I didn't rent a scooter until week 3 and wish I had earlier. I want to say I spent under $100 for a week scooter rental. This gave me access to so many cooler coffee shops outside of the Old Town area + I did the Samoeng loop. That loop ended up being one of the coolest things I did in the Chiang Mai area. Drive slow. People drive like crazy people! FYI, there's no subway in Chiang Mai & never will be. The city is not built for a subway.
🚗 Transportation
Apparently these ones treat their elephants better than ones where you ride.
🌐 General
If you're coming from Bangkok (like I did), it's like night and day. Bangkok was a metropolis. Craziness, super busy, felt like it never slept. Chiang Mai on the other hand still had plenty to do but felt like you could navigate it around. It felt much homier to me as someone who lives in the US but not in a major city.
🚗 Transportation
Back in January 2024, 100 Thai Baht was just under $3 USD. Not sure if that's changed recently. A lot of bowls of ramen on the street go for 50 baht.
💰 Budget
I don't have a particular spot in mind in Chiang Mai, nor is this specifically a Chiang Mai thing. If you're in SEA and you've never tried it you've gotta try the polarizing fruit. Just google it. I had not had durian before so I had to see what the fuss was all about.
🌐 General
Runs from late Jan through mid April I believe. This was not really when I was there although towards the end of January you could start to notice it. The farmers throughout northern Thailand burn their crops to prepare for the next season. This causes poor air quality in Chiang Mai.
🌐 General
I didn't make it out there but a lot of folks I met said I should. Seems like a hippy-ish small town in the mountains a few hours north west of Chiang Mai. A lot of backpackers make their way out there supposedly. If I make it back to northern Thailand, I'll likely make a trip out here.
🌐 General