Chiang Mai, Thailand

Last week, I visited Chiang Mai with a friend, who had some business dealings there. I felt a little bit guilty towards Gerhard, but it was an opportunity I couldn't pass up.

Chiang Mai means 'new city' and was founded in 1296 as the capital of the first independent Thai state, Lanna Thai (Kingdom of One Million Rice Fields).

Chiang Mai is located about 700 km north of Bangkok. The Ping River flows through the city and the old part of town is completely surrounded by a moat and some of the old city wall remains. The Lanna Thai, Burmese, Sri Lankan and Mon influences are evident throughout the city and there about 300 temples.

The only temple we visited was where the town's silversmiths are donating their time to complete clad the temple with silver panels. They are actually aluminum but the effect is as though it were silver.

We took an early flight which arrived at 8:00 am. We were met at the airport and taken to our hotel, the Tamarind Village. It was a lovely setting...you go down a long lane shaded by bamboo and the hotel has a village-style layout with all the archways and brick walkway linking all the buildings. The rooms are very minimalist. Ultra modern bathrooms with smooth, shiny concrete walls and floors. The hotel is right in the center of Old City.

We walked a lot the first day, shopping in the Old City and towards the Ping River. At night, we visited the Night Bazaar, after dining at a great restaurant called The House.

The following day we hired a driver so we were able to visit some of the outlaying areas. While my friend was attending to her business, I went to a little market full of handicrafts. The region is known for its fine handicrafts: woodcarving, silverworks, ceramics (Celadon), umbrella making and wonderful silk and cotton textiles.

We were exhausted and decided to head over to the Oasis Spa for a couple of hours of pampering before dinner and a final visit to the Night Market.

Lunch at the Mandarin Oriental, Chiang Mai