Okay so I read that Chiang Mai was in the top 5 of cities to go to. Why?

I have been to BKK and done a lot of temples, wats etc. I have been to Singapore, Bali and Bintan.

We need to plan a trip for next year and were thinking about BKK - Cambodia (Ankor Wat) and ???

Should Chiang Mai be the place? Why is it listed so high? Help I love Thailand and want to make sure I am getting a new experience! Please help sell me on this as not having been there I need some more advice. (PS.. I may also go to Chiang Rai).
Thanks this site has helped me plan 10 years of vacations and has never been disappointing!
Mary

i am a detractor of chiang mai....i have been there twice and have yet to discover why so many love it....others will tell you why but i wanted you to know that we all do not love it...

it is a city and not the quaint town many would have you believe...the second biggest in thailand i believe..

it has good shopping but not nearly as good as bkk in my opinion...

the main local temple, doi sutup (spelled incorrectly) is very lovely but not worth the trip there, imo...the forrests outside the city are nice but not anything spectacular either...

many like to visit the hill tribes outside the city but the two i have been too were way over commercialized...

the elephant locations are interesting...i have only been to one but the conservation one gets very high marks and that is not the one i visited...

there are some lux hotels there and also some moderate places like baan orphrin (sp too) which is well thought of by fodorites and yaan come village also...

we went there the first time and scratched out heads after we left...."and what is it that everyone likes so much...." we returned there a couple of years later and came away with the same feeling....now several more years later i feel compelled to try it again based on the rave reviews of my fellow fodorites...

i have told you the negetives, now others will wow you with positives....


may i suggest that you take a look at luang prabang, laos and also yangon, myanmar as alternatives...

You know, I can't imagine why Chaing Mai is listed among the top 5 cities to go to. I could list at least 20 other cities I'd rank ahead of CM. I am going back to CM this year - the last time I was there was 20 years ago. I plan to shop, take a cooking class there and to revisit Doi Suthep, a wonderful Wat. If you want someplace really different from Bangkok and Siem Reap, I'd recommend Luang Prabang, Laos. Another option is to go to the Golden Triangle in Thailand. You fly into Chaing Rai and drive about an hour. The Anatara at the Golden Triangle is a lovely place to stay, and it has a branch of the Elephant Conservation Camp on-site.

I'm another one who can't see what all the fuss is about. I went to CM first time in 1980, when it was far smaller and less developed, but I didn't really care for it then.
And I went again last year and it failed to make any great impact on me. It's nice to walk around the old city, and there are some nice restaurants and reasonably-priced hotels.
I agree Luang Prabang is more interesting. I also like Georgetown.

I'll cast another vote for Luang Prabang over Chiang Mai. We went to CM in 2000. It is a big city of over 1 million - it is not a walking city. The highlights for us were similar to the above posters. Wat Doi Su Thep was awesome - great views of the city from it as well. We went to an elephant camp, probably not the "right" one - thoroughly enjoyed the elephant ride - it was our first time doing that - the mahout had me get down off the chair so I could ride "bareback" on the elephant for a great photo. The handicraft villages on the outskirts of town provide interesting shopping as well as an opportunity to observe craftspersons at work - we picked up some beautiful lacquerware pieces and a large hand-painted fan (at the umbrella village). That being said, we were ready to leave after 2 days.

By contrast, Luang Prabang is laid back and highly walkable. Theres a boat trip to the caves that you can take with stops at interesting weaving and whiskey villages. You can also drive to some mildly spectacular water falls and wander alone through villages along the way. Or you can just meander around town, visit some beautiful wats and engage some of the monks in conversation. Every day at sunrise there is a procession of monks down the main street of town receiving their offerings of food for the day. We could have easily spent more time here.

Both towns have an assortment of quality restaurants and lodging at (for the most part) reasonable prices.

