Activities in Chiang Mai
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Trekking
A center for treks into the mountainous northern areas, especially home of hill tribes, Chiang Mai offers unique opportunities for the adventures. Lush hills and virgin forests are scenic backdrops that will make your trekking by foot or on elephant back truly memorable. The most popular trails are in Doi Inthanon National Park where over 300 bird species and a wide variety of orchids and other flowers can be seen.
Elephant Shows
Elephant shows are generally held in the morning at 9.40 a.m., and begin with elephants bathing before continuing with displays of forestry work and other skills. Elephant rides are usually available after the show. Open from 7.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. Tickets range between 120 to 1,000 baht (depending on activities). Contact
- Tha Phae Mae Taman and Maesa Elephant Camp, Km.10 Mae Rim - Samoeng Road, Mae Rim district, Tel: 0 5320 6247- 8 Website : www.maesaelephantcamp.com
- Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre, Tel: 0 5329 8553, 0 5386 2037
- Mae Taeng Elephant Camp, Tel: 0 5320 6047, 0 5320 6454
Bird Watching
Endowed with rich natural deposits, Chiang Mai has a lot to offer to bird lovers. Its forests, perfect wildlife sanctuaries, are good observation spots for bird watching activities. Among several popular places are Doi Inthanon and Doi Suthep. Contact your local agents for more information.
Cycling tours/ Mountain biking
Chiang Mai's mountainous terrain and scenic destinations make the province perfect for both cycling and mountain biking. Many tour companies offer biking tour programs that include guides, food and overnight equipment. There are also an increasing number of travel agents providing full-day cycling tours to several interesting destinations.
The tours usually head north from the Asian Games Stadium through the Mae Sa Valley. Alternatively, it is possible to experience the scenery along Maenam Ping, which flows peacefully through villages, old temples, farms, etc. For those who are serious about cycling, a longer route to Chiang Rai is available which includes visits to small villages of Lahu, Lisu and Akha hilltribes. Call 053 234239 for more information.
Jungle reviving
Experience the rugged terrain of Chiang Mai on an All Terrain Vehicle (ATV), imported 4-wheel motorbikes. The tour offers daily treks. Call 053 939113 or visit MAC ATV Tour at Km. 10 Mae Rim Samoeng Road. (near the Maesa Elephant Camp)
Rafting
Chiang Mai also provides good opportunities for rafting using bamboo or rubber rafts, as there are lots of rivers and streams flowing throughout the province. Popular routes include Mae Kok, Mae Chaem, and Mae Tuen rivers. All rives flow through lush forests and hill tribe settlements. Contact your local agents for more information.
Boat trip
To see most of Chiang Mai from a different perspective, take a leisurely boat trip from the Nawarat Bridge. The trip operates five times daily, 10 a.m., 12 noon, 2 p.m., and 5.30 p.m. Call 01 885 0663 for more information.
Sightseeing in the air
An alternative way to get a bird's eye view of Chiang Mai is to board a Micro-light craft to see the city's environments and its localities. Flights are available daily from 6 to 12 noon and 3 6 p.m. The pilot, your guide, will point out and explain places of interest visible from the air. At the end of the flight, you will receive a photograph taken by a camera mounted on the planes wing. For more information, call 053 868 460 or visit the Chiang Mai Sky Adventure at 143 Moo 6, Chiang Doi, Doi Saket sub-district.
Go-kart
Enjoy the speedy go-kart at 254 Mu 8, Hang Dong District. There are 4 types of rides available, ranging from beginners to competition models. Call 053 430059 for more information.
Cooking classes
Thai cooking classes are fun and delightful. An increasing number of foreign tourists join Thai cooking classes to learn new skills that can be used at home. The Banthai Cookery School offers mostly vegetarian cooking lessons, conducted in an old-Lanna style house. It is located on 11 Ratrchadamnern Road Soi 5, opposite Wat Pan On. Call 053 357339 for more information.
Alternatively, the Chiang Mai Thai Cookery School (tel. 054 206388) offers a 5-day course that includes an introduction to Thai ingredients, paste-making, a tour to the market and vegetable carving. Call 053 206388 for more information.
