Chiang Mai Things To Do

Nightlife
Our list of things to do in Chiang Mai starts with the nightlife, talk about vibrant! Chiang Mai is a noisy, cheerful meeting place where the locals mix with holidaymakers in a good humoured all night party atmosphere. Bars, pubs and specialist wine bars, from traditional to cosmopolitan.

Elephant Rides
Thai people love their elephants and there are places in Chiang Mai where you can book a training course to find out more about being a Mahout, or elephant riding aficionado. Mahouts probably know more about elephants than anyone on earth and it’s a privilege – as well as great fun – to learn about how it all works and get up close and intimate with such massive beasts.
 
Arts, Crafts and Bazaars
Chiang Mai is famous for being the primary centre for arts and crafts in Thailand. Ask any backpacker and they’ll tell you about the Night Bazaar on Chang Klan Road, the best and biggest place in town to lay your hands on some lovely souvenirs. There’s up market furniture, household name designer clothing, jewel-like Thai silk, silver and jewellery, carved wood, woven fabrics, and local pottery.
 
Retail Therapy
Chiang Mai is a cool place for shopaholics with the added bonus that you’re actually expected to haggle the prices down.
 
Karaoke
Thai people are obsessed with karaoke so there are more karaoke bars than you’d have thought possible. If you go clubbing, you’ll find Karaoke there too. There’s no escape! But great fun… the locals absolutely love it and you’ll get a friendly, enthusiastic round of applause even if your singing voice sounds like a tractor stuck in reverse. 

Extreme Sports
Thailand has been on the backpacking route for decades now and a good few UK ex pats have taken themselves over there to live and work for good. Watch out for Aussies and Brits offering excellent adventure and extreme sports activities like zorbing, trail bike hire, go-karting, paint balling and bungee jumping.

Culture and History
Chiang Mai city itself is good for sightseeing and there’s loads of cultural and historic stuff to explore. And there are a lot of lovely parks to sit around and chill in. Climb 304 steps in the heat up the Naga Staircase at Doi Suthep Wat Prathat and you’ll find the view was worth the effort.  Doi Suthep is a temple, high up on the 3000 foot peak of Suthep Mountain. The delightful pagoda in the middle of the temple is said to contain relics of Buddha so it is popular all year round with pilgrims.