5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

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Zidane
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

Post by Zidane »

An excellent report,BB,with some great pics.....
We were in Chiang Mai just before Xmas last year.A good sidetrip is to Chiang Dao which is about 70 kilometres away and is at an altitude of 7,000 feet.
If you havent got your own wheels a taxi will set you back about 1,000 baht or there are about 6 buses daily from Chiang Mai with the journey time being around 90 minutes.
The area is very scenic and there are caves,hot springs and a National Park nearby. You can rent bicycles for around 100 baht a day or motorbikes for 250 baht a day.
There is a very good Tuesday morning market in Chiang Dao which features local and hill tribe goods.
Quite a few places to stay and eat in Chiang Dao now.The Chiang Dao Nest has accomodation and two excellent restaurants.....one Thai,one Western.....and a swimming pool.
Very cool at night at that time of year even for a hardy northerner like myself ! :D
Its also worth spending a couple of nights in the old town part of Chiang Mai.Theres a superb English/Thai restaurant called the Old City Inn thats opposite the U-Hotel....great food and very affordable.
This road that runs from the Thapae Gate also has a Sunday Night Market which is very popular and sells just about everything.But,be aware,it gets very crowded and difficult to move in some parts.....it took me over 40 minutes to walk a mile !
You can hail down a red sangthaew that will take you anywhere in the old town for 20 baht per person.Saves the hassle of driving and you can enjoy a beer or two if you wish,without a problem.
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Big Boy
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

Post by Big Boy »

Thanks for that Zidane. I'd never heard of Chiang Dao (I saw a sign in the Chiang Rai area for Chiang Something or Other, but don't know if it was Dao), but it certainly sounds worth a visit next time.

We only ventured into the old town once during our visit (my son's shoes fell apart on the way to one of his lessons, and he had to arrive and depart bare footed - a good example to his students), While there, we popped into the Red Lion - good English pub grub, and Guinness :oops: . Guinness is one of the few alcoholic drinks I can manage there days, but because I don't normally drink, I could feel myself swaying after 2 pints.
Guinness
Guinness
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Fish & Chips
Fish & Chips
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Beef & Guinness Pie & Chips
Beef & Guinness Pie & Chips
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6 Drinks including 4 pints of Guinness and 3 meals came to under 1400 Baht, which I thought was very reasonable. This together with your comment on food and drink prices proves my point about it being generally cheaper in Chiang Mai, when compared to Hua Hin.

I was looking at the Kan Air site for more flights today because the university want my son back. Unfortunately, there are no flights after 24 Oct 15 at the moment. A new schedule starts on 25 Oct 15.

As an aside, when I saw the sign for Chiang Something or Other, it got me wondering what the Chiang actually meant. I was thinking because Mai and Rai were walled cities that it might mean fortress, but nobody could tell me. Are there any clever guys out there who know, and would like to share?
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Zidane
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

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Heres some pics of Chiang Dao.....if you stay at the Chiang Dao Nest I think you get 10% discount if you can prove you are a Chiang Mai FC supporter ?
But Hua Hin City and Plymouth Argyle supporters 10% extra ! :wink:
Both the restaurants there are worth trying even if you dont stay at the accomodation....quite a few options now,a bit different than a year or two back.
Chiang Dao.....lovely scenery......very peaceful.....ideal for chilling out for a couple of days.
Doi Chiang Dao.jpg
Chiang Dao caves entrance.jpg
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Chiang Dao Nest bungalow.jpg
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Chiang Dao Nest pool.jpg
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scenic Chiang Dao (700x468).jpg
scenic Chiang Dao (700x468).jpg (216.78 KiB) Viewed 427 times
We're all on our uppers,we're all going skint,
I used to suck fat cigars but now I suck Polo mints.
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pharvey
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

Post by pharvey »

^ Certainly looks well worth a visit Zidane - thanks for the info. :cheers: :cheers:
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

Post by migrant »

We wandered all around the Chiang Mai/Rai area but missed Chiang Dao unfortunately. Thanks for the pics, it will be on the list next time :cheers:
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

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As an aside, when I saw the sign for Chiang Something or Other, it got me wondering what the Chiang actually meant. I was thinking because Mai and Rai were walled cities that it might mean fortress, but nobody could tell me. Are there any clever guys out there who know, and would like to share?
Chiang means "city", Mai in this instance means "new" (Mai is one of those Thai words that can have different meanings depending on context or pronunciation).
My brain is like an Internet browser; 12 tabs are open and 5 of them are not responding, there's a GIF playing in an endless loop,... and where is that annoying music coming from?
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Big Boy
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Re: 5 Days in the Chiang Mai Area

Post by Big Boy »

Thank you :thumb:
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