natural beauty

Mountains

-Doi Inthanon National Park : The 1,005 - square - kilometer park covers Thailand's highest mountain (2,565 meters). The lovely Wachirathan, Siriphum and Mae Pan waterfalls share the mountain with Meo and Karen hilltribe settlements. Forest above 1,800 meters is covered with lichens and wild orchids.

-Mae Klang Waterfall : Chiang Mai's most photographed waterfall lies some 58 kilometers west of the city at the foot of Doi Inthanon Mountain, and provides a picturesque setting for picnics and relaxation

-Mae Klang Waterfall : Chiang Mai's most photographed waterfall lies some 58 kilometers west of the city at the foot of Doi Inthanon Mountain, and provides a picturesque setting for picnics and relaxationRead more

>>from http://chiangmai.sawadee.com/natural.htm

Here are some of Chiang Mai City attractions

-Wat Phra Singh

This lovely temple dates from 1345 and is one of the focal points of Songkran festivities each April 3-15 when people bathe the revered Phra Buddha Sihing image. The temple compound includes the lovely Lai Kham chapel with its exquisite woodcarvings and northern-style murals, and a magnificent scriptural repository with striking has relief.

-Wat Suan Dok

This temple was built in a 14th century Lanna Thai monarch's pleasure gardens and is a favorite spot for photographers, particularly for striking sunsets. Several the white chedis contain ashes of Chiang Mai's former royal family. The 500-year-old bronze Buddha image in a secondary chapel is one of Thailand's largest metal images.

-Wat Chiang Man

This is Chiang Mai's oldest temple and probably dates from 1296. The temple was the residence of King Mengrai, who founded Chiang Mai, and is noteworthy for a chedi supported by rows of elephantine buttresses, and a small ancient Buddha image, Phra Kaeow Khaow.

-Wat Chedi Luang

This temple is the site of an enormous pagoda, originally 280 feet high, and which was partially destroyed by an earthquake in 1545. At one time, Wat Chedi Luang housed the revered Emerald Buddha image now enshrined in Bangkok's Wat Phra Kaeo. A magnificent Naga staircase adorns the chapel's front porch.

- River Cruise Program

Transfer tourists from their hotel to the Wat Sri Khong’s boat landing, Then tourists are given a brief about the historical background of the boat. The river cruise offers lively picturesque of several historical places along the riverbanks, such as: a white chedi that locals call Gew in front of the municipality, a girdered-footbridge sapan the river between the oldest trader community of Wat Gate and Warorot Market, The Chiang Mai’s oldest shopping center.

The Chang pier (where hundreds of elephants were used to haul logs from the river in the old days), site of the first city’s : First bridge, First Christian church, First post office, and many more attractions including lifestyles of the local people who lived along the both sides of the river.

During the trip, the tourists can be experience the atmosphere of the past, learn the story of the banks of the river, hear some of the clever fishing techniques of local fishermen, and see pictures from a century ago until the present, all explained by staff who specialized in this field.

The trip takes between an half-hours to two hours. Delicious desserts shall be served for free during a short break and relax at the Scorpion-Tailed boat village set in tropical fruits garden by riverside.

>>Provided by Tourism Authority of Thailand

>>fromhttp://chiangmai.sawadee.com/chiangmai.htm

paiiii++++

PAI

Pai is the Northeastern district of Mea Hong Son Province, North of Chiang Mai on route to Mea Hong Son. It lies along the Pai River and has been a popular tourist destination with people from all over the world since around 2005. The town itself has no special tourist attraction; most people visit Pai mainly to appreciate a simple life in a relaxed atmosphere. Pai does have some interesting nearby attraction however, such as hot springs, waterfalls, and a lot of old temples. One of most famous photo shooting spots is the Memorial WWII Bridge and you can also rent a bicycle or motorbike and visit the nearby attractions. Nowadays Pai is used a starting point for trekking tours which are offered by over 20 local agents.

paiiiii-------

map of pai

transportation

By bus, first bus to Pai depart from Chiang Mai at 7.00AM then 9.00AM ,10.30AM, 12.30AM, 2.00PM and the last one at 4.00PM. The bus takes 3.5 to 4 hours to Pai . The bus ticket to pai is 80 Baht. You have to buy a ticket at counter to get a seat on a crowded day. Travelling by bus is a good way to see the scenic view of mountain and forest.

By airplane. Pai airport runway is now finished and ready for 15 seats airplane. SGA Airline (http://www.sga.co.th/) has commenced this service since Feb 2007 . They fly from Chiang Mai International airport to Pai airport.

>>data from http://www.villadepai.com/gotopai.html<<

chiangmai zoo aquarium

Fresh & salt water

Through far from shore and high above rivers and sea, close at hand.
The world’s most amazing species of plants and animals from the underwater realms have come together at Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium, while the fish and other fascinating creatures will feel perfectly at home and swim past blissfully unaware of your spellbound gaze. The staff and management of this marvelous habitat await your visit with enthusiastic anticipation.

Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium is a living museum that boasts South East Asia’s longest and most spacious underwater pathways-crystal clear “Sea Tube” tunnels that place the observer directly in the center of the enormous 360 degrees aquatic habitats. Each of six individual exhibits showcase a distinct environment, completely self-contained, and carefully populated with an authentic cross-section of native species.

