Travel to Chiang Mai in Thailand and enjoy elephants, ornate temples, and enchanted mountains. Visit local tribes who live in the mountains around Chiang Mai and buy authentic Find wood carvings, ceramics and silks.
Visit an Elephant Sanctuary, Chiang Mai
Elephants are a symbol of royalty in Thailand. Visit an elephant sancutuary and see these amazing animals up-close! These big, beautiful, intelligent animals will amaze you with their playfulness. Learn how elephants work together in a herd, learn about their eating habits, and enjoy watching them play in the mud. Elephant feeding times are enjoyable to watch, particularly the adorable baby elephants! If you are feeling adventurous, some of the elephant sanctuaries in Chiang Mai permit visitors to help bathe the elephants - get to work!
Doi Inthanon National Park, Chiang Mai
Visit the two temples at the peak
Travelers to Chiang Mai have said that visiting the peak of Doi Inthanon feels like where clouds meet the heavens. Gaze out at misty clouds that cover the mountains surrounding you in this divine region. Doi Inthanon is the highest mountain in Chiang Mai, and legend has it that, on a clear day, you can see the border of neighboring Myanmar. There are many options to take treks into the nearby hills to visit local tribes in their native villages.
Traveling beyond Chang Mai? Check out our Travel Editors shortlist of the best places in Thailand.
Eat Sai krok Isan at Warorot Market, Chiang Mai
Sai krok Isan, a local delicacy made with pork and rice, is a round fermented sausage that is grilled over hot ashes. There are many street stalls offering this local dish and it is a perfect snack as you wander through the Warorot Market in Chiang Mai. Here, you will find wood carvings, ceramics, and silks made by local tribes who live in the mountains around Chiang Mai. With all it's colorful stalls, busy foot traffic, and local foods on offer, the Warorot Market is a wonderful way to spend a few hours or afternoon. After all that walking, enjoy a foot and leg massage at some of Thailand's best massage centers which border the Warorot Market.
Wat Chedi Luang, Chiang Mai
14th Century Buddhist temple
One of the many highlights of Chiang Mai is visiting the Wat Chedi Luang, where monks speak with tourists! Learn more about Buddhism by speaking with one of the monks. They will be happy to inform you about meditation, chanting, and daily routines of their monastic life.
