Beautiful Tourist Places to Visit in Chiang Mai, Thailand, Asia
Chiang Mai is the capital of Chiang Mai province in Thailand covering an area of 40.216 Sq Kms and situated at an elevation of 316 meters above the sea level. Chiang Mai is a cultural city and it follows number of traditions and it is the renowned tourist destinations in North Thailand.
Chiang Mai was established in 1296 CE by Mengrai King and during the rule of Lanna kingdom it served as the capital for several years. In the year 1556, Chiang Mai region was captured by Burmese and later in the year 1775 it became the part of Siam and grew as the cultural, trading and economic importance during the rule.
Chiang Mai is bounded by Mae Hong Son, Phayao, Lamphun, Lampang, Phrae, Uttaradit, Nan, Sukhothai and Mueang Chiang Rai and it is located at the distance of 700 Kms from the capital of Thailand, Bangkok and coordinates of Chiang Mai is 18.7952° N, 98.9986° E.
Tourism in Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai is cultural and traditional city and it is located at the foothills of the mountains and bounded by hills and lush greenery and landscapes. It is the renowned tourist destination after the Bangkok and visited by thousands of tourists from all over the world. There are many interesting places to visit in Chiang Mai like rivers, lakes, mountains, temples, countryside and few other places which make it complete destination in North Thailand.
Food and Culture of Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai is famous for its wide range of cuisines after Bangkok and some of the major local cuisines are khao soi, hang ley, khantoke dinner, and there are restaurants offering Australan, British, Irish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, American, and Mexican foods and there are some western food joints as well.
Places to visit in Chiang Mai:
- Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep
- Wat Phra Singh
- Chiang Mai Foreign Cemetery
- Wat Chiang Man
- Mae Sa Waterfall
- Baanchang Elephant Park
- Chiang Mai City Arts & Cultural Centre
- Wat Suan Dok
- Chiang Mai University Art Museum
Things to do in Chiang Mai:
- Bo Sang Umbrella & Sankampang Handicrafts Festival
- Chiang Mai Flower Festival
- Inthakin or Tham Boon Khan Dok
- Loi Krathong and Yi Peng Festivals
Best Time to Visit Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai can be visited throughout the year but the best time to visit Chiang Mai is between the months of October to March.
How to Reach Chiang Mai?
By Air:
Chiang Mai is served by Chiang Mai International Airport, located at the distance of 5 Kms from the city, Chiang Mai International Airport is one of the important airports in North Thailand operates flights to Kuala Lumpur, Yangon, Koh Samui, Bangkok, Taipei, Ningbo, Phuket, Hong Kong, Seoul, Singapore, Macau and few other cities in the world.
By Train:
Chiang Mai city is served by Chiang Mai Station and this station is well connected to Bangkok city and other cities as well and most of the trains from Bangkok ply during the night since it takes 12 to 15 hours to reach Chiang Mai city.
By Road:
Chiang Mai is well connected to other cities and towns in Thailand with local buses and tourists can find plenty of buses plying in and around the city frequently and along with bus, other major local transportation tourists can hire to get around the city are taxi, shared taxi, tuk-tuk, minivan and motorcycle.
Where to Stay in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai is renowned tourist destination in North Thailand and tourists can find number of hotels and resorts in Chiang Mai and these hotels cost from $ 5 to $ 500 and above per night and hotels. Some of the renowned hotels in Chiang Mai are listed below:
- Shangri-La Hotel
- Le Meridian Chiang Mai
- RatiLanna Riverside Spa Resort
- Centara Duangtawan Hotel
- Aruntara Riverside Boutique Hotel
- Rarinjinda Wellness Spa Resort
- The Imperial Chiang Mai Resort
- The Empress Hotel
- Ban Sabai Village Resort & Spa
- Yaang Come Village