Chiang Mai – From mall to temple to jungle

Chiang Mai is one of my favourite places in Thailand, where I can easily spend weeks without getting bored. It feels like a big city, yet walkable and surrounded by nature on the outskirts of town. Thanks to the endless options of hotels, food and activities, the city is very accommodating to tourists – yet not feel too touristy. Chiang Mai remains a cozy and accessible town, except for the transportation situation (there are no metered taxis and limited public transport).

We stayed at Nimman, a trendy up-and-coming neighbourhood, where a bizzare snow festival was held. The fake snow was actually white sand and foam, creating a rather ironic winter setting in a tropical country. More authentic of course were the Lanna-style temples in the Old Town and there are many of them!

To end the year in a thrilling way, we signed up for one of the popular ziplining tours. The drive was already pretty adventurous as it took us up and down the hills before we finally reached the camp. The circuit was very well done, the guides seemed professional and the scenery changed between lush jungle and farmland – a nice way to spend a few hours outside the city!