If you’re thinking of going to Thailand, then you have to visit Chiang Mai! I would also visit Bangkok and you can read my top recommendations here on how to spend 48 hours in Bangkok. After visiting both cities, I must say Chiang Mai stole my heart. It’s definitely more relaxing and offered a more cultural feel compared to Bangkok and the activities that I did are definitely some of my key moments in all my travel experiences.

For those who aren’t aware, Chiang Mai is located in northern Thailand and houses more temples than any other city in Thailand. Surrounded by mountains, Chiang Mai enjoys a tropical climate. The city also has countless amount of cafes for exploration and of course you can also find villages and elephant sanctuaries. I would say three days is enough to explore Chiang Mai but you can extend that to four or five if you really want to relax and soak in the culture. It’s important to know that a lot of activities are spread out in Chiang Mai, so my best recommendation would be to hire a private car and just have the driver take you to your different sites. It’s pretty affordable and it will be less of a hassle to call for a taxi.

With that being said, here are my top recommendations on what to do if you have 48 hours in Chiang Mai:

CHIANG MAI

• VILLAGES: As mentioned earlier, there are many tribes and villages that you can visit in Chiang Mai. The one that I was most interested in was the Long Neck Village. I specifically went to Baan Tong Luang, as advised by my driver. I was a bit hesitant only because I know that there may be some ethics that come into play when it comes to taking photos of people living in the tribes. I tried to go in with a cautious mind but I would like to note that Baan Tong Luang is a government sponsored Hill Tribe cultural preservation village. It was open to the tourists with the purpose of sharing all of its cultures. Upon arrival, I was greeted by this little girl named Lidia, who completely stole my heart. She grabbed my hand and wanted to show me around the village and automatically became my tour guide. There are five different hill villages, one being the Long Neck Village. These women wear brass rings around their necks, starting at the age of 5 and adding one more layer each year thereafter. It’s supposed to be a sign of beauty. All of the women were extremely nice and were open to interacting with us. They also were selling their crafts, so you can support the village by purchasing their hand made scarves and other items.

• ELEPHANT SANCTUARIES: One of my main reasons for going to Thailand was to see elephants. I have to admit that I didn’t know that riding elephants was actually frowned upon, so make sure you do your research before visiting any elephant sanctuaries. I would highly recommend going to Maerim Elephant Sanctuary because they respect and value animals there! This is truly one of the highlights of my whole Thailand trip because the experience is like no other and you can tell that the staff not only love their jobs but also love the elephants. You start by learning some Thai phrases to say to the elephants as well as their names. You begin by feeding the elephants and getting more comfortable being near them. The rest of the tour includes walking through the forest with the elephants, bathing them, washing them and then playing with them at the end. I can’t describe the whole experience because it’s one that you have to simply experience it for yourself! Even though I was afraid and had a lot of fears being so close to these beautiful animals, I will say that it was one of the most memorable and fun experience I’ve had in my life!

• TEMPLES: Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples, so it’s not difficult to find one to visit. My favorite one would have to be Wat Rajamontean, which is a north facing temple and was constructed in the 15th century under the reign of King Tilokarat, Lanna’s most famous monarch. What attracted me to this specific temple is definitely the huge Buddha statue in front. In order to see it up close and personal, there are these stairs that lead up with orante dragons on the side. I didn’t plan the timing to see this, but it so happened to be around sunset and the photos capture the temple beautifully.
• NIGHT MARKETS: Night markets offer the best shopping and food experience in Chiang Mai, so this is definitely something you need to do if you’re visiting. Just like the temples, there are many options but if you find yourself in Chiang Mai on a Saturday then you have to visit the Saturday Night Market. It is located on Wau Lai Road and I love the upbeat and carefree vibe as tourists and locals immerse themselves with local food and shops. Be sure to come hungry as there are tons of options and this is a great opportunity to get some souvenirs as well.
• MASSAGES: Can you even say you’ve been to Thailand if you haven’t experienced a thai massage? Massages are extremely inexpensive in Thailand so you really have no excuse to try it. I actually got a foot massage as well as a thai massage and they were both much needed as a stressed out New Yorker! I didn’t really know what to expect from a Thai massage so I will do you all a favor and let you know what to expect. A thai massage uses no oil or lotion. You are actually clothed during the treatment, so the therapist can work on you more comfortably. You are mainly pulled and stretched by the hands, knees and even elbows of your Thai massage therapist. I would say it’s more of a stretching massage than a relaxing one. For someone who works out like me, it was great to have a Thai massage as it helped improve my range of motion and joint mobility. I also felt less stress afterwards!

Chiang Mai was absolutely beautiful and it’s become of my favorite places that I’ve visited so far. I definitely hope to return in the future. These top recommendations would be enough to make your 48 hours in Chiang Mai memorable. You should plan your day so you visit the temples, villages and elephant sanctuaries in the mornings and then can enjoy the night markets and massages in the evening! Either way, you surely won’t be disappointed by everything that Chiang Mai has to offer.