REAL LIFE / Crafts + Cooking + Home + Health

Peppermint Coffee House

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Do Suthep Temple

Banana pancakes are ubiquitous in Thailand, but Blue Diamond makes some of Chiang Mai’s best (35/1 Moon Muang Rd., Lane 9). To do some good while you get your morning caffeine fix, buy an espresso at Free Bird Café (116 Maneenopparat Rd.)—proceeds support a community center for Burmese refugees. Peppermint Coffee House (1/1 Rachadamnoen Rd., Lane 5) serves an excellent Massaman (coconut milk/peanut) curry, and you can quench your thirst with a fresh fruit drink from everyone’s favorite shake-making lady at Tip’s Best Fresh Smoothie (Moon Muang Rd., Lane 6). Just across the street, you’ll find several women-run stalls selling Northern Thailand’s famous curry noodles, called khao soi, for less than $2 a bowl.

AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 GIRLS: #67 BY MAI NGUYEN

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THIS GORGEOUS ASIAN CITY IS CHILL AND CHARMING

MAYBE IT’S THE cloud-covered mountains or the countless incredible massage havens, but the biggest city in northern Thailand is also one of the most beloved destinations on the planet. While hectic Bangkok may bring in billions of tourist dollars, Chiang Mai’s got way more relaxed likeability, and it’s liable to seduce you with its roadside curry carts, golden Buddhist temples, and effortlessly charming locals. In Chiang Mai, you can buy a deliciously ripe mango from a motorbike vendor, then celebrate the new year with a citywide festival and water fight (called Songkran). If you’re looking for a friendly, mellow spot that caters to frugal travelers, this Northern Thai gem is for you. 24

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Blue Diamond

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At Bus Bar (Loi Kroh Rd. and Iron Bridge), which sits on the banks of the Ping River, you can drink your $2 Chang beer—the country’s top-selling brew—in a courtyard or on the roof of a vintage bus. For Rasta vibes, head to the THC Rooftop Bar (19/4-5 Kotchasarn Rd.), where you can buy buckets of booze for $5. If you want a ritzier experience, try The Riverside (9/11 Charoenrat Rd.) for drinks made with SangSom, the popular Thai whisky.

Siam Rice

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Bus Bar

Chiang Mai is a great city for learning a skill. Sign up for a cooking class at Siam Rice (211 Moo 13, Lane 5); after shopping in the local markets, you’ll cook (and eat) seven traditional dishes, like pad Thai and papaya salad. Or learn how to give a whole body Thai massage at Namo (109/1 Moon Muang Rd., Lane 4).

Dotted with bamboo huts for lounging, few places are more idyllic than Huay Tung Tao Lake, which is a 30-minute taxi ride from town; split the fare with a couple of friends, and set a pickup time in advance with your driver. One hour south of the city is Chai Lai Orchid Resort (202 Moo 9, Mae Win), an eco-sanctuary filled with adorable animals that provides education for girls who are vulnerable to sex-trafficking. There are countless incredible, inexpensive massage places in town, but for an only-in-Chiang-Mai experience, get a $6-an-hour treatment at the Women’s Correctional Institution (100 Rachvithi Rd.). Female inmates are taught the art of massage therapy as a form of rehabilitation before they’re released.

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Street Market

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Get lost for hours at the city’s biggest street markets, held every Saturday and Sunday night (on Wualai Rd. and Ratchadamnoen Rd., respectively). Streets are closed off to traffic and packed instead with local crafts, clothing vendors, performances, and killer food. For more modern goodies, head to Chiang Mai’s trendy Nimman neighborhood and check out the accessories at Pink Pvssy (24/2 Nimmanhaemin Rd.), the handmade clothes at Kitty+Rabbit+Squirrel (Nimmanhaemin Rd., Lane 4)—run by three sisters—and the traditional Thai silk clothes at Srisanpanmai (6 Lane 1, Nimmanhaemin Rd.).

Need to bust out some Beyoncé? Loco Elvis (129/3-5 Moon Muang Rd.) is the undisputed favorite among karaoke lovers, with more than 150,000 English songs on offer. Zoe in Yellow (48/4-5 Ratwithi Rd.) and Warm Up (40 Nimmanhaemin Rd.) are two of the most raucous places to dance until your legs give out. Or follow the locals to Sudsanan (30 Ratchapuak Rd.), which offers live Thai folk music shows.

Srisanpanmai

Huay Tung Tao Lake

GETTING AROUND

Chiang Mai is mostly easy to navigate by foot, but the cracked streets and unlit laneways can be a challenge. For a taxi, flag down one of the red, closed-roof pickup trucks (called songthaews), and tell the driver where you want to go. Negotiate the fare before you get in—it should be about 20 baht (65 U.S. cents) per person anywhere in the center of the city, and 40 to 60 baht to go a little further out. When you want to get out, press the buzzer on the cab’s ceiling, climb out, and pay him through the side window. If you’ve got a bit more cash, and are ready for some adventure, hail one of the three-wheeled rickshaws (called tuk-tuks) peddling around.

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