I'm one who really enjoyed Chiang Mai - but less for the city itself than the activities we did there. We took a cooking class, visited the elephant conservation center, went bamboo rafting, took a short trek to an untouristy hilltribe village, and visited Doi Suthep. The night market is lots of fun and we also enjoyed the khantoke dinner (with dancing) at the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Center.
All that said, I too agree with the others that Luang Prabang is better. It's a special spot - with an ambience unlike anywhere I've ever been. Between the two, I'd definitely pick Luang Prabang. But, I did very much enjoy Chiang Mai (although I, too, am puzzled as to why it's so high on the list.)
Karen

Chiang Mai is my favorite place in thailand. I love the vibe of the place, the people and the activities. I am a walker and it is a walking city in a way bangkok isn't -- I should add that I love bangkok as well but after 19 trips I find Chiang Mai a better place to hang out. I also love the ability to do so many things like cooking classes, spas cheaper than in bangkok. And I find the shopping to be more fun -- I hate those big modern shopping malls.However, I certainly think there are better cities (Florence, London etc) that beat it way out.

LP is a bit like Chiang Mai 25 years ago (but without the freedom) when I first went there.But whild CM is now a city I still find it has a very laid back 60s feel.

others love CM so don't give up yet...they will appear...

Of course it's impossible to compare any one place with another as all are different.
I first went to CM about 15 years ago, since then I have been back but I don't find it of particular interest or attraction at all.
If you like 'cities' and you have say been to Bangkok then Chiang Mai as a large 'city' is obviously very different. There are some nice restaurants and some sights but I fall into that group that looks upon it as a city that is a point to venture to other places, it is not in my top 10 Thailand places at all.
Temples, elephant rides and villages, arts and crafts and others are in a lot of places, I can't say there is anything wrong with the place but wonderful scenery, temples, river side villages, farmlands and more are all over Thailand and a lot of truly amazing places.

I would add though that for a first time vist the 'triangle route' of BKK-Chiang Mai-Phuket-BKK is popular to get an overall combination of BKK, mountains and scenery plus beach, it makes a nice 3 center routing to get a good combination.

I think we are going to do BKK-Siem Reap-(?) and then back to BKK. Not hearing a lot of positives about Chaing Mai - so it will probably be Phuket or Laos!

your loss.

Hi Gloria,

Maybe our gain.

Val-- funny I was just thinking about you and looking up your email address to email you. I can't believe how much time has elapsed -- too long. Will email today. Hope all is well. Wish I could get to thailand this year but an elderly dog with a heart condition is keeping me at home. My mother is too old to take care of him and I won't leave him with a stranger. I figure I owe him a comfortable last year or so. So I can't plan a major trip.

good choices...LP in laos is very nice, but laid back

You couldn't pay me to go to Phuket again. Once was definiteley enough! I'd much rather go to Hawaii if I want a beach-- a lot closer too.

simmedgh, I think if you can tell us more what you are looking for it would be a help to give ideas.
Throwing away an idea for Chiang mai and then perhaps adding Phuket or Laos, these places are all so totaly different.

What you find in CM is not what you find in Phuket as Phuket is a busy island for beaches etc.

Really it comes down to what you are seeking, it could be that CM 'does' suit you or maybe it wouldn't, same goes for Phuket, Laos has to be more specific e.g Luang prabang but again you can't compare Luang prabang with Chiang Mai as they are very different, so it comes to what you are looking for.

gloria - you touched my heart about your dog, I know exactly what you mean ! Give him a big hug from all of us !

James,
I have been to BKK before so we will used BKK as layover days and do a little shopping.

Siem Reap is to see the sites of the Ankor Wat - here they are fabulous.

After that I am looking or a little down time with good culture, good massages, good food and good accomodations. I love 4 seasons but do not like Aman (too much), Ritz (too much) so I like a little luxury but not too over the top.

I think BKK will take care of my city needs, Ankor my tourist needs. So I guess I am looking for leisurely site seeing, relaxing, massage, culture! Yes quite a bit to ask! Does this help?

Don't know about massages in LP, but everything else about the town would meet your needs. A suite at the Maison Souvannaphoum would be an excellent option for you as far as lodging goes - a little luxury but not too much over-the-top. Great staff - always going out of there way for you. Skip Phuket - it will not satisfy your needs.