The Best Sight in Chiang Mai, Thailand

Background Illustration for Sights

The compact Old City can be explored easily on foot or by bicycle. The system of one-way streets can be confusing, but the plan keeps traffic moving quite effectively around the moat, which is crossed by bridges at regular intervals. The moated "one square mile" of the Old City contains 38 of Chiang Mai’s temples, including its oldest and most historic ones. The so-called Lanna style of architecture—stepped eaves, dark teak, and gleaming white stucco construction—has been adopted by the owners of boutique hotels in the Old City, where high-rise buildings are banned.

Elephant Nature Park

Old City

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.