2 Best Sights in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Sandwiched between the Old City and the riverside, this market opens for business every evening at around 5 pm. Hundreds of stalls—selling food, fake fashion brands, knickknacks, and some pretty handicrafts—line a half-mile section of Chang Klan Road. Some people find the scene a bit too chaotic and commercial, but many love it, especially for the many food purveyors and souvenir opportunities. The area is also a major nighttime entertainment zone. Loi Kroh Road, which bisects the market, is Chiang Mai's (perfectly safe) red-light district.

When King Mengrai decided to build his capital on the Mae Ping River, he chose a site a few miles south of present-day Chiang Mai. He selected a low-lying stretch of land, but soon realized the folly of his choice when the river flooded during the rainy seasons. Eight years after establishing Wiang Kum Kam, he moved to higher ground and began work on Chiang Mai. Wiang Kum Kam is now being excavated, and archaeologists have been amazed to uncover a cluster of buildings almost as large as Chiang Mai's Old City. Several agencies run trips to Wiang Kum Kam, with some taking visitors by boat and then horse-drawn carriage. You can book with one or simply hire a horse and carriage in downtown Chiang Mai (or ask your hotel to; expect to pay around B500 to B650). Horse and carriages hired at the ruins cost B300.