Travel to Northern Thailand

 

Travel to northern Thailand

When most people think of Thailand, they think of beautiful beaches and palm trees. However there is much more to Thailand than the beaches and islands of the south. 700km north of Bangkok lies northern Thailand, an area characterised by lofty mountains, thick forests, and diverse ethnic minority groups (hill tribes). For travellers seeking a more cultural and authentic side to Thailand, the north is the place to visit.

There are 9 provinces in northern Thailand and each has a capital of the same name

1. Chiang Mai

2. Lamphun

3. Lampang

4. Uttaradit

5. Phrae

6. Nan

7. Phayao

8. Chiang Rai

9. Mae Hong Son

The capital of northern Thailand is Chiang Mai city, often affectionately referred to as the ‘rose of the north’. This is the cultural and historic hub, of the north. A low rise city ringed by lofty mountains and lush subtropical countryside. At the center is the square-shaped old city, known for its charming historic Lanna style temples and the red-brick ruins of an ancient wall and moat that encloses it. Historically these were built to protect the city from invasions from Burma.

Beyond the old city, is a bustling low rise metropolis. It has all the mod-cons of any modern city, but unlike Bangkok its much slower paced and less congested. Travellers will be spoilt for choice when it comes to accommodation and dining out.

 

Chiang Mai as a base for your Northern Thailand travels

Chiang Mai city is the best base to which to start any trip to northern Thailand.  After arriving in Chiang Mai, you’ll want to acclimatise and enjoying this charming city and its lush tropical surroundings. Popular activities here include; visiting an elephant sanctuary, trekking, cooking classes and visiting hill tribe villages.  There are also numerous cultural, historic and natural wonders ranging from historic Lanna temples, caves, waterfalls and national parks. For more info on some Non-Tourist Things to do in Chiang Mai, check out this post.  After a few days in Chiang Mai, you’ll want to head out into the countryside – this is where you’ll find the real northern Thailand. The other two main other destinations are Mae Hong Son and Chiang Rai. It is in these rural provinces that you can discover the rich cultural tapestry of northern Thailand and traditional way of life.

Visiting Chiang Rai

From Chiang Mai, you could travel north to Chiang Rai – the northern most province in Thailand. Another diverse and fascinating province, mostly known for the Golden Triangle and White temple. The main tourist highlights of Chiang Rai  are >>

• White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
• Black House
• Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seua Ten)
• Golden Triangle
• Boat trip on the Mekong River to Laos border
• Monkey Fish Cave (Wat Tham Pla)
• Mae Salong (Chinese tea plantation village)

However, if you want to see the real Chiang Rai you’ll need to get off the tourist trail and into the heart of it’s countryside. The rural hinterlands here are characterised by towering mountains, sprawling rice fields, tropical fruit orchards, hilltop tea plantations, mountainous frontier borders with Myanmar and rustic dirt-path villages.

Chiang Rai is also home to a diverse range of ethnic minority groups (hill tribes) who dwell in the mountains and valleys, eking out a living as farmers. In Chiang Rai you can find most of the major hill tribe groups of northern Thailand, such as the; Karen, Akha, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu, Mien and Palong. Check out our What to See in Chiang Rai  post for more info.

Most tourists only visit Chiang Rai as a day trip from Chiang Mai, which is a shame as there’s so much more to discover than this. You could easily spend a few days travelling through the Chiang Rai countryside, and exploring its fascinating and diverse hill tribe groups. The hill tribes migrated from Myanmar and Laos and dwell in the highlands living off the land. Many hill tribe villages remain very traditional, where homes are still a simple bamboo hut on stilts. Hill tribe villages, such as the Karen, Hmong, Akha and Lahu are scattered throughout the province.

Click here for a Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai Itinerary

Visiting Mae Hong Son

West of Chiang Mai is Mae Hong Son.  A remote and mountainous frontier province bordering Burma, historically renowned for its vast teak wood forests and wild elephants. This is one of the most non-tourist and most authentic parts of Thailand.  Mae Hong Son is best discovered on the ‘Mae Hong Son Loop’ route, a 600km road trip through the province which takes you through Pai, Mae hong Son and Mae Sariang and back to Chiang Mai. This is a road trip which traverses through the mountains, passing lofty mountain landscapes and some of the best views in the country. Travelling along this route will give you a glimpse into how locals really live. You’ll pass the rustic hill tribe villages that are scattered throughout the province, the predominant tribes here are the Karen and Lawa.

The distinctive cultural feature of Mae Hong Son, is the Shan –an ethnic minority group who originate from southern China and later migrated down to Myanmar and Thailand. Mae Hong Son is characterised by ornate Shan style temples, and ‘Poy Sang Long’ festival (novice monk ordination festival).

Click here for how to  Travel the Mae Hong Son Loop

How long to spend in northern Thailand?

You could easily spend weeks exploring northern Thailand and not have covered it all. If you have less than 4 days, then its best to stick to Chiang Mai city. If you have 4 days or more then we suggest exploring Chiang Rai or Mae Hong Son province.

