Thailand is a beautiful holiday destination and probably the easiest to visit for family travel in Asia. With beautiful mountains in the background, vibrant hill tribes and a more laid back vibe, Chiang Mai offers a retreat from the hustle and bustle of modern Bangkok.
Chiang Mai is situated 700 km north of Bangkok (about 1 hour flight). Its higher elevation means Chiang Mai has cooler weather compared to Bangkok and Phuket. Despite being the second biggest city in Thailand, it is home to only 200,000 people. Centuries ago, this region was the Lanna Kingdom. Up to this day ancient brick walls and moats still surround the old area of the city.
Here are our top things to do in Chiang Mai for family travellers:
Shop, Eat & Explore the night markets
Every single night there’s always a night market happening in Chiang Mai. It is so much more than just shopping – it’s a cultural feast of the senses! Buskers from singers, dancers, musicians gather at these markets entertaining tourists of all ages. And of course the variety of exotic fruit smoothies, ice cream and snacks are endless. Most vendors generally start organizing their stalls from 5.30pm so come early if you want to avoid the crowds. Bargaining is expected and is all part of the fun.
The nightly market also known as night bazaar is located at Chang Klan road. It draws thousands of visitors every night. They sell mass produced tourist souvenirs here as well as replica items. Saturday night market is located along Wualai road near Chiang Mai gate. This area was once the centre of silversmiths of Chiang Mai. Here you will find authentic handicraft goods and some artist can be seen demonstrating their skills by producing items made from zinc and alloy.
Sunday walking street market starts at Tha Phae gate and stretches along Ratchadamnoen road. Majority of the vendors here showcase art and craftsmanship of the Nothern Thai people. Many of the stall vendors make their own products and quality of craftsmanship is superb.
Visit the beautiful Buddhist temples
Chiang Mai is home to over 300 Buddhist temples. Wat Chedi Luang and Doi Suthep temples are the two must sees.
Wat Doi Suthep is the temple that sits high up above Chiang Mai near the Suthep Mountain. Once you arrive at the tourist entrance, there are over 300 stairs to climb to get to the temple itself. Do not worry as it is an easy climb. The stairs are wide, giving you chance to stop and rest for a breather.
Wat Chedi Luang originally built in 14th century is located in a vast complex where children can run around in. It is easy to spot as the chedi (pagoda) is one of the tallest structures in the old city. The friendly young monks here are happy to chat with tourists and are eager to practice their English.
Get up close with the big cats at Tiger Kingdom
If you want to get up close and personal with tigers from small cubs to adults, here is your opportunity. After reading the rules and signing the waivers, the tiger handlers take you into the cages where you can touch, pet and pose for pictures. Like many animal encounters, this one is controversial. We did a lot of research prior to visiting. The tigers to be very alert, active, well fed and loved by the trainers. While we are not animal experts, we did not see signs of them being mistreated or drugged.
If you’re unsure whether you want to partake, it’s a good idea to do your own research and see the site yourself – then you can take some time and make an informed decision about what best suits your family.
Visit the elephants at Maesa Elephant camp
Established in 1976, Maesa Elephant Camp is a conservation centre for domesticated elephants acquired from across Thailand. It is located in a picturesque hillside location. They have daily elephant shows where they get to show off their amazing talents from playing football, dart throwing to painting. It is a fun show for both children and adults. Pre-show you also get to see the elephants have a bath and play around the river. After the show don’t forget to take a look at the baby elephants in the nursery. It is just a 5 minute walk from the elephant ground.
For a small fee you get to have more hands on experience with the elephants (kisses and cuddles) and take photographs with these gentle giants. Another wonderful experience for older children is to sign up for the Mahout training program. You get to learn firsthand what these professional mahouts do on a daily basis from bathing and feeding the elephants to giving commands. All participants will be awarded with a certificate of achievement as a memento.
