Chiang Mai strikes a balance between tradition and laid-back culture. While the city still takes customs and dress codes seriously (especially at temples), it feels much more relaxed than what you’ll experience in Bangkok.
The pace is slower, the atmosphere is calmer, and it’s an easy place to settle in for a few days—which is exactly what we did.
We spent five nights in Chiang Mai, our longest stay of the trip, and it gave us enough time to really get comfortable, explore at a relaxed pace, and try a variety of restaurants.
Things to Know:
Be prepared for rain
Right after checking in upon arrival, we took a walk around the hotel block to acclimate ourselves to the city. We were only gone for maybe a half hour, but it was long enough to get caught in a torrential downpour. It was such a quick walk, we didn’t bring the rain gear we packed – we wished we had! It didn’t rain again while we were in Chiang Mai, but we were always prepared after that.
Always have a lightweight poncho or small umbrella handy.
Temple dress codes
Though Chiang Mai is definitely more relaxed than Bangkok, modest dress is still required at temples – which means covered shoulders and knees. You can also still expect to see some “men only” signs at some temples.
Old City Chiang Mai is walkable
Many restaurants, temples, and shops are located close together. We were able to walk to most places from our hotel. Chiang Mai was very tourist friendly.
Where We Stayed:
U Chiang Mai | 70 Ratchadamnoeun Road
We stayed here for five nights, our longest stay of the trip. The staff made it a point to know our names and treat us like welcome guests. They were consistently friendly and very hospitable throughout our stay. We were sorry to leave.
In an effort to pack light, we didn’t bring a lot of clothes, so we took advantage of the hotel’s laundry service twice. It was convenient, reasonably priced, and made traveling much easier.
The second we arrived, the first thing Chris did was ask them to bring a fan to our room, and they obliged right away!
For the air conditioning in the room to work, you have to have a room key in the door, or it doesn’t work. So with our two room keys, Chris kept one in all the time so we’d come back from our travels to a cooled down room.
Not only was the hotel beautiful and the staff welcoming, it’s also located in very close proximity to a lot of cool things to see. It’s right in the heart of the Old City and within walking distance of several major attractions, including:
- Wat Chedi Luang
- Restaurants and cafes
- Night markets and shops
- Massage parlors and convenience stores
Where We Ate:
We ate out a lot in Chiang Mai, though we did also enjoy the room service at the hotel a handful of times. In fact, we loved the shrimp cakes from the room service menu so much that we ordered it a few times. We were in Chiang Mai long enough that we got a good mix of places to eat.
137 Pillars House Chiang Mai | 2 NHA Wat Kaet 1 Alley
Definitely the nicest restaurant and best meal we had the whole trip. Eating here was part of one of our Chiang Mai tours, which I’ll detail in the next post.
Huen Phen | 112 Si Phum
The tour guide who took care of us during out time in Chiang Mae recommended this restaurant, and it was easy to see why. The atmosphere was traditional and welcoming, and the food was delicious and beautifully presented.
And wouldn’t you know it, the first thing Chris did upon arrival was ask the wait staff to bring him a fan.
The wait staff was pretty slow and inattentive, and we had to flag them down to place our order and get a check – but it was otherwise a great experience.
92 Rachadamneon | 92 Rachadamneon Rd
This restaurant is named after its address, which we noticed is not uncommon in Thailand.
We shared the shrimp cakes, thought they were not as good as the U Chiang Mai room service shrimp cakes. I ordered the panang curry, which was a risk. I’d tried a bite of my sister-in-law’s panang curry once and remembered liking it, but the only time I’d ever ordered it for myself, it was far too spicy. So I went out of my comfort zone ordering it, and it was excellent! Chris loved the Pad Thai. The service and entrees were excellent.
Pad Thai Rachadamnoen | 139 Rachadamnoeun Rd
This restaurant was very close to our hotel, so we actually went there twice. Once we had dinner, and a second time we came back just for smoothies to help us cool down. The owner was very friendly and provided great service.
Rosemary | Chonprathan Rd
We stopped here for lunch the day we drove the Samoeung Loop. It wasn’t bad, but also not very memorable. It was just a convenient stop during a day spent enjoying Chiang Mai on our own.
7-Eleven | Pretty much everywhere we saw one
There are plenty of 7-Elevens everywhere we went in Thailand. Pretty much every time we saw one, we’d stop there. For two reasons:
- They were always perfectly air conditioned – it was so good to have a reliable place to cool down!
- To get me some ice cold Pepsi Zero (we never could find my favorite Diet Dr. Pepper), and “whatever the coldest thing is” for Chris.
Up Next
Our first official guided tour in Chiang Mai which included a fancy dinner and a visit to the bustling Warorot Market at night.
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