Fang Hot Springs in Chiangmai

Fang Hot Springs

Hot springs shooting up to the sky in this large national park on the outskirts of Chiang Mai .

This large park is situated at the northern limit of Chiang Mai Province and has a long border with Myanmar (Burma). It is one of the least spoiled areas of Thailand. Doi Pa Hom Bok Clum, 2285 meters high, is the second tallest mountain in Thailand, strong winds blow all round and have caused the mountain to have a flat top from where there is a magnificent view. There are several spectacular waterfalls and caves. The splendid virgin forest contains a wide range of unusual and rare flora and fauna.

Ten kilometres from the town of Fang, are the headquarters of the park where maps and information can be obtained. Here, too, are the famous hot springs. Covering an area of fourteen rai, a number of boiling geysers shoot from the ground - this is a lovely place for a picnic and the whole area is beautifully kept.

In 1989 in cooperation with a French company, an Israeli geothermal power plant was installed using the pressure of hot water from a hundred meter deep well. Electricity generated is supplied to the national grid. This project has been carefully planned so as not to spoil the environment. The staff are always proud to show visitors around the plant. To the south of Fang are non-commercial oil wells exploited by the army. Songteaw taxis from Chiang Mai to Fang are perhaps a rather uncomfortable mode of travel but leave regularly and are inexpensive. Due to its remoteness there are not many tours to the Fang area but for the adventurous, treks to the region will take you into the heart of the wild.

Chiang Mai Night Safari in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Night Safari

Opened recently, Chiang Mai Night Safari offers the adventurous the opportunity to head off into the animal kingdom while keeping a safe distance from urban creature comforts and a nice hotel!

Only the third night safari in the world (Singapore and Guangxi, China also having them), Chiang Mai Night Safari has proven an immediate hit with visitors and locals alike. Officially opening 1st January, 2006, the safari has been open to the public free of charge and countless visitors have been taking advantage with 40,000 people to date having visited the safari each night and numbers increasing at weekends - way, way over capacity!

The Safari offers a series of trails over three main zones. The Jaguar Trail offers visitors a walk of around 1,200 meters and is open during the day and at night. The Savanna Safari and Predator Prowl areas use rail cars to move visitors around. This is the ideal opportunity to observe wildlife at night.

For further information you can check the Night Safari’s website, but, surprisingly, it is entirely Thai language. No doubt that will change shortly.

Contact:
Chaing Mai Night Safari
Thanon NongKauy
A.Tangkong
Chang Mai 50230
Tel: (053) 999-000
Fax:(053) 999-099

Bangkok Office
33/13 Moo 4 Ratanatibat Road
Srimaeneun
Muang
Nontaburi 11000
Tel: 0-25954384-87, 0-2595-4390-91
Fax: (Bangkok) 0-2595-4387

Night Bazaar in Chiang Mai

Night Bazaar

The Night Bazaar, or Kad Luang (Royal Market) as it is know by locals, is one of Chiang Mai's biggest draws. Located right in the centre of the city on Ping River, it is easily accessible and if you are in Chiang Mai a visit is almost obligatory. The market attracts huge crowds every evening and it is a great place to pick up trinkets and gifts. Given the market’s close proximity to the companies that manufacture them, the price of local handicrafts is attractively cheap here.
The market has huge arcades which hold a multitude of shops and stalls. The place is so packed that stalls actually spill over onto the footpaths around the market. It’s a big place to wander around, and you should put away at least a couple of hours to do it. Aside from local handicrafts, you can buy virtually anything you can think of at the market – ‘Rolex’ watches, silk, jewelry and more high-tech items like TVs and DVD plays and CDs. As with many markets, the Night Bazaar also offers some of the best street food you are likely to come across. Catering for the large number of foreigners visiting, the bazaar also offers camera shops, travel agents and internet cafes. Be prepared to bargain – to get the best price you will have to. One service the bazaar offers that seems eternally popular is portrait paintings from photos. Alternatively, have your portrait painted in Thai costume!

How to get there: The Night Bazaar is on Chang Klan Road between Tha Pae Road and Si Donchai Road. If you are staying in Chiang Mai it is probably within walking distance, but if you want to take a Tuk-Tuk the fare will be around 20 Baht from the centre of town.

