The Ada House journal
Things to do
Local culture, hidden corners and practical tips — from the people who actually live here.
Royal Park Rajapruek: Chiang Mai's Garden of Gold and Flowers
A grand golden Lanna pavilion, gardens from a dozen countries and an orchid house, all on the leafy south-western edge of town. Here's how to make a relaxed half-day of it.
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Mon Cham: Strawberry Farms and Ridge-Top Views Above Mae Rim
An hour north-west of the city, a Hmong farming ridge has traded its opium past for strawberry rows, flower terraces and one of the finest views in the north.
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Bua Tong Sticky Waterfalls: The Cascade You Can Climb
An hour north of the city sits a waterfall you climb up rather than admire from below. The limestone grips your bare feet, entry is free, and almost no one warns you how good it is.
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Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden & Mon Cham: a green day north of the city
Some days you just want cool air, big trees and a long view. Pack a light layer and point north — the Mae Sa valley does the rest.
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Night Safari and the Zoo: an evening with the family
Looking for an easy evening out with the children? Here's how we'd do the Night Safari and the zoo — and how to choose the experience kindly.
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Bo Sang & San Kamphaeng: a Chiang Mai craft day trip
Out east of the city, almost every shopfront turns out to be a workshop. Come watch painters add peacocks to paper parasols — and maybe to your phone case too.
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Wiang Kum Kam: the lost city just south of Chiang Mai
Five kilometres south of the city lies a capital that came before Chiang Mai — flooded, abandoned, and forgotten underground for centuries.
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3 days in Chiang Mai: the perfect long-weekend itinerary
Only got a long weekend? Three well-paced days that cover the old city, the mountain and one proper day out — without ever feeling rushed.
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Sukhothai from Chiang Mai: the dawn of happiness
Five hours south lie the ruins where Thailand began. Give them an overnight, a bicycle, and a sunrise.
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Mae Wang: bamboo rafting and a slower side of Chiang Mai
An hour southwest of the city, the Mae Wang valley trades temples and traffic for bamboo rafts, rice terraces and forested hills.
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Mae Ngat Dam & Sri Lanna: a night on the water
An hour north of the city, a jade-green reservoir hides bamboo raft houses you can sleep on. This is where Chiang Mai goes quiet.
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The Mae Hong Son Loop: northern Thailand's great road trip
Six hundred kilometres, more curves than anyone has truly counted, and a whole northern province you'll otherwise never see. This is the big one.
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