The city of Chiang Mai has a wide variety of activities to suit all ages and preferences. Here in Chiang Mai activities on offer include: climbing, mountain biking, walking, trekking, shopping, bowling, tennis, golf, swimming, cooking courses, meditations, yoga, thai chi, kick boxing, trekking, adventure activities and running.
Chiang Mai activities tips:
Adventure activities
White water rafting Chiang Mai, being a tourist town, offers an exciting selection of unique and fun activities which can be arranged through any of the tour agents found scattered about town. Northern Thailand is mountainous and white water rafting is popular on the Mae Tang river, which tumbles out of the hills during, and immediately after the raining season (June – February), offering first class rafting and kayaking.
There are a number of elephant camps where you can ride through the jungle on the back of these massive beasts and see these workhorses in action. There are camps in Mae Sa, Chiang Dao, Mae Tang, Lampang and Mae Wang. Finding them is tricky so it’s best to arrange a tour through your guest house, hotel or a tour guide. The Mae Sa valley is an adventure hub actually, and only a 30 minute drive from Chiang Mai. Here you can ride ATVs through the jungle, bungee jump and visit the Monkey Farm, Snake Farm, Dog show and Orchid Farm.
Walking and mountain biking
The best way to appreciate the old Lanna way of life is to wander the delightful back lanes of Chiang Mai’s old town. Within the moat lies a forgotten world of old teak houses, narrow lanes, traditional shop houses and hidden temples.
Make an early start to beat the heat and wander aimlessly, observing the sleepy old Chiang Mai lifestyle through a camera lens. Fortunately, much of it remains well preserved and untainted by commercial development.
Cycling is another way to appreciate this city, and finding a place to hire a bike isn’t difficult in the city centre. The more adventurous may prefer to hire a mountain bike and tackle some of the superb trails on Doi Suithep – a mountain to the west of the city. Chiang Mai Mountain Biking runs excellent day trip tours down the mountain (Doi Pui) and other routes. They supply full suspension bikes and all the gear, many of the trips are all downhill and the experience of descending down through the jungle is a thrilling an highly recommended one. Run by two adrenalin-mad American MTB enthusiasts, Aiden and Ken, the trips take in hilltribe villages, coffee plantations, lychee groves, waterfalls, streams and fantastic views that few other visitors to Chiang Mai ever see.
Fitness
Keep yourself in shape during your stay at one of three well equipped gyms that admit people on a daily/weekly/monthly basis, these are: Hillside gym (Hillside Condo 4, Huay Kaew road), Chiang Mai Orchid Hotel Gym (Huay Kaew road) and Fitness Thailand (above Rimping supermarket beside the Novotel).
Tennis and golf
Chiang Mai is a golfers’ delight Tennis and golf can be played at the Gymkhana club – one of Chiang Mai’s most historic sports and social venues. Other golf courses include Lanna, Mae Jo, and Green Valley (green fees vary from 1000 – 2000 baht). Beside the Novotel Rim Ping hotel is a small shop that hires clubs; some of the courses also offer this service.
The Anantasiri Tennis courts, Chiang Mai’s largest such facility, can be found near the National Museum; other public courts can be found at Chiang Mai Land and Lanna Sports club, as well as the Amari Rincome Hotel.