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Chiang Mai is a fascinating city of some 160,000 people 700 Km north of Bangkok and easily accessible from the capital by air, bus or train. The overnight train trip from Bangkok is probably the most enjoyable way to visit Chiang Mai.
The city dates back to 1296 and the older area sits inside a square surrounded by moats and the remains of ancient city walls which once fortified Chang Mai against Burmese invaders. The town has several hundred temples and enjoys a far cooler climate than Bangkok in the south. During December it can get quite chilly at night and the local tuk tuk drivers resort to wearing balaclavas.
Chiang Mai is a major tourist spot and has an unbelievable range of places to stay - you have hundreds of choices ranging from scores of guesthouses to apartments and hotels of every description. During peak seasons prices rise and rooms fill up but the sheer quantity of rooms in town keeps prices competitive. Hotelz Asia can assist you with a wide range of affordable hotel packages in Chiang Mai.
At night Chiang Mai has everything from beer bars to heavy metal nightclubs and a concentration of sleazy clubs and massage parlors. The town is a mass of stalls, shops, food vendors and markets at night with the famous Chiang Mai Night Markets being the main attraction.
The markets sell everything from Northern handicrafts to plastic junk and you have to bargain like a demon to get a good price owing to the masses of westerners around town. There is often free entertainment at the Night Market featuring Thai dancing and music.
Chiang Mai has an excellent selection of restaurants and pubs and there is plenty to see around town. There are temples in every direction but try to see Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang as they are impressive examples.
Chiang Mai serves as a tour base for the whole northern region and every second shop sells tours to regional attractions as well as hill tribe treks, elephant rides, rafting trips and the like. You can also rent motorcycles and cars all over town. Lots of people will approach you on the streets touting tours and hill tribe treks. The best place to start if you are looking to go trekking or on a tour is at your own guesthouse or hotel - my experience has been that they are often more trustworthy and usually quite competitive. There are sharks around so shop around before handing over your money !
Local attractions close to town include Doi Suthep - a fabulous mountain top temple 16 Km out of town, the umbrella village of Bor Sang ( 9 Km ) and the silk making village at Sankampaeng (14 km ). You can also visit countless hill tribe villages on a variety of trekking tours but again shop around as these treks range from excellent to bad depending on which tour company you deal with. Ask around in the bars and restaurants for recommendations.
You can also pay a visit to nearby Maerim and check out the Thai buffalo training camp.
I would advise any visitor to Thailand to spend at least a week in town exploring Chiang Mai and it's nearby attractions. The cool weather and good, affordable accommodation is an added bonus. Be sure however to remain security conscious - there are constant reports of scams in Chiang Mai including dodgy guesthouses stealing credit cards, bargirls or out of luck westerners ripping off other travelers and every other scam known to man.
You will avoid most of these problems by not wandering alone around the countryside, keeping a close eye on your wallet and not trusting overly friendly strangers - Thai or westerners. If you go trekking, leave your valuables in a bank deposit box rather than at a local guesthouse.
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