Where to start, Chiang Mai is a beautiful city in the north of Thailand, and what a city it is!
We loved our time exploring the streets, visiting the temples, and trying the food. But most importantly we loved visiting the elephant sanctuary.
1. The main reason for people visiting Chiang Mai is to visit an elephant sanctuary, our choice was the', as we had done a lot of research and this particular place had the most ethical approach to caring and nurturing these beautiful creatures, and is also one of the few non- profit organisations that relies only upon donations. What an experience this nature park provides for you; walking among these animals, and listening to the keepers and how much love they have for the elephants and their stories was one of the most wonderful things we've ever had the privilege to be a part of, and we could not recommend it enough ! If you ever intend on travelling to Chiang Mai, the elephant nature park is a must.
2. Our second recommendation for Chiang Mai, is to visit one of the many temples. There are over 300 Buddhist temples scattered across the city to be exact, so there's plenty to choose from. The ones we would recommend based on where we visited, would be - Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, Wat Phra Singh, Wat Chedi Luang, and Wat Suan Dorg to name a few, however, we are sure there are many more just as beautiful ones too.
3. Number three involves our favourite thing... FOOD ! As I'm sure you'll already know if you follow our insta, we love food and anything that centres around it, so what better way to experience Chiang Mai than through their food. Food markets are everything in Thailand, and Chiang Mai is no stranger to this, but our favourite market has to be Ploen Ruedee Night Market.
If you want a taste of everything from countless types of pad Thai, to wood fire pizza, to crepes to a boozy disco camper, then this is the place to be ! The experience alone is enough, situated right next to the night bazaar where you can shop till your hearts content, its the perfect place to end (or start) your evening.
4. Again involves food (oops). Chiang Mai is a big city, in fact, is the second largest in Thailand, however, its a beautiful city to stroll around, and explore. Walking can be tough in the weather, but if you're up for the challenge you can stumble across some hidden gems like we did. we'll just list a few to check out - Bagel house cafe, Outlaws Bar and Grill (for good pizza), Rise Rooftop Bar (great views, and has a pool), 248 Street Hostel (rooftop bar, has a pool bar, amazing views and is decently priced- buy a beer to use the pool).
5. Our final thing to do, is to let loose at the Grand Canyon Waterpark ! Its easily the funniest day we had in Chiang Mai. Its basically a giant total wipeout course, and oh my its hard work, but SO much fun (you'll defo be achey the next day, but so worth it). its quite far out, so we'd recommend getting the grab app and using it to get there. It has 2 courses that you can attempt, so its worth getting there early to get your moneys worth. Its such a fun day out and wed totally do it again !