Conclusion

Northern Thailand has something to offer all ages and tastes. From national parks, to soft adventure activities and minority culture. What makes it special though is that it offers the chance to see the real Thailand, not the tourist version of it. Many travellers remark that it feels much more authentic compared to other more commercial destinations. Another important facet are it’s people – northern Thais are renown for their gentle nature, kindness and hospitality to visitors, perhaps a result of their peaceful surroundings in fertile and abundant nature.

Useful Links

https://wikitravel.org/en/Northern_Thailand

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/thailand/articles/11-awesome-places-in-northern-thailand-that-arent-chiang-mai/

Traveller Misconceptions about northern Thailand

Start in Chiang Mai

The capital of northern Thailand is Chiang Mai, and Chiang Mai city is the best base to which to start any trip to northern Thailand. After arriving in Chiang Mai, you’ll want to acclimatise and enjoy this charming city and its lush tropical surroundings. For more info on some Non-Tourist Things to do in Chiang Mai, check out this post.  After a few days in Chiang Mai, you’ll want to head out into the countryside – this is where you’ll find the real northern Thailand. The other two main other destinations are Mae Hong Son and Chiang Rai. It is in these rural provinces that you can discover the rich cultural tapestry of northern Thailand and traditional way of life.

Travel to Chiang Rai

One of the most popular travel destinations in northern Thailand is Chiang Rai, which is also the most northerly province in Thailand. It is mostly known for the Golden Triangle and White temple. Here are the main tourist highlights of Chiang Rai >>

• White Temple (Wat Rong Khun)
• Black House
• Blue Temple (Wat Rong Seua Ten)
• Golden Triangle
• Boat trip on the Mekong River to Laos border
• Monkey Fish Cave (Wat Tham Pla)
• Mae Salong (Chinese tea plantation village)

However, if you want to see the real Chiang Rai you’ll need to get off the tourist trail and into the heart of it’s countryside. The rural hinterlands here are characterised by towering mountains, sprawling rice fields, tropical fruit orchards, hilltop tea plantations, mountainous frontier borders with Myanmar and rustic dirt-path villages.

Chiang Rai is home to a diverse range of ethnic minority groups (hill tribes) who dwell in the mountains and valleys, eking out a living as farmers. In Chiang Rai you can find most of the major hill tribe groups of northern Thailand, such as the; Karen, Akha, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu, Mien and Palong. Check out our What to See in Chiang Rai  post for more info.

Travel to Mae Hong Son

The other major province in northern Thailand is Mae Hong Son.  Located 300 kilometres west of Chiang Mai, its the most mountainous province in the country, and also the most scenic.

Travelling to Mae Hong Son, gives you a feel into Thailand 20 years ago. It’s a lackadaisical sleepy province, worlds away from the tourist bubble of Chiang Mai. Mae Hong Son province is the largest, most forested province with the lowest population density.  As such, Mae Hong Son feels utterly remote, and very authentic.

The majority of the population are Shan – an ethnic minority group who originated in Yunnan (southern China).  A few hundred years ago, they migrated south to Myanmar and Thailand. The Shan add a distinctive cultural influence to Mae Hong Son. This can be seen in the ornate Shan temples, exquisite Shan style traditional dress seen on special festivals.

Mae Hong Son is best explored via the iconic Mae Hong Son Loop. This is a 600 kilometer road trip through the province, traversing through rugged mountains and some of the best scenery in the country. It takes you through the towns of Pai, Mae Hong Son , Khun Yuam and Mae Sariang. Each of the major towns along the loop caters for tourists. There’s a selection of 2-3 star guesthouses, restaurants and shops. There are 711s and atms, and good wifi and all the mod-cons.

Here are some of the major attractions in Mae Hong Son, although travelling to Mae Hong Son is really about the journey and what you see on the way, rather than the specific attractions themselves.

• Pai Canyon
• Coffin cave (Tham Lod)
• Lisu, Lahu, Lawa, Karen and Long Neck Hill tribe villages
• Doi Gong Mu temple
• Jong Kham Temple and Lake
• Shan villages by Mae Hong Son town
• World War II museum in Khun Yuam
• Salawin River in Mae Sariang

Northern Thailand – How to Get There

The city of Chiang Mai is the best place to start your travels of northern Thailand. It has an international airport, with direct flights to South Korea, Kunming, Hong Kong, Mandalay, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. There are also hourly flights to Bangkok and regular flights to Phuket.

How many days?

For travel to Northern Thailand, we would recommend a minimum of one week. Although you could easily spend a month here, and still not have discovered all its charms. You’ll want to spend the first few days in Chiang Mai. After that, if you travel to Chiang Rai we recommend taking 3-4 days. OR you could travel to Mae Hong Son which we recommend allocating 5-6 days for.

So your northern Thailand travel itinerary could look something like this:

Itinerary A) CHIANG MAI + CHIANG RAI

Days 1-3) Chiang Mai city

Days 4- 7) Chiang Rai Province

OR

Itinerary B) CHIANG MAI + MAE HONG SON

Days 1-2) Chiang Mai city

Days 3- 7) Mae Hong Son Loop

Wrap up 

If you have any questions about planning a trip or travel to Northern Thailand, just send us a comment below 🙂

Useful Links

Northern Thailand Travel Wiki

When is the best time to visit northern Thailand ?

Top 5 Photography Picks in Northern Thailand