suep1

We will have 1 day with a guide to see Chiang Mai (1 other day at cooking school and 1 day at Patara Elephant Camp). I am trying to figure out an itinerary that will make best use of the guide, give us a feel for the city and will get us acquainted with Thai culture/Wats/architecture. A tall order I know! We will also have a half day to explore CM on our own so I want to learn as much with the guide to make our half day more informed.

I've tentatively lined up :
-morning touring the city (what highlights should I insist on?)
- Doi Suthep.
-Some craft villages.
Now I'm reading a bunch of reviews that aren't so keen on Doi Suthep and say it's very overcrowded. What "craft" areas are worth a visit? The silk village seems interesting. Thinking of pottery /celadon or possibly umbrella village. Or should we do something other than craft villages. The guide seems to feel the craft villages should be included but I think his commission may be what he's focused on. Please help us make the best use of our guide! Any tips very appreciated.

simpsonc510

He probably does get commissions from the craft villages. I am quite sure our taxi drive of many many years gets commish from the frog factory when DS buys big quantities there, which he always seems to do. But that's OK... Jit is not only our driver, he's a good long-time friend.

Doi Inthanon (and the big Wachirathan waterfall as well as the highest point in Thailand which are both nearby) is more appealing than Doi Suthep, now that I've been to both of them. Suthep has a temple, Inthanon does not. Inthanon has two very large and beautiful stupas, as well as gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous gardens. (did I say gorgeous???) However, Inthanon is much further afield from CM... maybe 1 1/2 to 2 hours away? We did it as a day trip and it took from about 9:30 to 5:30, but we also stopped at a roadside market and spent maybe 20-30 minutes there, looking and BUYING.... omg.. sooo cheap! I can't give you the name or location of that market, sorry. We stopped there on our way back into CM from Inthanon. That is all I can recall. It was easy to spot along the roadway as it was not just one or two stands.

I hope you enjoy your day(s) in CM. I have been there probably 15+ times now! (many day trips from BKK... up in the am, back to BKK in the pm... for market shopping)

Carol

Kathie

I consider Doi Suthep to be a must-see. Would you opt not to see, say, Notre Dame Cathedral because it is crowded? There are good reasons many people (mostly Thais) visit Doi Suthep. I like to visit very early in the morning, as I find it less crowded then.

Craft villages are not villages, not where they the first time I visited in the mid-19780s. They are factories. Choose which ones to go to by what you want to buy. Several years ago, I ordered a full set of celadon dinnerware. I chose the design and glaze and the pieces I wanted and it was custom-made and shipped to me.

If you want to do any shopping in CM, you'll need a car and driver, as things are very spread out and there is no public transport. Take a look at your Nancy Chandler map. In the little book that comes with it, there is a listing of crafts shops that support local hilltribes, social services, etc. My last trip to CM, I organized my shopping around this list.

Of course, you don't need a guide for any of this. What you need is a car and driver.

You may just want the guide to walk with you through the old city, giving you info and history of some of the wats. You might consider using the guide for the half day (if you feel you will benefit from one) and hire a car and driver for you full day to visit Doi Suthep and to shop.

simpsonc510

Ooooh... Notre Dame/Doi Suthep? I can't quite agree with that, Kathie, but we are all free to have our own opinions. I do know that Maeng, who is Thai and is Buddhist, enjoyed Doi Inthanon more than Doi Suthep. There are oooooodles more tourists at Doi Suthep. But then, it is easier to reach from CM. That said, Doi Suthep seems to be on everyone's list for a first-time visit to CM. I know I went there on my own first visit, and yes, I enjoyed it. I've been twice now. The second time was to take Maeng, because I felt it would be something important for her to see, as a Thai and as a first timer to CM.

BTW... Sue... I just updated my profile photo to a pic of all the bags that we (3 of us) checked onto our Thai flight from CM to BKK after a 1-day market shopping run! You'll be surprised, I think. I know we had other passengers giving us the once over!

Kathie, you are right about the craft villages probably not being what they used to be. I recall Hangdong/Bantawai when we could walk around and watch people actually making things. Now, you might catch someone doing the 'final touches' on a particular product, but mostly the markets are designed for shopping nowadays and not the learning experience it used to be.

As far as market shopping, it all depends on what your are wanting to buy. I am always looking out for unusual handmade items. I buy a lot of bags and scarves and sometimes jewelry items. Sometimes they come from a specific tribe and sometimes they are just simply items that someone is making on their own and trying to make a few extra baht by selling them at a small stall somewhere.

In any case, I'm sure you can fill your free day in CM, Sue. I hope you will let us know what you found/did!

Carol

Craig

If you are new to Thailand, there are 3 or 4 interesting smaller wats within the city that you can see in a couple of hours - they are in all of the guidebooks and the architecture is unique to northern Thailand. I would not miss Doi Su Thep and you probably don't have enough time to do Doi Inthanon if you do a lot of other stuff. The craft factories are worthwhile only if you are into shopping - the quality is high and we have not seen many of our purchases available in Bangkok on numerous return trips. We enjoyed the lacquer ware factory - unique colors and high quality but we also stopped at silk, leather and furniture places. The umbrella place has some great stuff - colorful and hand-painted - we bought a large fan and mounted it on a wall at home.

That being said, all you really need is a driver - you can not get to these places on your own. Either way they will get commission on your purchases.

Be aware that you guide/driver may try and persuade to you visit other places along the way to Doi Su Thep - there is a snake "farm" and an orchid place that are regular stops. Skip the snakes especially.

suep1

Thank you all so much for your help. I think we would love Doi Inthanon and that in many ways it's more our type of thing, but because it's a full day trip we wouldn't have time to really see the city with the guide and I don't want to give that up. So I guess we'll stick with the original plan and save the Park for our next trip.
From your answers (and other comments I've seen on this forum, which I read avidly) I know that many of you who wrote above are serious shoppers, as am I (though not, unfortunately, my husband). I guess it's good that our guide supports shopping, so I'll have someone on my side! Great suggestion to look at the NC map to see what's available in CM --lacquarware is something I love and wouldn't have thought of. You guys are great and have made all the difference as we've planned our trip which is only a few weeks away now. I've got a notebook nice and ready so I can make notes for our trip report!

Viatrick

My suggestion is to have your guide bring you to where you can buy/give alms to the monks. Very early in the morning, the monks walk along one of the beautiful mountain roadways and you can give one of them alms (the food they will eat that morning)- in return you will receive a blessing and wonderful experience. It is very moving to see a long line of monks in their orange robes walking along the roadway in the quite hours of dawn - young and old monks of every age. My son, who had turned 15 at the time, and I both consider that to be one of the highlights of our trip to Thailand, as did the other 5 or 6 people who went with us. Well worth the early wake-up.

suep1

What time and where would I find the monks by the roadway. Sounds magical!

Viatrick

I believe it may be the road leading to Doi Suithep, but ask your guide and they will know where it is. The local people give alms there each day as the monks file down the road from their temple. You can purchase food from the local women to give to the monks. You must get up early to get there around dawn. Do not forget your camera. The long line of monks in orange & yellow make a beautiful picture. Then you have your whole rest of the day to sightsee!