Chiang Mai, a historical city in Northern Thailand, is well known for its rich culture, relaxed vibe, beautiful scenery of misty greenery, mountain forests, authentic cuisines and the heart of creativity.
It hosts plenty of businesses, glorious temples, traditional markets, flower gardens, tea plantations, organic farms, and adventure theme parks. This ongoing list of worth-visiting landmarks is what keeps travellers coming back to explore Chiang Mai.
Let us give you a quick tour of four inspiring attractions in Chiang Mai that will not disappoint you during your next visit. Check them out!
- Araksa Tea Garden
Would you like to sip a cup of tea in a boutique tea garden?
Araksa Tea Garden is one of Thailand’s tea plantations where quality Assam Tea is produced. This boutique tea garden is located on a scenic hill and surrounded by tall trees in Mae Taeng district, Chiang Mai. You will definitely love the beauty of the lush tea garden! Here, you get an opportunity to learn traditional tea plucking and tea growing processes. These will be taught directly by the ethnic natives from the Akha tribe, Hmong tribe, and Lisu tribe.
Araksa Tea Garden values nature and environment preservation, organic gardening, and community development, offering local villagers jobs. Due to its chemical-free land and sustainable practices, Araksa is certified as an organic tea garden by the Department of Agriculture in the US and European Union.
We recommend you join the tea tour program organized by the locals. You will learn how tea is obtained, starting from harvesting the leaves to roasting them. Check out their website for the tour program!
Enjoy this warm and cozy tea house while listening to the soothing sounds of nature! Ingredients used are organic and delivered straight from its own garden and local communities.
- Buddha Raksa Nature Farm
Buddha Raksa Nature Farm is known for its wonderful farm-to-table experience. It is located at the border of the Doi Saket district and surrounded by teak forests. Apart from allowing you to immerse in nature, this farm also lets you experience an outdoor cooking class. It gives importance in looking after the environment, from soil to vegetables, fruits, and organic plantation.
A must-do activity at this farm is Farm to Table: Cooking at Organic Farm in Chiang Mai Forest, an immersive outdoor cooking class. The tour will begin from the farm. You will get to handpick fresh ingredients and organic herbs like turmeric, longan, mulberry, and roselle for your own healthy, authentic Thai dishes and delicious herbal drinks! For vegans, a vegan-friendly meal is also available here!
Cr. Cocoon Farm
- Cocoon Farm
Cocoon Farm, the landmark for nature lovers, is the latest agricultural organic and educational farm in Chiang Mai. Here, you will learn about the Thai Silk production cycle. This includes cultivating mulberry, growing silkworms, and silk-weaving. This culture is conserved through passing on knowledge from one generation to the next. You will also get to understand more about the local lifestyle.
Let us walk you through 3 zones at Cocoon Farm.
- Silk Heritage Zone: Learn about the Thai Silk sources and making processes through a weaving workshop. You will get a hands-on experience of dyeing the fabric silk with natural colors and creating your personalized craft!
- Happy Farm Zone: Pick your fresh vegetables from the organic garden. You will also learn how to grow flowers and edible plants.
- Cocoon Eatery Zone: Taste the unique farm-to-table recipes while catching the stunning view of lotus flowers.
Cr. เเดนเทวดา
- Angels Land
Chiang Mai serves as one of the top tourist destinations where you can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, stunning waterfalls, and flower farms covered with vivid shades of magenta, white, yellow, and red.
But believe it or not, you can find everything mentioned in just one place! Let us introduce you to Angels Land, a paradise-like attraction in Chiang Mai!
The owner initially thought of running a small coffee shop to accommodate locals and travelers to have a cup of coffee under the shady trees. However, he knew that travelers would prefer something that offers a variety of activities. He thus decided to open this new “heaven land” for tourists to enjoy the laid-back coffee shop, the blooms of Margaret and Celosia flowers, and the Japanese garden. Both zones are amid a waterfall with a stream running through them. In the old market zone, you can also purchase local products for souvenirs made by the local Mae Taeng Community. Angels Land in Mae Taeng district is located 45km from Chiang Mai.
How to travel to Chiang Mai
Direct flights from Singapore: Scoot
From Bangkok: There are several traveling routes from Bangkok to Chiang Mai, as shown below.
By Air: Direct flights from Bangkok to Chiang Mai take around 1 hour and 15 minutes. The recommended way to go to the hotel from Chiang Mai airport is by Rod Daeng (red truck) or Grab.
By Train: For those who have plenty of time or love a slow and chill lifestyle, you may consider traveling by sleeper train, which will take around 13-14 hours. During the ride, you can catch beautiful scenery along the way. You can book train tickets from Bangkok to Chiang Mai here.
By Public Express Bus: Frequent express buses to Chiang Mai depart from Mo Chit Bus Terminal, with night buses being more popular with locals and tourists alike to save a full day of travelling. The bus journey will take about 10-12 hours.