The northern city of Chiang Mai is popular amongst tourists for various reasons.
One – its northern location means that it has a cooler climate as opposed to the southern cities of Thailand, which are closer to the tropics. The weather here is moderate compared to the sunnier climates of the south.
Second – Chiang Mai is more budget friendly than the other, more popular cities in Thailand like Patong in Phuket, Koh Samui or Bangkok. You can make more out of your travel budget if you spend your holidays in Chiang Mai.
Third reason – there are many activities that you can add to your itinerary if you’re coming to Chiang Mai for the holidays. Let’s take a look at what you can do during a holiday to this chill northern city in Thailand.
Night Safari
Have you always wanted to see some of the apex predators of the rainforest in action? If so, you should book yourself a visit to the Night Safari Park.
The experience is definitely what you are looking for as a holidaymaker in Thailand. The Park will allow you to roam the park full of wild animals and their natural predators, including the white-striped tiger and the jaguar, among others.
You can choose between trekking the park on foot for a more intimate experience, or on an open-air tram, where you can watch the ecosystem in comfort.
One of the highlights in the Night Safari is the opportunity to come into close contact with cute tiger cubs, still harmless enough to allow you pet and feed them. Visitors can also watch a laser light show in the Park.
Visit the Old City Temples
Chiang Mai is one of Thailand’s oldest cities, and the government has done well over the years to preserve the heritage. In the Old City, you can visit a number of temples and take a look at what Chiang Mai, and Thailand in general, looked like back in the day before Europeans arrived in Asia.
You can experience the Old City at your own pace, as it is a relatively small area that you can explore on foot. Be sure to take pictures standing next to the well-preserved ancient walls of the city, or right by the castle moat.
Elephant Jungle Sanctuary
The Elephant Jungle Sanctuary is a “retirement home” for the country’s old elephants. The Sanctuary accepts them once their previous owners retire them from their previous jobs in the logging and tourism industries, among others.
The Sanctuary still allows people to get up close and personal with Thailand’s most revered animal and most reliable work beast. However, elephant riding is not allowed, as the park aims to provide a humane and gentle treatment of the animals. You can, however, give them a bath and pamper them to your mutual delight.
Of course, these are only three of the top activities tourists can add to their itinerary when they are in Chiang Mai. There are many others that are worth mentioning, like the Doi Inthanon National Park and the Underground Ancient City of Wiang Kum Kam.
