North thailand

General

North Thailand is my favorite place so far. The climate, good quality of life (except during smoke season), kindness and hospitality of the locals, great food, relatively low cost of living and stunning sceneries makes it a perfect place to visit and maybe even for long term stay. Chiang Mai which is the biggest city in the northern part of Thailand (approx. 140 k residents) is not without reason one of the most popular towns for digital nomads.

Activities

So what can you do in north Thailand?

Stunning Waterfalls

In the north part of Thailand there many stunning waterfalls to visit! One of them is "Wachirathan Waterfall" (picture above). There are so many more around the biggest City Chiang Mai, you can easily find them via Google Maps!

North Thai Cuisine

When you visit north Thailand you must try the traditional north Thai Cuisine like Khao Soi and Khantoke (picture above). Try it in the spicy way if you can 😛

Sunset / Sunrise

Catch an amazing sunset or sunrise at a viewpoint. There are many stunning viewpoints in north Thailand e.g. in Pai or on the way from Chiang Mai to Pai (picture above).

Mae Hong Son Loop

If you have the chance then you must do the "Mae Hong Son Loop". Rent a bike (if you have the valid license) and take approx. 5-7 days time and do this amazing loop. Start and ending point are both Chiang Mai. During the loop you will get to places like "Mae Hong Son" and "Pai". Don't miss to stay there at least 1 night since there are many things to explore!

Ban Rak Thai

When you do the Mae Hong Son Loop, I highly recommend you to stay one night at this chilling chinese village very close to the border to Myanmar. Walk through the village, have a dinner at the Lee Wine Yunanese Restaurant and enjoy a boat ride. It is recommended to book early for an accomendation.

Golden Triangle

Approx. 1h drive north of Chiang Rai town lies the "Golden Triangle" which is the border between three countries (Thailand, Myanmar and Laos). Here you can learn the history of this area, walk through the border markets and also visit the other side of Myanmar with a day Visa.

Getting around

Rent a Scooter or Motorbike

In Chiang Mai there are unfortunately not many options for public transportation. There was a public bus transportation (RTC City Bus) but the service was shut down due to Corona. Until now (beginning of 2023) there is no information if or when the service will be opened again.
However to get around Chiang Mai (and of course outside of Chiang Mai) you have following options:

  • 1. Songthaew (kind of pick-up truck for people transportaion)
  • 2. Taxi
  • 3. Grab or Bold (same like Uber)
  • 4. Best option is to rent a Motorbike or Car (most flexible way to get around)