai and what is the best way to get there ( maybe renting a driver for the day is best):

1. Wat Pra Sing
2.Wat Chedi Luang
3. Night bazaar
4. Wat Umong
5. Wat Prathat Doi Suthep
6.Wat Phra That & phuping Palace (Dot Bua Ha)

Thanks alot

Basically nothing is near the Sharaton. You will need to take some form of taxi or tuk tuk or hire a driver.

Unless you are comitted to the Sheraton I would strongly suggest that you book a different hotel -- one that is better located. The Sheraton is one of my least favorite hotels in CM both in terms of quality, location and value. You can do much better in my opinion.

i stayed at the sheraton on my 2nd trip to CM....it is a high rise, very splendid in the lobby but ordinary upstairs....our room was huge....the breakfast was ok....i would stay there again for a good rate, but not for over $100....you go there expecting to need transportation for everything you want to do or see...i did not find that to be a problem...as gloria says it is on the edge of town....i did not see any place in town to stay that interested me honestly....i do not find the night market to be all that great in comparison to other places available for shopping...it is cheap yes, but the merchandise is just ordinary and repetitive...

you would not be unhappy with the sheraton, understanding that it is not centrally located...

I think the Sheraton in Chiang Mai has really gone down hill since you were there Bob. We were scheduled to stay there & changed our plans and stayed at the Rachamanka due to poor reviews of the Sheraton. We checked it out when we were there to see for ourselves, and it is really in need of being refurbished. The bathrooms were outmoded with chipped tiles & mildew. The halls and rooms were dark & depressing. There are so many more places to stay in CM now than there were just a couple of years ago. I'd strongly recommend doing a web search for other choices.

Do you have any suggestion on things to do for 4 days in Chiang mai? Any day trips? Basically we love shopping too. Trying to pack as much in as possible. I know all the trekking trips, hill tribe visits and even trip to the zoo are time consuming. Anything else besides night market?

Four days gives you time to do a lot in and around Chiang Mai. A must see is Doi Suthep, the temple on a hill above Chiang Mai. I think it was my favorite temple in Thailand. Also, there is a forest temple, Wat U Mong, which I have heard is quite lovely although we did not have time to visit. For shopping we were not crazy about the night market, but did like San Kampaeng (sp?) road for laquerware and celadon in particular. You will need a car & driver to get there. I highly recommend Poon as do many other fodorites who have used her as a driver. She can take you to other areas for crafts and woodcarving as well. She can be reached through her sister Ratt, who is a driver in BKK. Do a search on this site and you will find contact info. As for other things, it depends on what your interests are. We loved spending a half day at the Elephant Conservation Center in Lampang, an hour south of CM. We did a one hour elephant trek there, but you can do a longer ride or spend more time or overnight if you are interested. If you like spas and massages, there are many excellent spas in CM. The Oasis is one that I particularly liked. Also, if you are interested in cooking, CM has many cooking classes. Again, do a search on this site for recommendations. We also liked the evening dinner and show at the Old Chiang Mai cultural center, which you can book through your hotel. There were lovely hilltribe dances and musicians. And of course if you like good food and atmosphere, there are many nice restuarants in CM. Again do a search on this site. Gloriaf recently posted about restaurants & received several responses. Hope this gives you a start. We enjoyed CM and hope you will too!

Hi, we'd appreciate some tips re: Chiang Mai. We'll be there for a couple of days while touring northern Thailand.

Good places to shop (e.g., jewelry, flatware, art), good restaurants. Also, we'd appreciate suggestions for getting around CM....should we hail taxis/tuk-tuks, hire a guide?

Thanks.

Can someone please give me an e-mail address for "Poon"? I must have read 200 of these threads and have yet to find it.

Thanks - we are going to Chiang Mai in February and it appears she is very busy. I'd like to contact her now.

you contact her through her sister ratt in bkk

[email protected]