This exclusive arrangement allows fresh water and salt water creatures to coexist under one roof, alongside representative territories from other significant ecosystems. The inspiration for this astonishing concept comes from the great Mekong River itself and exhibits at the aquarium-as it represents the major waterway that feeds and quenches the thirst of millions of people across the six neighboring countries that its waters sustain.

AS one of the planet’s great ecosystems with nearly 250 species of marine creatures, the Mekong serves as symbol of the diversity that the Chiang Mai Zoo Aquarium seeks to replicate. Thus, it brings together thousands of examples of exotic marine life from around the world to their new home, living together in a heaven thousands of miles from their native environment, and cared for by their attentive human custodians.

Though you are not under water, you will feel the deep blue sea excitement of being in over your head.

Immerse yourself in the excitement of discovery and take the plunge toward exhilarating depths of knowledge that turn learning into an adventure. With a seemingly endless variety of fresh and salt water lives on display, you will marvel at the immensity of the ocean’s most fearful hunter and dance a graceful water ballet with the world’s most agile underwater acrobat.

chiangmai-place

Chiang Mai : also sometimes written as "Chiengmai", is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand, and is the capital of Chiang Mai Province. It is located some 700 km (435 mi) north of Bangkok, among some of the highest mountains in the country. The city stands on the Ping river, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya river.
In recent years, Chiang Mai has become an increasingly modern city; and although it lacks the cosmopolitan nature of Bangkok, it has many attractions for the thousands of foreign visitors who come each year. Chiang Mai's historic importance is derived from its strategic location on an ancient trade route. Long before the modern influx of foreign visitors, the city served as a major centre for handcrafted goods, umbrellas, jewellery (particularly silver) and woodcarving.[citation needed]
While officially the city (thesaban nakhon) of Chiang Mai only covers most parts of the Mueang Chiang Mai district with a population of 150,000, the urban sprawl of the city now extends into several neighboring districts. This Chiang Mai Metropolitan Area has a population of nearly 1 million people, more than half the total of Chiang Mai Province.
The city itself is subdivided into 4 wards (khwaeng): Nakhon Ping, Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kavila. The first three are on the west bank while Kavila is located on the east bank of the Ping River. Nakhon Ping district covers the north side of the city. Srivijaya, Mengrai, and Kavila cover the west, south, and east side respectively. The central part (the old walled town) is covered mostly by Srivijaya and partly by Nakhon Ping and Mengrai wards.



History
King Mengrai founded the city of Chiang Mai (meaning "new city") in 1296, and it succeeded Chiang Rai as capital of the Lanna kingdom. To protect it against raids from Burma, the city was surrounded by a moat and a defensive wall. With the decline in power of the Lannathai kingdom, the city lost importance and often was occupied by either the Burmese or Thais from Ayutthaya. As a result of the Burmese wars that ended with the fall of Ayutthaya in April 1767, Chiang Mai was so depopulated that its remaining inhabitants abandoned the city from 1776 to 1791. During that time, Lampang functioned as the capital of what remained of Lannathai.
Chiang Mai formally became part of Siam in 1774, when the Thai King Taksin captured it from the Burmese. Chiang Mai rose in both cultural, trading and economic terms to adopt its current status as the unofficial capital of the north of Thailand, second only in national importance to Bangkok.
The people generally speak Kham Muang (also known as Northern Thai or Lanna) amongst themselves, but the Central Thai of Bangkok is used in education and is understood by most. English is generally used in hotel and travel related businesses and many locals speak English.[2] The old Kham Muang alphabet is now only studied by scholars and Northern Thai is commonly written using the standard Thai alphabet.
The modern municipal entity dates back to a sanitary district (sukhaphiban) created in 1915. It was upgraded to a municipality (thesaban) on March 29 1935, as published in the Royal Gazette, Book No.52 section 80. At first covering an area of 17.5 km2 (7 sq mi), it was enlarged to cover 40.216 km2 (16 sq mi) on April 5, 1983.

Culture
Chiang Mai hosts many Thai festivals, including:
Loi Kratong (known locally as Yi Peng): Held on the full moon of the 12th month in the traditional Thai lunar calendar. In the western calendar this usually falls in November. Every year thousands of people assemble floating banana-leaf containers (krathong) decorated with flowers and candles onto the waterways of the city to worship the Goddess of Water. Lanna-style sky lanterns (khom fai) are launched into the air. These are believed to help rid the locals of troubles and are also taken to decorate houses and streets.
Songkran: Held in mid-April to celebrate the traditional Thai new year. Chiang Mai has become one of the most popular locations to visit for this festival. A variety of religious and fun-related activities (notably the good-natured city-wide water-fight) take place each year, along with parades and a Miss Songkran beauty competition.
Flower Festival: A three-day festival held during the first weekend in February each year, this event occurs when Chiang Mai's temperate and tropical flowers are in full bloom. The festivities include floral floats, parades, traditional dancing shows, and a beauty contest.
Some of the museums in Chiang Mai:
Chiang Mai City Arts and Cultural Centre.
Chiang Mai National Museum highlights the history of the region and the Kingdom of Lanna.
Tribal Museum showcases the history of the local mountain tribes.
Chiang Mai has several universities, including Chiang Mai University, Chiangmai Rajabhat University, Rajamangala University of Technology, Payap University, and Maejo University — as well as numerous technical and teacher colleges. Chiang Mai University was the first government university established outside of Bangkok. Payap University is the first private institution in Thailand that was granted university status

>>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiang_Mai