The Ada House journal
Stories from Chiang Mai
Local culture, hidden corners and practical tips — from the people who actually live here.
Rooftop bars in Chiang Mai: where to catch the sunset drink
There's a moment, most evenings here, when the heat lifts, the light turns to honey, and the only sensible thing to do is find a high place with a cold drink. Let us point you to a few.
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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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Pets in Chiang Mai: vets, bringing your dog & daily life
Dogs dozing outside cafes, cats running the guesthouse — Chiang Mai is a soft-hearted city for animals. Here's how pet life really works here.
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Chiang Mai's old city walls, gates and moat: a history you can walk
Seven centuries on, the old city is still a square you can trace by its moat. Here's how we love to walk the walls — gate by gate, corner by quiet corner.
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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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The naga: the serpent that guards every temple
That scaly railing you grab on the way up to a temple? It is a divine serpent - and once you learn to spot it, you will see it absolutely everywhere.
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The best museums in Chiang Mai: a rainy-day, hot-afternoon guide
Whether it's pouring outside or the afternoon heat has flattened you, Chiang Mai's museums are a quietly brilliant plan. Here's how we'd string them together.
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Mental Health and Therapy in Chiang Mai: Finding Support Far From Home
Paradise does not fix everything, and that is okay. If the move has left you feeling low or alone, here is how to find real support in Chiang Mai.
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Lanna textiles: a weaver's guide to Northern Thai cloth
Run your fingers down a length of indigo cotton and you touch centuries. Up here the loom has never really left the village — and the cloth tells you who made it.
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The lost alphabet of the North: Chiang Mai's curly Lanna script
Look closely at an old temple sign in Chiang Mai. Those rounded, looping letters are not Thai at all — they are a script most Northerners can no longer read.
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The monk who built the road up Doi Suthep
Tens of thousands of strangers, no machines, a mountain road carved by hand in five months. The monk behind it is still garlanded daily at the foot of the climb.
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Kathoey: understanding Thailand's third gender, with respect
Beyond the cabaret cliché: who Thailand's kathoey really are, the culture and history behind the 'third gender', and how to be a good guest in Chiang Mai.
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