Holistic healing for your wellness and well-being
There are plenty of stress relief services such as traditional Thai massage, Swedish, Shiatsu and Aromatherapy massages available in spas in the city and in resorts. A highly recommended place, which offers a renewed sense of wellness, is the Tao Garden located on Doi Saket. The Tao Garden offers appropriate therapy to balance the body and mind, thus enhancing a peaceful inner self. The spa offers five unique therapies including aromatherapy, Chi Nei Tsang massage, Ayurvedic oil, and acupuncture as well as body wrapping. Tai Chi Chuan offers an intensive 10-day course three sessions daily, 7.00 to 9.30 am, 1.00 to 2.00 pm & 4.00 to 6.30 p.m. Call Keith at 0 5330 6012 ext. 201
Yoga and meditation class
After a long adventurous day, one may choose to be pampered in one of the spas in the area. Alternatively, it is possible to achieve freedom from the routine and mundane life by finding your inner path through either yoga or meditation lessons. Take time to heal the body, mind, soul and spirit and let time stand still. Many tourists and locals have found the practice extremely beneficial and awakening. Contact Mahachulalongkorn Rajavidialai (053 278967) for more information on a 2-day program on meditation for foreign visitors. It is offered at Wat Suan Dok and Wat Phalad. Yoga enthusiasts can call 053 271555, Hatha Yoga Center, www.hathayogachiangmai.com, for more information.
Bungee jumping
For an adrenaline rush, Bungee Jumping in Chiang Mai operates in accordance with New Zealand Standards. It is a fully licensed and insured company, which operates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Call 053 298442 or 01 885 1912 for more information. The site is located at 229 Mo 1, Mae Rim District. A lakeside bar and restaurant are also available. |
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Chiang Mai activities
The city of Chiang Mai has a wide variety of activities to suit all ages and preferences. Here in Chiang Mai activities on offer include: climbing, mountain biking, walking, trekking, shopping, bowling, tennis, golf, swimming, cooking courses, meditations, yoga, tai chi, kick boxing, trekking, adventure activities and running.
Adventure activities
White water rafting
Chiang Mai, being a tourist town, offers an exciting selection of unique and fun activities which can be arranged through any of the tour agents found scattered about town. Northern Thailand is mountainous and white water rafting is popular on the Mae Tang river, which tumbles out of the hills during, and immediately after the raining season (June - February), offering first class rafting and kayaking. We recommend Siam whitewater rafting and kayaking Adventures as a certified and safe operation (info @siamrivers.com, or (06) 586-5386 ).
Read more about white-water rafting in our “Real Wild One!” article here.
There are a number of elephant camps where you can ride through the jungle on the back of these massive beasts and see these workhorses in action. There are camps in Mae Sa, Chiang Dao, Mae Tang, Lampang and Mae Wang. Finding them is tricky so it's best to arrange a tour through your guest house, hotel or a tour guide. The Mae Sa valley is an adventure hub actually, and only a 30 minute drive from Chiang Mai. Here you can ride ATVs through the jungle, bungee jump and visit the Monkey Farm, Snake Farm, Dog show and Orchid Farm.
Walking and mountain biking
The best way to appreciate the old Lanna way of life is to wander the delightful back lanes of Chiang Mai's old town. Within the moat lies a forgotten world of old teak houses, narrow lanes, traditional shop houses and hidden temples. Make an early start to beat the heat and wander aimlessly, observing the sleepy old Chiang Mai lifestyle through a camera lens. Fortunately, much of it remains well preserved and untainted by commercial development.
An outdoor enthusiast's paradise
Bicycle is another way to appreciate this city, and finding a place to hire a bike isn't difficult in the city centre. The more adventurous may prefer to hire a mountain bike and tackle some of the superb trails on Doi Suithep - a mountain to the west of the city. Chiang Mai Mountain Biking runs excellent day trip tours down the mountain (Doi Pui) and other routes. They supply full suspension bikes and all the gear, many of the trips are all downhill and the experience of descending down through the jungle is a thrilling an highly recommended one. Run by two adrenalin-mad American MTB enthusiasts, Aiden and Ken, the trips take in hilltribe villages, coffee plantations, lychee groves, waterfalls, streams and fantastic views that few other visitors to Chiang Mai ever see. More on mountain biking
Read more about mountain biking in northern Thailand in our “A mountain to Climb - across Northern Thailand by bike” article here.
