Wat Phra That Doi Suthep :
Perched above the city at 1,080 metres above mean sea level, the mountaintop monastery with glistering golden pagoda is an unmistakable landmark of Chiang Mai. and also its most revered shrine. The original 12-kilometre road up the mountain was built in 1934, by the faithful at the behest of a highly respected Buddhist monk, Khru Ba Sri Wichai. whose statue adorns the foothill. The road leads to a gigantic staircase with 290 steps to the northern-style monastery, where a holy relic is enshrined. From here. one gets the panoramic view of the city of Chiang Mai, and the Ping River flowing through it

Phuphing Palace :
Four kilometres further from the Doi Suthep mountain road. is the Phuphing Palace, the provincial retreat of the royal family in the North. The palace is situated on the terraced hillside, with flowerbeds and gardens in all directions. The palace is open to the public when the royal family is not in residence.

Hill Tribe Villages and Research Centre :
Visitors can go further up the hill from Phuphing Palace to see the Hmong villages at Doi Pui. The genuine thatched houses and huts scattering on the hill offer a glimpse of the Highlanders, the majority of which live in remote mountains not accessible by road. It is advisable to visit the Hill Tribe Research Centre, located within the Chiang Mai University, the first provincial university of the country. The Centre houses a living museum of various tribes in their natural habitats. Next to the university is the Chiang Mai Aboretum. a delightful botanical park in natural setting. Chiang Mai Zoo is situated nearby, with animals kept in open closure close to their natural surrounding.

Temples :
Old temples abound in the city of Chiang Mai. offering stunning views amidst the thriving business atmosphere. They also generate the aura of deep faith, serenity and perfect harmony that cannot be found anywhere else in the Kingdom and the world.
Wat Phra Singh
The monastery known for its gigantic hall with graceful sloping roof in three stages and elaborately-carved and gilded gables and decors, is situated at the end of Ratchadamnoen Road. The temple hall houses Phra Buddha Sihing Buddha image. The interior of the hall is exquisite with beautifully-carved pillars and beams and decorative stucco figures.
Wat Suan Dok
Built by the same ruler who built the Phra That Doi Suthep Temple, the temple is situated on Suthep Road. It houses the perfectly-proportioned and the most famous Chiang Saen style Buddha image.
Wat Chiang Man
The oldest monastery in Chiang Mai, predating the city itself. Records showed that King Mengrai set up his temporary command in the compound of the temple while supervising the construction of the city. The temple is on Ratchaphakhinai Road. Its unique feature is a pagoda on a base supported by elephant head figures made in stucco.
Wat Umong
Famous as the prime meditation institute, the temple is located on Huey Kaew Road. There are underground compartments underneath the pagoda for those seeking isolation and peace. A specialized art gallery exhibits instructional Buddhist paintings under-lining the Lord Buddha's teachings.

Thing to Do :
In Chiang Mai. a wide range of tour programmes are on offer, catering to all tastes and areas of interest. One can opt for ecological, agricultural. cultural or shopping tours, or a combined programme at wish.
A day tour of Chiang Mai coun-tryside along the Chiang Mai-Chiang Dao Road can include a visit to the Elephant Training Centre, orchid farms, Mae Sa House Private Collection, Mae Sa Waterfalls, the Inthanon National Park. Mae Klang Waterfalls and Ob Luang Gorge.
A cultural-cum-shopping tour can be taken to the Handicraft Village in Hang Dong. on the southern suburb of Chiang Mai. with wood-carving, silverware, lacquerware, and umbrella painting, culminating in a visit to the Old Chiang Mai Cultural Centre on Wua Lai Road, where a comprehensive collection of northern handicrafts and antiques can be found, along with model hilll-tribe villages, and a traditional Khantok dinner, with guests sitting around a set of delicately-arranged containers of northern food, placed on a small circular table. They are at the same time entertained with northern dances.
Chaing Mai is famous for its Night Bazaar which grew out of a shopping street where people bring craft items and other products to be sold to tourists in the evening. A large complex was built to house shops, with all kinds of products on sale. It is also food and entertainment centre frequented by local people and visitors, both Thai and foreign.
Chiang Mai is also the junction of transportation routes in the north. Overnight trips can be made to Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son, while a visit to Lamphun can be made in a half-day tour.

