Chiang Mai - Northern Thailand

Not recommended for: party animals, beach enthusiasts, thrill seekers.

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Chiang Mai Then:
Once upon a time Chiang Mai, located some 700km North of Bangkok could only be reached by Elephant back or a river trip! It wasn’t until the 1920’s that infrastructure was put in place to enable road travel from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai’s history dates back over 700 years to the late 13th Century and King Mengrai founded Chiang Mai in 1296 and named it the capital of his Lanna Kingdom. Chiang Mai became a province of Thailand in 1932 after the bloodless revolution of Siam.

Chiang Mai Now:
Chiang Mai is now one of the most cosmopolitan places in Thailand, with over 170,000 inhabitants and many tourists visiting every year Chiang Mai is considered to be Thailand’s second most important city. Attracting thousands of visitors every year, Chiang Mai’s main influences for attracting visitors are the gorgeous Mountain range in and Around Chiang Mai, it is also on the backpacker trail as it the main hub for travelling on to Laos and the trekking in the Jungles around Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. The beautiful moat and walls around the Old City are enough to lure most tourists to Chiang Mai.

Little Known Facts:
- Chiang Mai is Thailand’s fifth largest city with over 170,000 inhabitants
- It was voted in the top 10 cities to live in Asia
- There are over 300 Buddhist temples (Wat’s in Thai) in Chiang Mai

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