Enduro biking and dirt biking in Northern Thailand
An exciting and fun way to get a slice of the action
An exciting, exhilarating and very rewarding way to get in amongst the rugged terrain of the Chiang Mai province and surrounding area is by embarking on an enduro-biking trip. With a specially built enduro-bike which is configured for tackling the many mountains and hills you will be riding on, this is a great way to explore the area and have a lot of fun while you do so. We reccommend Thai Enduro Tours for those interested in embarking on such a trip; based in Chiang Mai they are a very professional and well organised outfit, and can take group sizes from 4 to 9 people, of all levels of experience from novice up to pro-level riders. They have an English website and a German website.
Swimming and fitness
Like the rest of Thailand, Chiang Mai can get pretty hot between March and October. If your hotel doesn't have a pool, you can use the one at Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel (next to Kad Suan Kaew Mall) for a small fee. Top North Hotel (near Thapae Gate) also has a leisure pool open to the public. There is also an Olympic sized pool at the 700 hundred year stadium or you can head out to the Huay Tung Tao reservoir, northwest of the city, which is a popular recreation area with the locals.
Keep yourself in shape during your stay at one of three well equipped gyms that admit people on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, these are: Hillside gym (Hillside Condo 4, Huay Kaew road), Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel Gym (Huay Kaew road) and Fitness Thailand (above Rimping supermarket beside the Novotel).
Tenis and golf
Chiang Mai is a golfers' delight
Tennis and golf can be played at the Gymkhana club - one of Chiang Mai's most historic sports and social venues. Other golf courses include Lanna, Mae Jo, and Green Valley (green fees vary from 1000 - 2000 baht). Beside the Novotel Rim Ping hotel is a small shop that hires clubs; some of the courses also offer this service (ask your hotel concierge).
The Anantasiri Tennis courts, Chiang Mai's largest such facility, can be found near the National Museum; other public courts can be found at Chiang Mai Land and Lanna Sports club, as well as the Amari Rincome Hotel.
Runners will find familiarity with the Hash House runners who congregate at the Hash House bar just south of Thapae Gate (inside the moat). Of course, Chiang Mai province is a nature lover's paradise, and you may wish to seek out the many national parks which offer super walking opportunities.
Karate
Although the full-contact sport for which Thailand is most famous is Thai boxing (Muay Thai), in Chiang Mai it is possible to take part in a different kind of martial art, karate.
There is a Japanese karate class at Chiang Mai University every Monday and Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Student Services Building. The classes are free and any age from 5 years and up can take part, and any style of Japanese karate is welcome, beginners, or people that just want a good aerobic exercise. People can contact by email for more info.
Rock Climbing
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Kat women in action
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Rock climbing enthusiasts are also spoilt in Chiang Mai and there are three climbing walls and great climbing at Crazy Horse Buttress east of Chiang Mai in the Mae On district. Here you'll find some first class climbing on good faces and crags. You can practice on the Peak Climbing Wall, which is adjacent to the Night Market, but we recommend three-day courses (for beginners) with Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures. Run by Josh Morris and his pro team, these are the best crowd to hang out with if you are serious about climbing, and they can arrange trips to the face, and provide equipment and support
Meta-physical pursuits
In Chiang Mai, other activities include yoga classes, courses on cooking, massage, kick boxing and meditation (wat Ram Poeng and Doi Suithep), tai chi and more, with lots of promotional posters posted about the city.
Many come to Chiang Mai for the activities of trekking and hiking, and treks can be arranged through the many tour guides located about the centre. Other regular gatherings include a spoken word evening, cultural and current issue discussions, writers' groups, theatre clubs and more, details of which are found in the community magazines which are freely available in many guest houses and restaurants.
More information: www.1stopchiangmai.com |
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Kinnara Tours: Chiang Mai Activities
Chiang Mai is the perfect place to stretch your mind or your body. Kinnara chooses the best options available for different activities and offers them at ...
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