Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 741

On top of that, there are fabulous
temples, delicious food, unparalleled
evening markets and an energetic
nightlife that caters to everyone. It's
impossible to get bored here.

The north
Beyond the northern plains, the climate
becomes more temperate, nurturing the
fertile land that gave the old kingdom of
the north the name of Lanna , “the land of
a million rice fields”. Until the beginning
of the last century, Lanna was a largely
independent region, with its own styles of
art and architecture. Its capital, the
pleasant, 700-year-old city of Chiang Mai ,
is now a major centre for travellers'
activities and courses and the most
popular base from which to organize
treks to nearby hill-tribe villages. Another
great way of exploring the scenic
countryside up here is to rent a jeep or
motorbike and make the 600km loop
over the forested western mountains, via
the backpackers' honeypot of Pai , to Mae
Hong Son and back. Heading north from
Chiang Mai towards the Burmese border
brings you to the smaller town of Chiang
Rai , a base for trekking and river trips,
and then on to the frontier settlement of
Mae Sai , the so-called “ Golden Triangle ”
at Sop Ruak, and the atmospheric ruined
temples of Chiang Saen . Chiang Khong ,
on the Mekong River, is an important
crossing point to Laos.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO
he main sights are mostly situated
within the ancient city walls, which are
surrounded by a moat, and intersected at
the cardinal points by elaborate gates.
ha Pae Gate, on the east side of old
Chiang Mai, leads out to the town's
commercial centre and the river. Just
16km west of town, the striking Wat
Phra hat Doi Suthep is set on a
mist-shrouded mountain.

10

Wat Phra Singh
If you see only one temple in Chiang Mai
it should be Wat Phra Singh , at the far
western end of hanon Ratchdamnoen in
the old town. Just inside the gate to the
right, the recently restored wooden
library is the best example of its kind in
the north, inlaid with glass mosaic and
set high on a base decorated with stucco
angels. he temple's largest structure, a
colourful modern viharn (congregation
hall) fronted by naga (serpent)
balustrades, hides from view the beautiful
Viharn Lai Kam, a wooden gem of early
nineteenth-century Lanna architecture,
with its squat, multi-tiered roof and
exquisitely carved and gilded pediment.
Inside sits the Phra Singh Buddha image,
a portly, radiant and much-revered
bronze in fifteenth-century Lanna style.
he walls are enlivened by murals
depicting daily life in the north a
hundred years ago.

CHIANG MAI
Despite becoming a fixture on the
package-tourist itinerary, CHIANG MAI
- hailand's second city - manages to
preserve a little of the atmosphere of an
overgrown village and a laidback traveller
vibe, especially in the traditional old
quarter, set within a two-kilometre-square
moat. Chiang Mai is a fun and historic
city, packed with culture and bustling
markets, but its real charm lies in the
staggering range of tours, treks, courses
and activities available. You can easily
spend a week in Chiang Mai and do
something completely different every day:
elephant riding, walking to hill-tribe
villages, waterfalls, massage, cooking
classes, mountain biking, rock climbing,
bungee jumping, river cruises, unlimited
shopping experiences and national parks.

Wat Chedi Luang
he nearby Chedi Luang (main entrance
on hanon Phra Pokklao) is an
enormous crumbling pink-brick chedi,
which was reduced to its present height
of 60m by an earthquake in 1545. It
once housed the Emerald Buddha in
the niche on its eastern side (now in
Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo), but now has
to make do with an oversized replica.
On the northeast side of the chedi,