Visit Baan Tong Luang Tourist Village
Baan Tong Luang is a mock village containing 4 separate Thai Hill Tribes; the Lahu, Hmong, White Karen and the Long necked Karen tribes. The village is set up in beautiful lush green surroundings, and picturesque rice paddies. Originally opened in 2005, it was set up as an Eco Agricultural project to preserve the old traditional ways of Hill Tribe agriculture and provide an income for them. All of the ethnic tribes here make a livelihood by farming and selling handicraft (from embroidery, cloth, jewellery) to tourists.
The long necked Karen Tribe are probably the most well known. These Burmese settlers are recognized for their cosmetic practice of elongating girls’ necks with heavy gold rings. We bumped into a Karen lady whose daughter’s age was exactly the same as our son, Berlin. We took some time to let the 2 babies playing with each other.
Go on a day trip to Chiang Rai
Chiang Rai is a 3 hours drive from Chiang Mai. The main sight without a doubt is the famous white (and super bling bling) temple, Wat Rong Khun. It is not so much a temple as it is a privately owned art exhibit designed like a Buddhist temple. In 1997 the original temple had fallen into disrepair hence a famous Thai artist decided to recreate the temple. The modern design combines Buddhist imagery with modern iconography.
If you have more time, visit the famous Golden Triangle just 1 hour north of Chiang Rai. Here the Mekong and Ruak Rivers join to connect the 3 countries of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos.
Visit a charity organization – we chose Healing Family Foundation
Healing Family Foundation is a non profit organization founded by a group of parents in 2005. It aims to provide a space for people with intellectual disabilities to have fun, socialize and showcase their talents. By utilising Japanese designed, disability friendly handlooms, the members create beautiful one of a kind woven cloths. These then get Inco-operated into a variety of products from handbags, tablecloths to T shirts. Through the sale of these products, the foundation is able to support their members and keep the facility running.
On our visit we were greeted by Mr Pradit, the president of the foundation. We also met 9 of the members who absolutely loved our son, Berlin. He was 6 months old at the time of visit, and every single person tried to cheer him up by pulling faces. Some even asked to touch and cuddle him. It was a very memorable visit, one we will cherish for the rest of our lives.
Other things to do
Spas. From reflexology to fish spas there are plenty to suit your style and budget.
Shopping at Central Festival shopping mall. Opened in 2013, it is Chiang Mai’s first full-scale lifestyle shopping centre.
Accommodation
There is certainly no shortage of accommodation options in Chiang Mai. From backpacker budget to luxury 5 star accommodations. We chose to splurge a little and stayed at the Le Méridien Hotel. It is a five star hotel with spacious family room, modern bathroom, and awesome rooftop pool with views of the Suthep Mountain. Staffs were friendly and always willing to go out of their way. Location itself couldn’t have been more perfect. It is situated right in the heart of the night bazaar and within walking distance to the old town, and awesome restaurants.
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Transport
Chiang Mai is best discovered by foot. It is a small town and doesn’t have a metro system. Getting around to places outside of the old town is best via taxi, tuk tuk or your personal driver.
Taxis and tuk tuks are very reasonable priced, most do understand basic English although it is best for you to write down your destination in Thai to show the driver. Most of the time meters aren’t set so best to agree on a price before going for a ride. Bargain with the driver reasonably. Don’t stress yourself out bargaining over $1-$2 difference.
Out of the 6 days we were in Chiang Mai, we hired a private driver for 3 days. Private drivers are very reasonably priced. We hired services of Mrs. Peung which we found from Tripadvisor.
Getting in and out of Chiang Mai airport is a breeze as it is a small airport located just 10 minutes away from the city centre.
Food
Chiang Mai offers all variety of food you can think of, from local delicacies to Western restaurants. We even had the chance to dine at German Hofbrauhaus while drinking fresh coconut! A lot of local Thai restaurants are set in a beautiful traditional Teak house. We had traditional Thai lunch at The River Market restaurant by the river front overlooking the iron bridge. As for ordering food, waiters are very helpful and understand basic English and almost all restaurants have English menu. Most restaurants do not have a high chair, but strollers are welcomed inside.
