"Relaxation,Nature, Flowers & Elephants... " a Chiang Mai Travel Page by Mikebb

I was in a group of 34 Orchid Enthusiasts touring Thailand and we had 5 days in Chaing Mai to relax and visit several local nurseries. It was my first visit to this city and I enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

The first thing we noticed was the change in temperature, a most enjoyable climate in February, temperatures in mid C20's, no humidity which enabled us to comfortably walk around during the day . There was much to see and do , The Night Bazaar, river cruise on the Mae Ping River, visit the Hill Tribes, Elephant rides, various day and night markets, and the highlight being the Chiang Mai Flower Festival that went for several days.

The Flower Festival Parade with dozens of floats decorated with magnificent flowers,accompanied by several bands went for 4 hours through the people lined city streets to Buak Had Park.

We were very lucky our hotel was located accross the road from the night bazaar and street markets. A great spectacle in the evening, the lights and exotic merchandise and foods on display in the bazaar gave a carnival atmosphere . It was easy to spend several hours each night browsing the outdoor food markets and stalls, always finding something to buy, however we never ate from the market although the food looked magnificant I was not willing to take on the risk.

Approximately 20 years ago the Thai Government banned logging teak trees in the wild. This decision resulted in the 100,000 elephants employed in the logging industry becoming unemployed. Many of the elephants are now working on elephant farms which attract many tourists. However you will still see elephants in the cities where their handlers walk them to restaurants and bars hoping tourists will donate baht to feed the animals.