Chiang Rai

Sightseeing, Around Chiang Rai :
Doi Mae Salong, located 40 km from the city along route 1089 is a fascinating location with scenic views. The area has fruit orchards and coffee plantations. The mountaintop settlement is now home to some Chinese Nationalists who fled to Thailand in 1949. Doi Tung offers fabulous views from Wat Phra That Doi Tung and is home to many hilltribe villages. Don't forget to visit the Doi Tung Royal Villa and the Mae Fah Luang Botanical Garden, maybe the most beautiful in Thailand. 127 km from Chiang Rai you'll get to another mountain called Doi Pa Tang offering scenic views and settlements of several etnic minorities. 25 km south of Doi Pa Tang, go to Phu Chee Fah. This is a favourite spot for fotographers. Mountain mists and scenic views of Laos. Mae Sil, the border town with Burma offers shopping possibilities for cheap Thai, Chineses and Burmese goods. Chiang Saen, the Mekong riverside town is famous for it's special style of Buddha images. Go see the national museum on Wednesday or Sunday from 9.00 to 16.00. Closed on holidays. Next to the Museum stands the tallest monument in Chiang Rai, The 88m high pagoda Wat Phra That Chedi Luand. Wat Pa Sak, outside city walls is claimed to be one of the most beautiful of Lanna architecture.

Mae Hong Son

Sightseeing, Wat Phra Tart Doi Kong Mu, the hilltop temple west of town overlooks the valley. Climb the hill (Behind Pen Porn GH,tel.053-611577,611681) on early mornings to witness the origin of it's name "city of 3 mists". The temple was constructed by the city's first (Shan) King, Phraya Singhanatracha.
The Burmese style Wat Jong Kham & Wat Jong Klang next to the large pond in the southern parth of town house 100-year-old glass paintings and wooden reliefs originaly made by Shan people who brought them from Myanmar.

Sightseeing, Around Mae Hon Son Rafting & Boat trips on the Pai river.
Most GH's and trek companies organize this kind of leisure. The common place to do so is from Ban Huay Deua (8 km SW of town). 1-day scenic rafting trips or longmotor boat trips take you to Padaung (longneck) villages or even into Myanmar territory. Other recommended take off points for rafting are Huai Chang Kaew (16km from Pai) and from Ban Muu Paeng to Ban Mang Muu, a distance of 70 kms. Count a least 4 days for this trip. Tham Plaa National Park, 17km NE of town on route 1095 towards Pai is a visit worthwhile. The fish caves are home to hundreds of catfish (same kind as you can see at Wat U-moong in CM) but bigger. They can grow up to1m. Locals believe they are holy fish, thus fishing is prohibited. Pha Sua Forest Park, north of MHS might be a good idea for a daytrip. The 7-level cataract of Pha Sua Falls in is quite amazing. At km 17 on R1095 to Pai turn left for another 10km to the falls. Further on you'll find Pang Tong Palace (4km approx.),a Meo vilage (11km) and Ban Rak Thai which is a settlement of KMT (Chinese Nat. soldiers) who fled China long time ago. Khum Yuam Cultural center in Khum Yuam District is located opposite Wat Muai Tor with its huge northern style pagoda. The Japanese WWII museum is open daily from 8.30 am to 4.30 pm, free. When the wild sunflowers blossom (Nov.) make sure to be at Doi Mae U-kho sunflower field, Khun Yuam District . The view of over 1,000 rais of sunflowers is simply astonishing (1 rai equals 1,600 sq m). The area between MHS and Pai is a great place for hilltribe exploration. Visit the Black and Red Lahu, Lisu and Karen villages. We recommend a 2-5 day trek since many of the places cannot be reached in one day. Exciting. Most GH's in town offer attractive programs.

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