Travel tips
Weather: The best time to visit is between October and April, outside heavy rain periods. Average temperature is 36 C. In January, it is between 15-30 C on average.
Wat Phra Singh in the center of Chiang Mai features |
Festivals: The Bo Sang Umbrella and Sankampang Handicrafts Festival that falls this weekend features a great procession with umbrellas and local products, northern-style kantoke meals and the Miss Bo Sang pageant. The Chiang Mai Flower Festival is held over the first weekend of February.
Transport: Most people fly to Bangkok first, from there they go to Chiang Mai. But there is a flight linking Chiang Mai with Kunming in Southwest China. It costs about 1,800 yuan ($231). Songthaew cabs and tuk-tuks are good choices inside Chiang Mai.
Temples: Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep was founded in 1383 atop the hill near the Chiang Mai Zoo and Chiang Mai University. Wat Phra Singh and Wat Chedi Luang are two other must-visits among the city's more than 300 temples.
(China Daily 01/18/2007 page19)
