Chiang Mai is a great place to do anything you can imagine, from pure chilling out, clubbing, trekking, socializing, meditating or learning, there is a great deal to do and enjoy.
TOP THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND CHIANG MAI
Chiang Mai has a multitude of local markets as well as an increasing number of modern shopping malls. Local markets traditionally have played an important role in the daily life of Thai people and they still do. Chiang Mai residents still enjoy going to all kinds of 'specialty' markets, looking for all kinds of gadgets or best-buys. There are many local markets, each with a different character.
Chiang Mai's modern shopping malls offer a world of convenience under one roof, with often attractively priced stuff such as electronics. Local Thai enjoy going there for the simple reason that they are airconditioned.
Chiang Mai is home to several hundreds of temples, so you'll quickly become used to seeing one on each corner or in each little neighbourhood. "I'll meet you at the temple" is not a good indication of a landmark, as there are so many 
everywhere, even often several in one main street. All temples have their own character, they collect their own money, and they have special meanings. Some Thai make it a pilgrimage to travel across the country to visit a series of temples that conform with their birthdate, zodiac sign and so on. Besides being a place of worship, temples perform important social functions. On certain dates, you can witness special events, sometimes specific for a certain temple only.
A good change to culture and city life is to take a Canopy ZIP Line tour. Swing through the rain forest on a ZIP Line, the longest one in South East Asia is right here: 800m! These tours offer several other fun attractions in the air: abseil from a giant tree, walk over a panoramic bridge with fantastic views, go down a spiral case or cycle in the air. All happens in pristine (rain) forests close to Chiang Mai. These tours also can give you a feel of local communities. Some tours combine this with a nature trekking.
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Have you ever bathed an elephant in the river? Now you can. Have fun, care for the animal and feel how it connects to you. The best way to enjoy doing this, is not by sitting on the back on an elephant who is maltreated by its caretakers and isn't really happy (you can observe this from the eyes of the animal), but by going to an animal friendly elephant camp, such as Elephant Nature Park.
Elephants are Thailand's national animal. Nowadays there are very few of them living in the wild, most live in nature reserve areas or camps.
There are probably hundreds, if not several thousands of little massage shops everywhere in Chiang Mai where you can get a good or average massage. Thai massage is world-famous and consist of pressure treatment on certain lines ("sen") that help to relieve stress and relax the body. Oil or Swedish massage is something that came to Thailand later and isn't originally Thai. Besides this, there are several different treatments, with herbs, with clay and so on.
You can take a massage down the street but if you want to try something different, go for a massage by the blind or by female prisoners. You help the local people to develop themselves at the same time.
Chiang Mai is also an excellent place to learn massage yourself and there are many schools and courses around.
Chiang Mai is located in a valley of a few mountain ranges, so if you drive out of town for just an hour, you can enjoy phantastic landscapes away from civilization. You'll be surprised how different landscapes can be just out of town. There are many interesting trips on all sides of Chiang Mai, lasting one to several days. The best thing is to rent a motorbike or car and drive by yourself.
Trekking is less easy as managed trails are scarcer than in the West and it's easier to stick to dedicated nature parks.
Chiang Mai has probably the highest concentration in Thailand of fine cuisine and other nice little restaurants, coffee shops and bakeries to chill out at any time of the day. Enjoy anything from a cheap local noodles (pad thai) at just USD 1 to a sumptuous French dinner along the river.
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Try the taste of traditional Northern Thai food in combination with a Khantoke dinner show.
Thailand offers only basic facilities for the under-priviledged. Orphans are taken care of in an orphanage but they really lack getting hugs from loving and caring people. You can help by just going there for an hour or so and play with the kids, you can't imagine the amount of appreciation and warmth these kids give back to you.
There are several orphanages in town, one of the easiest to get to is Baan King Kaew, just off Chiang Mai Gate on Hualai street. Another one is a bit out of town: Wiang Phing Home for Children.
Stressed or busy with your work at home and taking a long break in Chiang Mai? Chiang Mai is an excellent place to come to your senses, to your real self by doing a retreat in a temple, usually called a 'Vippassana'.
There are programs from just a few days to several weeks, with a strict rhythm and rules that you're not supposed to break, in order to help you getting rid of the several layers of your false self.
It's not expensive to do, but more than anything, it requires a certain amount of dedication and discipline.
Some good temples to do Vippassan are:
- Wat Rampoeng
- Wat Chom Thong
Something you can't do everywhere is stroke a tiger, or have a monkey or snake sit on your shoulder. The Tiger Kingdom, snake and monkey farm are all located in the Maerim area. You can easily take a day trip to make interesting pictures for your folks back home.
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