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Chiang MaiChiang Mai, the Rose of the North, is 696 km from Bangkok by the Asia Highway, about 9 hours drive. There are daily bus services from Bangkok Northern bus terminal. By air the journey time is 1 hour and there are several flights daily. By rail the route is 731 km and takes 13 hours and there are daily services. |
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DVD The Road to Chiang Mai: Hill Tribes, Poppy Culture and Ancient Khmers |
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DVD Alternative routes
to Chiang Mai |
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Chaing Mai is the Land of beauty, warm hospitality and good manners... the land of fascinating, mist-shrouded mountain scenery and fertile valleys... the land of religion with nearly 100 Buddhist temples... and the land of Thai art and handicrafts. |
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These are some of the attractions you can find in Chiang Mai, an old city of 700 years which still retains its natural charm and old culture. The numerous places of interest in Chiang Mai can be conveniently grouped into the rollowing routes, each easily accessible by and covered within one day. |
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Books about Chiang Mai and map. |
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City Tour |
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Among the places most worth visiting in Chiang Mai are its centuries old wats (Buddhist temples). To name but a few: |
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Wat Chiang Man, the oldest wat (built around 1296A.D.) is famous for its ancient and invaluable Buddha image Phra Kaeo Khao. |
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Wat Phra Sing, which houses the North's most reverend Buddha statue Phra Sing which is over 1,000 years old. |
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Wat U-Mong, which is particularly shady and is unique in its tunnel-like construction. |
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Wat Ku Tao, with a 1,000 year old chedi (pagoda) decorated with coloured porcelain pieces. |
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Wat Suan Dok, in which is enshrined a 500-year-old bronze Buddha image. one of the most beautiful and largest metal images in the North. |
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Wat Chedi Luang, where the City pillar Shrine is located, is famous for its chedi measuring 282 feet high and 144 feet wide. |
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Wat Kum Kam, is an ancient town founded by King Mengrai in the late 13th century. The main historical remains are found in several temples located in the compound. |
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Doi Suthep Route |
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A tour along this route begins with a visit to |
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Wat Chet Yot, whose pagoda is the same style as the one in Buddha Gaya in India. |
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Chiang Mai National Museum, where works of art of Lanna Thai are kept, then on to |
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Chiang Mai Zoo, where, on 210 acres of woody land at the foot of Doi Suthep, one can see a lot of auna and flora. The lovely pandas and Koalas are the stars here. There is also Chiang Mai Twilight Zoo featuring more than 300 kinds of nocturnal animal species, which is open from 18.30 to 21.00 hrs. |
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Further along the route is Doi Suthep and Doi Pui National Park, home to nearly 2,000 species of ferns and flowering plants. The park is ideal for hiking and picnicing and the main attractions include: |
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Huai Kaeo Cascade, a pleasant place for picnics, the statue of Khru Ba Siwichai, a most revered monk who constructed the road up the mountain to Wat Phra That Doi Suthep on Mount Doi Suthep where a relic of the Buddha is enshrined. |
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Six kilometers further up the mountain road from Wat Phra That stands the Royal Winter Palace (Bhubing Palace) with plenty of colorful, exotic flowers. It is open every day from 08.30 to 16.30, except when the Royal Family is in resenence, usually from mid december to early February. |
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Meo (Hmong) Village at Doi Pui is a good place to see the life of the tribesmen and buy souvenirs from them. |
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Mae Rim-Samoeng Route |
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(Highway 1096). The most popular places on this route which tourists shouls not miss are Elephants at Work & Elephant Camp, and a beautiful waterfall called Mae Sa. Other attractive places are the two attractive orchid nurseries , the Mae Sa Meo Village and numerous private resorts whose flowery surroundings impress every visitor. A new attraction is Queen Sirikit Botanical Garden, where visitors can walk along provided trails to learn about different types of interesting plants of northern Thailand. |
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Chiang Mai - Chom Thong-Hot Route |
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For Earthenware lovers, Muang Kung Earthenware Village is a must, offering products in traditional and modern forms. A little way from the village is Ban Thawai Woodcarving Village where good quality woodcarved furniture and otheritems are on sale. To shop for cloth, Ban Rai Phai Ngam Cotton Weaving Village is where cotton cloth woven in the ols style has long been produced. |
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A national park on the route is Dopt Inthanon. It offers Mount Inthanon, the highrst peak in the country standing 2,565 mertrs above sea level, and one of the most popular national parks. Attractions on the way up or down the mountain include: Mae Lkang Falls and Wachirethan Falls, two of the biggest and gest known waterfalls of Thailand. Siriphum Falls, whose name is derived from the firat elememnts of the names of Queen Sirikit and King Bhumibool, the Twin Royal Pagodas which command a wide absorbing view of thee mountains and valleys below, and Borichindia Cave with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites and a small stream inside. |
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