There’s plenty to see and do in Chiang Mai. However, sometimes that’s the trouble. Some travelers can rush around too much and not take the time to enjoy what the northern part of Thailand is known for – a slower pace of life.
If you want to slow things down a little bit but don’t want to stay in your hotel, boutique guest house or hostel all day, then here are some ideas for you.
Mama Noi Cooking School
The Mama Noi Cooking School offers a pleasant day to learn how to cook, Thai style. It’s considered one of the best Chiang Mai cooking school options because of the experienced staff and their friendly approach to tourists who are out of practice cooking Asian dishes.
Most of their one-day courses include shopping at the local market for the freshest ingredients first and then learning how to prep the produce ready to cook it. Attendees can try making several Thai dishes to a spice level of their choosing. Later, they can share their creations and see how well everyone did.
What’s learned at the cooking school can be taken home and used as inspiration in your own kitchen. This saves on expensive Thai takeout when you can buy the right ingredients at a supermarket and cook using a wok.
Central Airport Plaza
The Central Airport Plaza Mall is a little bit outside the old city, near to the airport. Here it’s possible to while away several hours wandering about multiple floors at this extensive shopping extravaganza.
There’re numerous restaurants to try out, clothing stores to see if there’s a garment you like, and tech stores to look at the latest smartphones. A multi-screen cinema on the top floor provides entertainment, some of which is in English.
Ride on a Boat along the Mae Ping River
The Mae Ping River is the main river in Chiang Mai. There are several boat operators that offer boat trips along the river during the day or in the evening. The daytime trips usually last a couple of hours, including a scheduled stop for lunch.
The river water is calm on the Mae Ping River, so anyone with seasickness shouldn’t have to pack Dramamine to handle motion sickness. You won’t be on a speed boat as river traffic moves at a sensible pace because the river is long but not particularly wide at any point.
Wander the Streets of the Old City
Within the city walls and moat that surrounds the Old City in Chiang Mai, there are many small streets to explore. Many times, the only way to make good finds is to walk around and stumble upon them. That is unless you cheat and use Google Maps, which now has many popular spots marked.
Even when you want to chill out a bit, there are still some interesting things to keep you occupied without getting tired. Then you can resume your hectic travel activities the following day!
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