The Ada House journal

Things to do

Local culture, hidden corners and practical tips — from the people who actually live here.

Lanna-style illustration of Lamphun — the golden Hariphunchai chedi, a quiet moated old town, longan orchards

Things to do · June 25, 2026

A day trip to Lamphun: Chiang Mai's quiet ancient neighbour

Just 30 km south of the city sits one of Thailand's oldest towns — quiet, golden, and barely touched by tourists.

Lanna-style illustration of Lampang — a horse-drawn carriage, a wooden Lanna temple, ceramic chicken bowls

Things to do · June 25, 2026

Lampang day trip: horse carts, teak temples and chicken bowls

An hour and a half south-east of the bustle, a slower northern city still moves to the clip-clop of horse carts.

Lanna-style illustration of Huay Tung Tao lake with bamboo huts on stilts over the water, a mountain backdrop, and people eating on woven mats

Things to do · June 25, 2026

Huay Tung Tao: Chiang Mai's lake escape

Some weeks ask a lot of you. This lake asks nothing at all — just bring an appetite and a swimsuit.

Lanna-style illustration of the Doi Ang Khang highlands — flower terraces, cherry blossoms, a sea of morning fog over the mountains

Things to do · June 25, 2026

Doi Ang Khang: a cool highland escape near the Myanmar border

Wake before dawn, pull on every layer you packed, and watch a sea of fog drift through temperate flower terraces. This is Chiang Mai's coldest, quietest corner.

Lanna-style illustration of a mountain coffee farm — red coffee cherries, terraced hills, a hill-tribe grower

Things to do · June 25, 2026

A Chiang Mai coffee farm day trip: up into the hills

You've drunk the coffee. Now go and meet the mountain it came from.

Lanna-style illustration of adventure in the hills — a zipline through jungle canopy, a white-water raft, and misty layered mountains

Things to do · June 25, 2026

Adventure activities in Chiang Mai: the adrenaline menu

Some days the temples and cafés aren't enough. When you want your heart in your throat, the hills around Chiang Mai deliver — here's the adrenaline menu.

Lanna-style illustration of a winding mountain scooter route through Mae Sa valley — terraced hills, strawberry farms, viewpoints

Things to do · June 24, 2026

The Samoeng Loop: Chiang Mai's classic scooter day trip

One hundred kilometres of switchbacks, strawberry farms and mountain coffee. The Samoeng Loop is the Chiang Mai day trip you'll keep telling people about.

Lanna-style illustration of a week of Chiang Mai highlights — golden temples, misty mountains, lantern-lit night markets and a steaming bowl of khao soi

Things to do · June 24, 2026

One week in Chiang Mai: the perfect 7-day itinerary

Seven days, no rush. A first week in Chiang Mai that balances temples and mountains with cooking classes, markets and a slow morning or two.

Lanna-style illustration of Mae Kampong mountain village in mist, wooden houses on a forested hillside, a stream-side shrine and a waterfall

Things to do · June 23, 2026

Mae Kampong: a misty mountain village near Chiang Mai

An hour up into the hills, the air turns cool and the pace slows right down. Mae Kampong is the easiest escape from the city into mountain Thailand.

Lanna-style illustration of the jagged limestone peak of Doi Luang Chiang Dao rising over misty forest with a cave-temple entrance at its foot

Things to do · June 22, 2026

Chiang Dao: caves, a limestone giant & quiet mountain air

A dramatic limestone mountain, a sacred cave lit by lanterns, and valley air so quiet you can hear yourself think. Chiang Dao is the city's great reset.

Lanna-style illustration of Wat Pha Lat, a moss-covered jungle temple with shrines, a naga staircase and a stream, in the forest above Chiang Mai

Things to do · June 20, 2026

Wat Pha Lat: the jungle temple on the Monk's Trail

Most people drive up the mountain. Our favourite way is to walk it — a shaded jungle trail to a moss-covered hidden temple. Here's how.

Lanna-style illustration of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, its golden chedi and naga staircase on a forested mountain above Chiang Mai

Things to do · June 17, 2026

A weekend at Doi Suthep

The golden temple watching over Chiang Mai is the easiest unforgettable morning you can have from the house. Here's exactly how we'd do it.