6 Best Sights in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Doi Inthanon, Thailand's highest mountain (8,464 feet), rises majestically over a national park of staggering beauty. Many have compared the landscape—thick forests of pines, oaks, and laurels—with that of Canada. Only the tropical vegetation on its lower slopes, and the 30 villages that are home to 3,000 Karen and Hmong people, remind you that this is indeed Asia. The reserve is of great interest to nature lovers, especially birders who come to see the 362 species that nest here. Red-and-white rhododendrons run riot, as do plants found nowhere else in Thailand.

Hiking trails penetrate deep into the park, which has some of Thailand's highest and most beautiful waterfalls. The Mae Klang Falls, just past the turnoff to the park, are easily accessible on foot or by vehicle, but the most spectacular are more remote and involve a trek of 4 to 5 km (2½ to 3 miles). The Mae Ya Falls are the country's highest falls, but even more spectacular are the Siribhum Falls, which plunge in two parallel cataracts from a 1,650-foot-high cliff above the Inthanon Royal Research Station. The station's vast nurseries are a gardener's dream, filled with countless varieties of tropical and temperate plants. Rainbow trout—unknown in the warm waters of Southeast Asia—are raised here in tanks fed by cold streams plunging from the mountain's heights, then served at the station's restaurant. The national park office provides maps and guides for trekkers and bird-watchers. Accommodations are available: B1,000 for a two-person chalet, B6,500 for a villa for up to eight people. The park admission fee is collected at a tollbooth at the start of the road to the summit.

Most people come to this enchanting hillside village of Hmong people between December and mid-February, when the pink sakura-like flowers called nang phaya suea krong are in full bloom; but even without the cherry blossoms, this small settlement is a charmer. The 1,000-resident village (with about 140 or so houses) has a scenic lookout and hiking trail, where locals sell strawberries, almonds, and macadamias. The village is known for its locally grown coffee, as well as the arabica coffee research station. If you want to sit and enjoy a cup, try Chong Wa Coffee Shop, which has a nice terrace at the back.  Most of the twisted narrow roads up to the village from Huai Tueng Thao checkpoint aren't paved. While honking is also required on the paved Doi Suthep route---don't miss the Doi Pui viewpoint on the way up---you can save yourself the B50 fee as there is no checkpoint.

Split into eight categories---including Lanna, Surrealism, and Thai---this 3D illusion art museum lives up to its promising name. Spread over 5,800 square meters, a total of 178 pictures by South Korean artists turn people into surfers, Venetian tourists, and more. The interactive upside-down room looks deceptively real, as do the terrifying dragons and life-sized dinosaurs. Family fun and abundant photo opportunities are guaranteed.

You don't have to head to the distant mountains to go trekking during your stay in Chiang Mai. Doi Suthep, the 3,542-foot peak that broods over the city, lends its name to a national park with plenty of hiking trails to explore. One of these, a path taken by pilgrims over the centuries preceding the construction of a road, leads up to the gold-spired Wat Phra That Doi Suthep. There's also an easy hiking trail (about 45 minutes) that'll bring you to one of Chiang Mai's least-known but most charming temples, Wat Pha Lat. This modest ensemble of buildings is virtually lost in the forest. Make sure to explore the compound, which has a weathered chedi and a grotto filled with images of the Buddha. After you leave Wat Pha Lat, the path becomes steeper. After another 45 minutes you emerge onto the mountain road, where you can flag down a songthaew if you can't take another step. Otherwise, follow the road for about 200 yards; a break in the forest marks the uphill trail to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep.  Keep a sharp lookout for snakes; they thrive on the mountain, and some of them are highly venomous.

There are several elephant reserves north of Chiang Mai, but there are few where elephants are not ridden. Here more than 100 rescued elephants, including a few youngsters, roam freely in the natural enclosure formed by a narrow mountain valley an hour's drive away. Visitors can volunteer to care for the elephants or simply stroll among them, observing them in the river that runs through the park. There are no elephant rides or circus-like shows; Sangduen ("Lek") Chailert, a Ford Foundation laureate who runs the reserve, insists that the animals in her care live as close to nature as possible. Both half-day and full-day visits can be arranged online or at the park's Old City office; the rate includes pickup at your Chiang Mai hotel and your return. Half-day trips don't include walking tours with elephants. Longer overnight volunteer packages are also available.

Among northern Thailand's most spectacular hot springs, these include two geysers that shoot water high into the air. The spa complex, set among beautiful flowers, includes an open-air pool and several bathhouses of various sizes. There's a rustic restaurant with a view over the gardens, and the owner rents out small chalets with hot tubs for the night (B1,000). From October to April, tents and sleeping bags for two people can be rented for B500. Guests who stay overnight don't need to pay the entrance fee of B100. The spa is 56 km (35 miles) north of Chiang Mai, beyond the village of San Kamphaeng. Songthaews bound for the spa leave from the riverside flower market in Chiang Mai; be sure to negotiate return transportation.