Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 746

5-6hr); Tha Ton (4 daily; 4hr); Ubon Ratchathani (6 daily;
17hr); Udon Thani (for Nong Khai; 4 daily; 12hr).
By train The train station is on Th Charoen Muang, just over
2km east of Tha Pae Gate, and has a left-luggage o ce.
Destinations Ayutthaya (5 daily; 10-13hr); Bangkok
(5 daily; 12-14hr); Lampang (7 daily; 2hr 30min); Lopburi
(5 daily; 9-11hr); Phitsanulok (7 daily; 6-8hr).

buy, and a partner-finding service. Its in-town bouldering
wall is a good place to meet and train.
Click and Travel 158/40 Th Chiang Mai-Hod T 053
281553, W clickandtravelonline.com. Belgian-Thai company
that runs cycling tours of Chiang Mai and the north, lasting
from a few hours to four days, and maintains a useful website,
W chiangmaicycling.org, full of all manner of information
for cyclists.
Contact Travel Based at Tasala, east of Chiang Mai T 053
850160, W activethailand.com. Offers treks, river- and
lake-kayaking, cycling and whitewater rafting.
Flight of the Gibbon T 053 010660, W treetopasia
.com. Zoom through the tropical rainforest on zip wires
and sky bridges in this exhilarating trip high above the
jungle floor.
Jungle Bungy Jump T 053 297700, W junglebungy
.com. Experienced bungee-jump specialists offering 50m
jumps over water.
The Peak 302 4 Th Chiang Mai-Lamphun T 053 800567,
W thepeakadventure.com. Out-of-town combination trips
with rock climbing, quad-biking and whitewater rafting.

10

GETTING AROUND
By bike Some guesthouses rent bicycles for around B50/
day, and you can also pick them up around Tha Pae Gate.
By car or motorbike Many places around Tha Pae Gate
rent out motorbikes (from B150) and cars (from B800). The
latter should come with insurance included: check before
you set off.
By songthaew Red trucks (songthaews) act as shared
taxis within the city, picking up people heading in roughly
the same direction and taking each to their specific
destination; fares to most places should cost B20 during
the day. They sometimes also operate as chartered taxis
for about the same price as tuk-tuks.
By tuk-tuk The city is stuffed with tuk-tuks, ready to take
advantage of tourists - haggle hard. Expect to pay around
B60 for a short journey from the Night Bazaar to Tha Pae Gate.

COURSES
The courses listed below are only a taster of the huge
range on offer.

INFORMATION
Tourist information The TAT o ce (daily 8.30am-
4.30pm; T 053 248604) is at 105/1 Th Chiang Mai-
Lamphun on the east bank of the river near Nawarat
Bridge. It's not to be confused with TAD Travel and Tours on
Th Ratchaphakinai, which pretends to be a government
information o ce but is in fact a private travel agent.
Maps Nancy Chandler's Map of Chiang Mai (B250) is very
handy for a detailed exploration.

COOKERY
Baan Thai Cookery School 11 Soi 5, Th Ratchadamnoen
T 053 357339, W cookinthai.com. Based in central Chiang
Mai, Baan Thai has interesting menu choices and offers
both full-day (B1000) and evening courses (B800).
★

Chiang Mai Thai Farm Cooking School 38 Soi 9, Th
Moonmuang T 081 288 5989, W thaifarmcooking.com. A
good way to escape the city: you can pick your own organic
vegetables, herbs and fruits for cooking on their farm, a
30min drive from town (B1100/day, transport provided).

TREKKING AND ADVENTURE TOURS
In Chiang Mai, treks (see box, p.745) are usually arranged
through one of the guesthouses, among which Eagle
House , which passes on a proportion of its revenue towards
funding projects in hill-tribe villages, and Your House have
particularly good reputations. The choice of other adven-
ture activities on offer is staggering.

CHIANG MAI BOAT TRIPS
One of the most leisurely ways to explore
the surrounding countryside is to take a
river cruise with Mae Ping River Cruise
(Wat Chaimongkol, Th Chareonprathet;
T 053 274822, W maepingrivercruise.com;
minimum two people; transfers from your
accommodation included), who offer
two-hour cruises through lush
countryside, with a stop at a local farmer's
house and herbal drink and snack
included (B550 per person), as well as
popular trips to the ruined city of Wiang
Kum Kam, by boat and horse-and-carriage
(B700). They also offer evening dinner
cruises (6.45pm; B650).

TOUR OPERATORS
Chiang Mai Mountain Biking 1 Th Samlarn, 50m south
of Wat Phra Singh T 081 024 7046, W mountainbiking
chiangmai.com. A wide range of routes for all levels of
fitness and experience, ranging from single-track downhill
rides, mostly on Doi Suthep, to cross-country leisure trips.
Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures 55/3
Th Ratchapakhinai T 053 207102, W thailandclimbing
.com. Climbing trips based at the striking “Crazy Horse
Buttress” 35km from Chiang Mai. Runs climbing and
caving courses, with extensive equipment for rent or to