Khantoke Dinners in Chiang Mai

Khantoke Dinners

A very popular activity in Chiang Mai is attending Khantoke Dinners and Cultural Shows. There are a number to choose from and they feature a selection of traditional dances and performances unique to the area. Shows include Fon Lep (or ‘Finger Dancing’), Fon Thean (or ‘Candle Dancing’) and Ram Dab (or ‘Sword Dancing’). While you are watching the performances you eat northern-style Thai food served in a traditional fashion – you sit on the floor and food is served on low tables! The cost of Khantoke Dinners varies but is usually within the 500 Baht to 1,000 Baht a person range. The following is a list of a few places in Chiang Mai where you can experience Khantoke Dinners:

Nakorn Lanna 129684
Changklan RoadChiangmai
Tel: (053) 818-428-9, 818-400
Open: 19:00 onwards

Mae Ping Khantoke (Imperial Mae Ping Hotel)
Imperial Mae Ping Hotel
Seedonchai RoadChiangmai
Tel: (053) 283-900

Old Chiangmai Cultural Center
185/3 Wualai RoadChiangmai
Tel: (053) 275-097, 274-540, 202-993-5
Fax: (053) 274-094Open: 19:00 to 21:30

Khum Khantoke
Chiangmai Business Park
130 Moo 4
Nong Pakrung Chiangmai
Tel: (053) 304-121-2, 260-504
Fax: (053) 304-123

Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai

Doi Inthanon

At 8,500 feet above sea level Doi Inthanon is Thailand's highest mountain. It is a premium site for scenery and offers visitors forests, bird life and waterfalls. During the winter season the summit of Doi Inthanon is usually cool and dry, but over recent years temperatures have fallen lower and lower. You can now on very rare occasions experience temperatures below freezing point. The area is renowned for mist when temperatures decline and images of the mountain’s hazy beauty have become somewhat iconic. Two large pagodas built for the current King and Queen of Thailand are situated on the mountain’s summit. Doi Inthanon Forest has been established as a National Park. A trip to the mountain is often combined with a trip to Mae Klang, Wachiratan and Siriphum Waterfalls. With over 400 varieties of birds it is also a key destination for bird watching.

Details: The various sites on and around Doi Inthanon cost a range of fees. However, a visit to Wat Phra Mahatat Naphamethanidon will cost 200 Baht and this provides free access to most of the other sites available.

How to get there: Given the scale of the mountain, joining one of the many tours organized from the city might prove the best approach. Alternatively, take a bus to Chom Thong from the Chiang Mai Gate (south of the city) and then take a bus Mae Klang Waterfall and then another bus to the mountain.

Chiang Mai Zoo in Chiang Mai

Chiang Mai Zoo

Chiang Mai Zoo was established in 1974 and for much of its existence offered the standard fare many zoos around the world offer. However, its popularity soared over recent years with the Chinese government’s loan to Thailand of two pandas – ‘Chuang Chuang’ and ‘Lin Hui’ (‘Tewan’ and ‘Tewee’ in Thai). The pandas are housed in a new purpose-built wing of Chiang Mai Zoo, and since their arrival the zoo has seen a dramatic increase in the number of domestic and foreign visitors. This is one of the few occasions outside China you might get to see a Panda - as a result Chiang Mai Zoo has quickly become a high priority on a visitor’s itinerary. However, the zoo has more to offer than just the pandas. Chiang Mai Zoo is on the Doi Suthep route and situated at the foot of the mountain, providing a natural habitat for the zoo’s various species of animals.

Details: If you are visiting the zoo to see the pandas, the best time for a visit is 09:00 when the enclosure is opened and the pandas fed. The zoo is open 08:00 to 18:00 and admission is 100 Baht (adults) and 50 Baht (children) if you want to see the pandas, although this is on top of the usual fee of 30 Baht (adults) and 5 Baht (children).

How to get there: Chiang Mai Zoo is located at the Huay Kaew Road. Probably the easiest way to get there is Tuk-Tuk, but Songtaews going to Doi Suthep also take you to the zoo. Bus number 3 also goes past the zoo.

Contact:
Chiang Mai Zoo
100 Huay Kaew Road
Maung District
Chiang Mai 50200
Tel: (053) 221-179

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep in Chiang Mai

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep

Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is probably Chiang Mai's most important site for visitors, and certainly its most visible. Wat Phra Borommathat Doi Suthep nestles into the side of Doi Suthep some 3,000 feet above sea level amongst some of the most picturesque scenery you are likely to encounter. Built by King Gue-Na in 1383, the temple houses a large copper-plate Chedi (twenty-two meters high) that is covered in gold and contains holy relics of the Lord Buddha. As well as being a key tourism destination, the temple has considerable importance and Buddhist pilgrims visit the site all year round. The temple has four chapels and an important golden Buddha image is found at the temple. To get to there you either walk up a staircase (around 300 steps) or use a cable car.

Details: The cost of the cable car to the temple is 40 Baht. Admission is free but a donation of 20 Baht is suggested. The temple opens daily from 07:00 to 17:00 and it is a very popular destination so you can expect crowds during the day.

How to get there: Wat Phra That Doi Suthep is 15 kilometers from Chuang Mai. Probably the easiest way to get there is one of the numerous Songtaew buses that regularly leave the city for the temple from the market at the corner of Chotana Road and Manneenopparat Road (outside Changpuak Gate) at a cost of 60 Baht (35 Baht up to the temple and 25 Baht back. A number of tours also leave the city at a cost of around 600 Baht to 1,000 Baht.