Chiang Mai Old City & Doi Suthep

This will only be a short post but we just need to tell you all about the Old City. WOW! It truly has to be seen to be believed. If you’re interested in looking at an abundance of beautiful temples and strolling through charming side streets then Chiang Mai Old City is certainly for you. The people here are extremely laid back and friendly and actually say thank you when you turn down the taxi they’re offering you.

The Old City is set in a square surrounded by a moat and some of the remaining wall and gates. Any new buildings are limited to only being up to 4 storeys high which is fantastic because this place does not need skyscrapers to start overshadowing the pretty wooden houses and greenery. To explore the Old City properly, you need at least a couple of days. The temples are simply stunning and are fully working communities. You will often see monks and they may try and talk to you to help them practise their English. Lovely!! There are lots of walking tours available on the internet for you to download and maps are everywhere but our best advice is to give yourself the time to explore properly. Each temple that you see has its own flair and personality and on top of that, there are tons of places to stop off for a drink or food along the way. And how could I not mention the markets? Again, the Thai markets steal our hearts and feed us a delightful array of fresh produce.

Not far from the Old City, you can very soon be in the countryside. We went on our first trip out today to Doi Suthep. It sits on a mountain and is one of Northern Thailand’s most sacred temples which does explain why it was so busy! To reach the top, you have to climb 306 steps (an easy task for us after the 1237 last week) which is intended to help devotees gain Buddhist merit. The view at the top is beautiful and there is a lot going on up there that you’re always welcome to join in with, like pouring wax onto a burning candle to help it stay alight. This is a must do trip out for any visitor to Chiang Mai and there are no monkeys hanging around ready to ambush you!

We’re in Chiang Mai for a few more days yet as we love it here. Tomorrow we’re going to a cookery class for the day and will finally learn how to make spring rolls from scratch properly (I hope!)

One thought on “Chiang Mai Old City & Doi Suthep

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *